Normandy Invasion suffers another setback

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Stanton, DE (SportsNetwork.com) - Former Wood Memorial runner-up Normandy Invasion has suffered another setback in his training after it was discovered the 4-year-old owned by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm has a fractured sesamoid bone.

"He was getting close to a return when Larry (trainer Larry Jones) noted the smallest amount of swelling though he wasn't lame in the least, and it turned out to be a fractured sesamoid," Porter posted on the Fox Hill Farm website. "Dr. Bramlage has told us that there is a 50-50% chance that he can return at his prior level and with no increased risk of injury at the site. He will know when he re-examines Normandy in about 45 days.

"Larry was very excited about Normandy's prospects for 2015, so we just have our fingers crossed that the healing goes well enough that Dr. Bramlage gives us the green light to return him to training.I will not race him unless Dr Bramlage tells me he can race at the same level as he previously raced."

After setting the pace in last year's Kentucky Derby before finishing fourth, Normandy Invasion suffered an abscess in his front hoof which kept him from competing the remainder of 2013.

Normandy Invasion returned as a 4-year-old by winning an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in February followed by a second to Palace Malice in the New Orleans Handicap. He finished 10th behind Palace Malice in the Met Mile for his final start of 2014.

"First, he had the deep abscess along with being underweight which caused us to give him the 2nd half of his 3yo year off. After just a few races at 4, he then got a lung infection that caused us to give him plenty of time this year," the statement said.

Normandy Invasion has two win and two seconds in nine lifetime starts for $504,390.