by Tim Nichols

Grade 1 winner Evening Attire rallied from last in a field of six and snapped a five-race winless stretch with a dominating 8 1/4-length victory in the $250,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes on Saturday at Philadelphia Park.

The win earned the ten-year-old Black Tie Affair (Ire) gelding an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon on October 25 at Santa Anita Park as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.

Evening Attire raced last through a half-mile in :48.57, dropping more than 7 1/2 lengths behind pacesetter Barcola. Moving up on the inside, Evening Attire gained command on the turn, opened a three-length lead in early stretch, and easily won the 1 1/2-mile race in 2:29.90 on a fast track.

Grade 1-placed multiple stakes winner Barcola maintained a 1 1/2-length lead through a half-mile and led by two lengths through one mile in 1:37.47. Evening Attire raced three wide at the start under jockey Jose Espinoza, moved up to fourth approaching the turn, and drew away powerfully in the closing strides.

Multiple graded stakes-placed winner Phil the Power finished second, 2 1/4-lengths clear of Barcola, the 7-to-5 favorite.

Patrick Kelly trains Evening Attire for co-owners Joseph and Mary Grant and Thomas Kelly. The gray or roan gelding was winless in five previous starts this year, and entered off consecutive runner-up finishes at Belmont in the Fit to Fight Stakes on May 15 and the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) on June 6.

Evening Attire concluded his 2007 season with a victory in the Queen’s County Handicap (G3) on December 8 at Aqueduct. He posted his 15th victory from 69 starts and increased his earnings to $2,977,130.

Bred in Kentucky, Evening Attire is out of the winning Our Native mare Concolour

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor