Normandy Invasion won’t race again in 2013, eyes 2014 campaign

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The 3-year-old division lost an intriguing member Friday when the connections of Normandy Invasion, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby who has been battling a foot injury this summer, said he would not race again this year.

Owner Rick Porter said there were “no meaningful races” for Normandy Invasion to run in this year, and he will focus on a 2014 campaign.

Porter said Normandy Invasion was sent to Kentucky earlier this week, first to get checked out at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital and then to get turned out at WinStar Farm.

Porter said an examination by Dr. Larry Bramlage revealed no physical issues other than the foot abscess that forced Normandy Invasion to miss several weeks of training.

“We sent him to Kentucky to turn him out, let that foot grow out while he’s not in training,” Porter said. “We probably won’t have any hiccups that way.”

Porter said he and trainer Chad Brown would come up with a plan for 2014 and work backward from a year-end obective to determine when to put Normandy Invasion back in training.

Normandy Invasion, a nine-length maiden winner in his second career start at Aqueduct, finished second in the Grade 2 Remsen at 2 and second in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at 3. He made the lead turning for home in the Kentucky Derby but finished fourth, 3 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Orb.