Bouwerie likely next for Newly Minted

ELMONT, N.Y. – Like most of her colleagues, Linda Rice on Monday was in Ocala, Fla., looking at hundreds of 2-year-olds that were to be sold this week at the OBS auction.

At the very least, she hopes to find another Newly Minted.

It was at this same sale last year where Rice purchased Newly Minted for $110,000. In a span of eight days, Newly Minted earned $144,100 for Beach Haven Thoroughbreds with a 5 3/4-length maiden win on April 13 and a 7 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct.

No, Rice won’t run Newly Minted this week, despite the pleas – jokingly, of course – of Becky Thomas, who consigned the daughter of Central Banker last April.

Rice said Thomas saw her on the auction grounds over the weekend and asked her “Can’t you put her in on Friday at Belmont so we could have some fun?”

Rice said the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes on May 27 is the more likely next target for Newly Minted.

The restricted status of the Park Avenue as well as a wet track were two factors that prompted Rice to run Newly Minted back in a week.

“I wouldn’t have run her back in seven days if I didn’t think she was going to run a big race,” Rice said. “She’s a filly that’s shown a lot of talent. She ran a fast figure first time out, it was $200,000, and frankly I gave her all kinds of time since I bought her at this auction a year ago. She’s mature, healthy, doing terrific, came out of that [maiden] race terrific, so I took a shot and ran her back in a week.”

Newly Minted earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure for her Park Avenue victory, one week after earning an 87 for her maiden score.