Newly Minted overcomes layoff to win Union Avenue Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Linda Rice believed Newly Minted was talented enough to win Thursday’s $85,000 Union Avenue Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Saratoga. She just wasn’t sure if she was fit enough to win it off a 148-day layoff.
“I didn’t get quite as many workouts in her as I would have liked,” Rice said. “She has a lot of raw talent and I was hoping that would carry her through.”
It did.
After stalking the pace-setting Carrera Cat through an opening half-mile in 46.03 seconds, Newly Minted took the lead in upper stretch and then held off a late run from Mrs. Orb to win the Union Avenue by a neck. It was three-quarters of a length back to Forever Changed, who got third by a head over Collegeville Girl.
Ratajkowski, the 6-5 favorite, finished fifth, followed by Carrera Cat, last year’s Union Avenue winner.
Rice, Lezcano and Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, which owns Newly Minted, had to withstand a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run before the victory was made official. In deep stretch, Newly Minted did come out a few paths under Jose Lezcano’s left-handed whip, and jockey Jose Ortiz checked on Ratajkowski, who was second at that point but appeared to be running evenly. Ortiz did not claim foul.
The stewards, after reviewing the replay and speaking to the riders involved, did not believe the incident affected the outcome of the race, according to their decision posted on the New York Racing Association website.
“I was concerned at first when I saw the head-on,” Rice said. “I could see the filly was laboring and she was tired at the end of it, but Jose told me, ‘I know she came over a little, she was tired,’ but he said ‘I was well in front of her.’ “
The victory was the sixth in 11 starts for Newly Minted, a 4-year-old daughter of Central Banker. She began her career winning four of her first five starts including three stakes. This was her first start since she finished second in the Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct on March 8.
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Rice said she gave the filly a break after the Heavenly Prize because Newly Minted had been in training for more than a year and New York racing had just been shut down indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Newly Minted covered the seven furlongs Thursday in 1:23.84 and returned $6.20 as the second choice.