Aqueduct: Normandy Invasion returns to Chad Brown

Normandy Invasion, unraced since finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby, has rejoined trainer Chad Brown’s stable at Palm Meadows in south Florida and is in light training for a 4-year-old campaign.

Brown said Normandy Invasion has been in Florida for about two weeks and could begin galloping next week.

Normandy Invasion, who finished second in last year’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial, missed most of the summer due to a foot abscess and general body soreness, according to Brown.

“He had a bad foot abscess and then after he recovered from that he was starting to show some other soreness in other parts of his body and his gait wasn’t quite the same,” Brown said.

After an examination by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in July, Normandy Invasion spent several months at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky.

“He didn’t require any surgeries. He just needed some time off,” Brown said. “He’s one of those horses that runs so hard when he runs and he had very hard races in the Wood and the Derby. He was all out in those races and he paid the price for it. Fortunately, he didn’t do any permanent damage to himself.”

Brown praised the staff at WinStar for sending Normandy Invasion to him in excellent shape saying, “His time spent there was time well spent.”

Brown said he and owner Rick Porter have not discussed possible races for the colt.

“Mr. Porter and I are just taking the approach of trying to get to that first workout and taking it from there,” Brown said. “Honestly, we know what kind of potential he has and what races could be in play, but until he gets on a breeze schedule, we’re not even going to speculate where or when he might run.”

Brown eyes out-of-town stakes

While Brown doesn’t figure to participate in any of the HolidayFest Stakes at Aqueduct next weekend, he will have plenty of stakes action out of town.

Brown said Last Gunfighter, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, would run in next Saturday’s Hawthorne Gold Cup while Easter Gift, scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile after being relegated to also-eligible status, will run in Friday’s Grade 1 Clark on Friday at Churchill Downs. Brown is also planning to send Dayatthespa and Pianist to Hollywood Park for next weekend’s Grade 1 Matriarch.

Brown said he was pleased with Last Gunfighter’s effort in the Classic and said he came out of the race well enough where he decided to postpone a scheduled vacation.

“We were going to shut him down after that, but I got looking at the Hawthorne race – a mile and a quarter on the dirt – and he’s doing really well,” Brown said. “I think we’ll make that his last start of the year and then give him a little freshening.”