Grade 1 Winner Evening Attire Dies at 21

The Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue in Pawling, N.Y. announced Jan. 21 that grade 1 winner Evening Attire died over the weekend from complications related to colic. He was 21.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of the great Evening Attire," read the post from Akindale on their community Facebook page. "Evening has been an amazing presence here at Akindale since the day he arrived, winning the hearts of every person, volunteer, and friend that has had the pleasure to meet him.

"Even those that never met him admired his style, confidence, and heart. Evening had a dignified presence, a kind eye, and he loved his visitors. We cannot express our thanks enough to everyone who has come to visit Evening over the years. He truly loved the visits (and the treats) and always knew how to work the crowd to keep them coming back for more, just as he did on the track."

Bred in Kentucky by Thomas J. Kelly and Joseph M. Grant, Evening Attire was the fifth foal out of the Our Native mare Concolour. Foaled on Valentine's Day in 1998, the son of Irish-bred Black Tie Affair broke his maiden at Saratoga Race Course in his second start at 2. 

Returning to the track as a sophomore, Evening Attire impressed early on for trainer Patrick Kelly when he scored back-to-back victories in the Discovery (G3) and Queens County (G3) handicaps.

Evening Attire added four more graded scores to his resume at 4, including his first grade 1 win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. That victory earned him a spot in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) where he finished fourth behind Volponi, Medaglia d'Oro , and Milwaukee Brew .

With class carrying him, Evening Attire raced consistently until the age of 10. He closed his 69-start career on a high note with a win in the listed Greenwood Cup Stakes at Philadelphia Park. He retired in 2008 with a 15-16-9 record and $2,977,130 in earnings.

Evening Attire joined Akindale in shortly after his final race in 2008 as an ambassador for the farm's Thoroughbred rescue program. For the past decade, the gelding was a central resident of the program's rehabilitation center where he was a reliable, friendly face that welcomed new horses to the farm. 

"You almost felt like the youngsters looked at him in awe," said Chris Andrews, executive director of Akindale. "It was like they knew they were hanging out with someone really spectacular. You could just feel that all the eyes were on him every time he walked through the barn." 

"He was kind, he was gentle, but he was so fesity and had such a strong personality. He had an amazing presence and whether you were a horse person or not, you were drawn to him. He had a magnetic personality. The energy in the barn will unfortunately never be the same without him here."

The farm had originally planned to host a party honoring what would have been Evening Attire's upcoming 21st birthday. Andrews said the event will now be reshaped into a memorium for the gelding. 

"We are beyond touched at how kind everyone has been," Andrews said. "His memory will live with us at the farm forever."

Evening Attire will be buried at Akindale Farm.