Evening Attire Retired

[Norfolk]

Grade I Winner Evening Attire Retired

Evening Attire, a fan favorite because of his color, running style and tenacious longevity, has been retired, according to the Hall of Fame trainer Tom Kelly. According to Pat Kelly a minor ankle injury has ended the racing career of the 10-year-old son of Black Tie Affair.

During his eight seasons of racing, Evening Attire finished first, second or third in 40 of his 69 starts. Of his 15 wins, nine were graded stakes, including his greatest conquest, the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2002. Competing in the country's greatest races for older horses, from the Whitney Handicap to the Breeders' Cup Classic, he earned $2,977,130.

Tom Kelly bred and owned Evening Attire with his partners Mary and Joe Grant. Attire was trained by three of Tom’s sons, first by Larry, then Tim and later by Pat. Evening Attire's first graded win came in the 2001 Discovery Handicap, when he defeated Street Cry at odds of 65-1. HIs last stakes win came in his final race, July 19, when he captured the 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park. He not only defied his age, winning by 8 1/4 lengths, but also set a track record and earned a place in the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

"Last weekend at Monmouth, we saw some swelling in his leg," Pat Kelly said. "During the week, after discussions with the vet and his owners, we decided, considering his age and all he has done, it was in everyone's best interest to retire Evening Attire and find a good home for him."

“He was one of a kind,” Tommy Kelly said. “He had to be castrated early on because his testicles were up in his back and couldn’t break from the gate. Still to this day, he didn’t break like any other racehorse. But at the final end when it counted, from the quarter pole to the wire, he always put in his run. I’ve never seen him back once. He might have finished second, third, fourth, or fifth, but he was already running at the end, where the best part of a racehorse manifests itself. We’re all going to miss him.”

Mary Grant said ”We feel so blessed to have a horse not only racing for eight years but competing in stakes company. Attire has brought our family so much excitement and has given us the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people in the racing world. We are amazed at his popularity. For years he has received birthday cards from fans in this country as well as from New Zealand and Europe. One fan has even built a website dedicated to him, www.eveningattire.net. We just want to thank all his loyal fans for their great support.”

Where Attire will retire has not been finalized. All options and suggestions are being considered by his owners.