The race is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. It was called the Aqueduct Handicap, but beginning in 2009, the name was changed to the Evening Attire Stakes in honor of the great grey gelding Evening Attire. He raced until he was 10 years old, retiring in 2008. The race is an ungraded stakes event run on dirt at a distance of miles, it is open to horses three years old and up.
On November 28, 2007, this Grade III stakes race was downgraded to an ungraded stakes by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
Originally named for the racetrack where the inaugural race took place in 1902, until recently, it was mostly run on Labor Day but now is held in January. (It was run in late February in 2015.) The race did not take place from 1910 through 1916, 1924, 1956 through 1958, 1969 through 1972, 1974–1975, and in 1979. The 2010 edition marked its 91st running.
In 1961, the Aqueduct Handicap was run at Belmont Park.
The race was renamed the Aqueduct Stakes from 1962 to 1965 and in 1967 and 1968. In 1973 it was restricted to 2-year-old horses and was won by Cannonade who went on to win the 1974 Kentucky Derby.
On January 17, 2009, it was run as the Evening Attire Stakes.
The race's distance has been altered four times: miles : 1920 through 1924 miles : 1917 through 1919, 1926 through 1932, and from 1961 through 1973 1 mile : 1976 miles : 1977 to present
Winners of the Evening Attire Stakes since 1959 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time2015North Slope5Junior AlvaradoKiaran McLaughlinGodolphin Racing1:45.452014Long River4Irad Ortiz Jr.Kiaran McLaughlinDarley Stable1:44.712013Last Gunfighter4Irad Ortiz Jr.Chad C. BrownJohn D. Gunther1:43.542012Redding Colliery6Alan GarciaKiaran McLaughlinMrs. Fitriani Hay1:43.052011Heart Butte4David CohenTodd PletcherClaude Paul1:46.082010Understatement5David CohenTodd PletcherPaul Pompa Jr.1:42.942009Barrier Reef4Ramon A. DominguezThomas AlbertraniDarley Stable1:43.812008Angliana6Alan GarciaKiaran McLaughlinAlvin D. Haynes1:43.252007Liquor Cabinet6Ramon A. DominguezRichard E. Dutrow Jr.Edward P. Evans1:43.662006Happy Hunting5Norberto Arroyo Jr.C. R. McGaughey IIIPhipps Stable1:44.562005Country Be Gold8Jose EspinozaSteven KappesB. Seinfeld & E. Dodson1:44.802004Seattle Fitz5Aaron GryderKiaran McLaughlinWest Point Stable1:42.002003Snake Mountain5Michael LuzziJames A. JerkensBerkshire Stud et al.1:44.002002Evening Attire4Shaun BridgmohanPatrick J. KellyGrant, Grant, Kelly1:42.602001Liberty Gold7Joe BravoGeorge Arnold IIJohn Peace1:42.202000Sky Approval6Cornelio VelásquezPatrick J. KellyLive Oak Plantation1:44.401999Mr. Sinatra5Aaron GryderGasper MoscheraBarbara J. Davis1:43.111998Star of Valor5Aaron GryderJohn Terranova IITeam Valor1:42.481997Pacific Fleet5Jorge ChavezAlfredo CallejasRobert Perez1:43.451996Mighty Magee4Michael LuzziLeon BlusiewiczAllan H. Spath1:43.891995Danzig's Dance6Jorge ChavezJohn ParisellaKaren S. Zablowitz1:41.131994As Indicated4Robbie DavisRichard SchosbergHeatherwood Farm1:45.601993Shots Are Ringing6John VelazquezPeter FerriolaJewel E Stable1:44.401992Formal Dinner5Julio PezuaD. Wayne LukasLeonard D. Mathis1:43.601991Sports View4Jerry D. BaileyD. Wayne LukasEdward A. Cox Jr.1:43.401990Congeleur5Ángel Cordero Jr.Richard O'ConnellCap-Rus Stable1:44.801989Lord Of The Night6Herb McCauleyDominick GalluscioWinbound Farms1:42.801988Clever Secret4E. T. BairdD. Wayne LukasEugene V. Klein1:45.201987King's Swan7José A. SantosRichard E. Dutrow Sr.Alvin Akman1:41.801986Aggressive Bid5Michael VeneziaRobert G. DunhamFour Fifths Stable1:43.801985Fight Over4Ángel Cordero Jr.John ParisellaTheodore M. Sabarese1:42.601984Moro5Jean-Luc SamynGasper S. MoscheraAlbert Davis1:43.401983Fort Monroe4Victor MolinaSidney Watters Jr.Stephen C. Clark Jr.1:42.401982Reef Searcher5Ángel Cordero Jr.Jack D. LudwigJohn A. Franks1:48.401981Irish Tower4Jeffrey FellStanley M. HoughMalcolm H. Winfield1:44.601980Charlie Coast5Jimmy MirandaWarren J. PascumaBette S. Karlinsky1:44.801978Wise Philip5Jacinto VásquezWilliam BolandDomino Stable1:43.801977Magnetizer4Angel SantiagoH. Allen JerkensPeter E. Blum1:45.401976Right Mind5Ron TurcotteJoseph KronovichDeronjo Stable1:38.801973Cannonade2Pete D. AndersonWoody StephensJohn M. Olin1:51.601968Damascus4Braulio BaezaFrank Y. Whiteley Jr.Edith W. Bancroft1:48.401967Damascus3Bill ShoemakerFrank Y. Whiteley Jr.Edith W. Bancroft1:48.201966Tom Rolfe4Bill ShoemakerFrank Y. Whiteley Jr.Powhatan Stable1:52.201965Malicious III4Bobby UsseryJohn M. Gaver Sr.Greentree Stable1:49.001964Kelso7Ismael ValenzuelaCarl HanfordBohemia Stable1:48.601963Kelso6Ismael ValenzuelaCarl HanfordBohemia Stable1:49.801962Crozier4Braulio BaezaJulius E. Tinsley Jr.Fred W. Hooper1:48.801961Tompion4John L. RotzRobert L. WheelerC. V. Whitney1:47.401960Bald Eagle5Manuel YcazaWoody StephensCain Hoy Stable1:34.801959Hillsdale4Tommy BarrowMartin L. FallonClarence Whitted Smith1:36.40 * Sun Edwin (1930), Dominus (1933), King's Swan (1988), and Shots Are Ringing (1992) all finished first but were disqualified.
Earlier winners
1955 – Icarian 1954 – Crash Drive 1953 – First Aid 1952 – Bryan G. 1951 – Bryan G. 1950 – Wine List 1949 – Wine List 1948 – Stymie 1947 – Stymie 1946 – Coincidence 1945 – New Moon 1944 – Alex Barth 1943 – With Regards 1942 – Pictor 1941 – Ponty 1940 – War Dog 1939 – Volitant 1938 – Isolater 1937 – Caballero II 1936 – Action 1935 – Good Gamble 1934 – Coequel 1933 – Golden Way 1932 – Blenheim III 1931 – Curate 1930 – Black Mammy 1929 – Sun Beau 1928 – Chance Play 1927 – Black Maria 1926 – Black Maria 1925 – Dazzler 1923 – My Play 1922 – Prince James 1921 – Damask 1920 – John P. Grier 1919 – Lucullite 1918 – Corn Tassel 1917 – Roamer 1909 – Firestone 1908 – Monfort 1907 – Brookdale Bymph 1906 – Rye 1905 – Bedouin 1904 – Israelite 1903 – Wild Thyme 1902 – Glenwater
References Aqueduct's official website