Grade 1 winner
EVENING ATTIRE (Black Tie Affair [Ire]) captured the 2001
edition of the Queens County S. (G3) at Aqueduct by 1 3/4 lengths, but could
only muster a second-place finish in last year’s running of the 1 3/16-mile
test. On Saturday, the six-year-old veteran will try again while carrying the highweight of 123 pounds over Aqueduct’s inner track. He scored an easy
five-length win in the Saratoga Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) in late August, but has
tackled turf company in his past two starts and will return to the dirt here.
Jose Espinoza has the call for trainer Pat Kelly.
Among those Evening Attire will face on Saturday are CLASSIC ENDEAVOR (Silver
Buck) and ZAKOCITY (Precocity). The former easily made the transition from
claiming company to black-type races and won his last four starts, including the
Stuyvesant H. (G3) three weeks ago. Zakocity has also been going well of late, finishing
third in the Pegasus H. (G3) and taking the Discovery H. (G3) in his most
recent.
Other contenders in the 10-horse field include stakes winners ROARING FEVER
(Storm Cat) and PRIVATE LAP (Private Terms), who are both still looking for a
first graded victory.
Classic Endeavor has been assigned 117 pounds, including jockey Aaron Gryder,
and will break from the rail post. To his outside will be COLITA (Grindstone),
Rafael Bejarano, 115; ADMIRALTY ARCH (Arch), Stewart Elliott, 115; COUNTRY BE
GOLD (Summer Squall), Alan Garcia, 113; Evening Attire; Roaring Fever, Pablo
Fragoso, 115; HYDROGEN (Pleasant Colony), Mike Luzzi, 114; KISSIN SAINT (Kissin
Kris), Shaun Bridgmohan, 114; Zakocity, Javier Castellano, 115; and Private Lap,
Norberto Arroyo Jr., 114.