Repole-Pletcher Pair Favored in Evening Attire

Owner Mike Repole will be well-represented in the $100,000 Evening Attire at Aqueduct Racetrack on Monday, when he will send out the coupled entry of Micromanage and Village Warrior, both trained by Todd Pletcher.

The Evening Attire, at 1 1/16 miles for 4-year-olds and up, will anchor a special Presidents' Day card at the Big A as race eight of nine.

A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, Micromanage enters the Evening Attire having registered consecutive victories for the first time in his career. The Pletcher trainee had been an "in-and-outer" for much of his career before logging back-to-back wins in the Queens County and Jazil in his two most recent starts, both contested over Aqueduct's inner track.

The other half of the entry, Village Warrior, has not distinguished himself in stakes company, but has proven to be more consistent than his counterpart. Over his past six starts, the son of Majestic Warrior has finished first or second five times, never beaten more than three-quarters of a length aside from his one off-the-board finish. In his latest outing, Village Warrior finished second in a starter allowance race on January 16 at the Big A.

Micromanage and Village Warrior, listed at 7-5 on the morning line, will be ridden by Manuel Franco and Angel Arroyo from posts 8 and 3, respectively.

At 5-2 on the morning line, Stormin Monarcho will go out for owner Lawrence Roman. A 5-year-old son of Monarchos, Stormin Monarcho is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park. The bay gelding pressed the pace in the Native Dancer before giving way to Elnaawi - who was subsequently third in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park - and finished fifth, beaten 8 ¼ lengths, though only a length from second-place finisher and fellow Evening Attire entrant, Turco Bravo.

Prior to the Evening Attire, Stormin Monarcho won the Swatara at Penn National and the Richard W. Small at Laurel, and finished fourth in the Queens County to close out his 2014 campaign. The David Jacobson trainee will break from post 6 with Cornelio Velasquez aboard.

Jacobson, currently leading Aqueduct's winter meet with 24 wins, will also saddle the 8-year-old gelding Wealth to Me. Owned by Drawing Away Stable, Wealth to Me has spent the winter running at Laurel, but was second to Mosler when last seen on the New York Racing Association circuit on November 27 at the Big A. One start prior, the son of Tapit thrashed an off-the-turf starter allowance field by 13 lengths at Belmont Park.

Fernando Jara is named to ride Wealth to Me, 15-1 on the morning line, from post 7.

The third choice on the morning line at 5-1, Chilean-bred Turco Bravo will represent trainer Gary Contessa. By Irish sire Caesarion, Turco Bravo has run exclusively in stakes races since making his North American debut on October 11 at Gulfstream Park West. After a pair of fifth-place finishes in the Richard W. Small and Queens County, the chestnut gelding stepped his game up with a runner-up finish in the Native Dancer before nearly breaking through at 18-1 behind Micromanage in the Jazil.

Wilmer Garcia has the mount on Turco Bravo, and the pair will depart from post 4.

Rounding out the field are West Hills Giant, third in the Alex M. Robb in his latest outing; North Slope, fourth in the Grade 3 W. L. McKnight at 1 ½ miles on turf; and Mr Palmer, who has never been worse than second in four starts over the Big A's inner track for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Source: NYRA Communications