Evening Attire, the winner of last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I), worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 over a fast main track Sunday morning. The 5-year-old gray's status for this year's $1 million Gold Cup on Saturday is uncertain at this point."The work was nice," trainer Pat Kelly said. "We're just waiting to see who's going to run and how he comes out of this."
Kelly, who also mentioned the $400,000 Meadowlands Cup on October 3 at 1 1/8 mile, knows he would have to go up against a tougher field in this year's Gold Cup than he did last year."We'd have to figure out a way to beat Mineshaft," Kelly said. "It's definitely not going to be easy. Nothing's easy when they put $1 million up."Despite running against the likes of Mineshaft, Empire Maker and Moon Ballad in the Gold Cup, Kelly may still be more comfortable with Evening Attire in that spot."I think he's better at the mile and a quarter," the trainer said. "He sort of likes Belmont, although he's only 1-for-8 here."Evening Attire, owned by Mrs. Joseph Grant, ran fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) last year. Kelly said he has not given much thought to shipping to California for this year's running."Last year we were talking about the Breeders' Cup, but we weren't really planning on it until he won the Gold Cup," Kelly said. "I don't know if we'll end up in California or not. That's a long way off yet."Another one of the top horses in Kelly's barn worked this morning. Fox Ridge Farm's Riskaverse went five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 around dogs over a firm turf course. She is scheduled to run in the $750,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) at 1 1/4 mile Saturday.
"She hasn't won at a mile and a quarter, but she's been close," Kelly said of the 4-year-old. Riskaverse was beaten by 2 ¾ lengths in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) and by 1 ¾ lengths in this year's New York Handicap (gr. IIT). "We'll keep trying. She'll jump up and win one of these days," Kelly said.