Evening Attire, Denon go for Knickerbocker

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.