Evening Attire, Denon go for
Knickerbocker
Grade 1 winners EVENING ATTIRE (Black Tie Affair [GB]) and
DENON (Pleasant Colony) will face off against eight rivals in
Saturday’s $150,000 Knickerbocker H. (G2) during Aqueduct’s
opening weekend. The former is bypassing Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup
Classic (G1), where he ran fourth in 2002 and seventh last year,
and is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold
Cup (G1).
Denon made his final start as a five-year-old in the Japan Cup
(G1) in November of last year, then wasn’t seen in competition
again until October 9, when he finished fifth in the Sycamore
Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) at Keeneland. The Bobby Frankel charge has
been assigned the 119-pound highweight here.
The complete field for the grassy nine-furlong Knickerbocker
is CAESARION (Ire) (Danehill), Jorge Chavez, 114;
HOTSTUFANTHENSOME (Awesome Again), Julian Pimentel, 114; Evening
Attire, Jose Espinoza, 114; DR. KASHNIKOW (El Gran Senor), Jean-Luc
Samyn, 116; L’OISEAU D’ARGENT (Silver Hawk), Aaron Gryder, 115;
HOST (Chi) (Hussonet), Chris DeCarlo, 115; BALESTRINI (Ire) (Danehill),
G.F. Almeida, 115; MR. LIGHT (Arg) (Numerous), Joe Bravo, 113;
SAILAWAY (Our Emblem), Shaun Bridgmohan, 112; and Denon, Pablo
Fragoso.
Also scheduled for Saturday at Aqueduct is the seven-furlong
First Flight H. (G2). PASSING SHOT (A.P. Indy), a Grade 1 winner,
enters off a third-place effort in June 19 Ogden Phipps H. (G1)
and will have to carry the top weight of 118 pounds against five
rivals in this $150,000 test.
SMOKEY GLACKEN (Forestry) will break from the rail under Bravo
while toting 115 pounds. She’ll be followed in the post parade by
SENSIBLY CHIC (Distorted Humor), Espinoza, 112; HIDDEN RANSOM (Silver
Ghost), Fragoso, 112; Passing Shot, Gryder; BENDING STRINGS (American
Chance), Bridgmohan, 116; and SCHEDULE (GB) (Brian’s Time),
Stewart Elliott, 113.