Tomorrow, the marathon comes to Philadelphia Park with the mile-and-a-half $250,000 Greenwood Cup. As part of the BC Challenge, the winner gets an automatic berth in the new $500,000 BC Marathon on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita Park, one of 14 BC stakes worth $25.5 million that will be run Oct. 24 and 25.

The Greenwood has a genuine racing celebrity, the amazing 10-year-old gelding Evening Attire. The gelding's first race was on July 16, 2000. He won the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2002 and, in his next start, was fourth in the BC Classic. In 2003, he was third in the Grade I Whitney Handicap behind the terrific Medaglia d'Oro.

In his career, Evening Attire has started 68 times with 14 wins, 16 seconds and nine thirds for earnings of $2,827,130. The old boy has slowed down over the last 4 years, winning just three of his last 33 starts.

But Evening Attire is still quite competitive. In fact, by the numbers, his last race, a second in the first Marathon "win and you're in" race, the June 6 Brooklyn, was his best in 4 years. Trained at Belmont Park by Patrick Kelly, Evening Attire will be ridden by Jose Espinoza.

Evening Attire is the only horse in the six-horse field that has ever run a mile-and-a-half. He has two seconds and a fourth in three 12-furlong starts.

Barcola, with the terrific young rider Kendrick Carmouche, looks like lone speed. The 5-year-old led into the stretch in the Stephen Foster before getting run down by Horse of the Year Curlin.

Curlin's trainer Steve Asmussen has Bureaucratic. Locally based trainer Tony Dutrow has Three in the Bag, who is a serious contender after winning his last two races by a combined 24 1/2 lengths. Mario Pino comes up from Delaware Park for the ride.

Solemn Promise comes in from Churchill Downs for trainer Dale Romans. Joe Orsenom, who won so many races at PhillyPark back in the day, trains Phil the Power. Tony Black, who has won more races at the "Pha" than anybody, will ride.

The Greenwood Cup is the second of four Marathon "win and you're in" races. The Brooklyn was the first. The July 30 Cougar II at Del Mar and the Sept. 6 Turfway Park Fall Championship are the others. *