Normandy Coast skipped over the sloppy track in the $300,000 Palisades Stakes at Keeneland April 6, taking full advantage of the 5 1/2 furlong sprint being taken off the turf, which resulted in five scratches from the original 10 horse field.
The 3-year-old son of Omaha Beach , appreciated the cut back in distance, after recently finishing a troubled ninth behind Flood Zone in the one-mile Gotham Stakes (G3) March 25. After stalking the Wesley Ward-trained filly Long Neck Paula who set the early pace, he made his bid at the 5/16 pole, and bested her to cross the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front. Killjoy finished third.
"I was thinking that if all this rain did materialize, that we had a big shot to run on the main track," said trainer Eddie Kenneally. "This is a nice, nice horse. We were actually praying for rain this week, so that happened for us.
We wanted to run him on the dirt here, and it worked out perfectly. He took to it (the track) good, and got a great confident ride, very happy with him."
Racing under Ben Curtis for owner Red Gate Racing, Normandy Coast rated through fractions of :21.92, :45.40, :57.79, before finishing in 1:04.35 over a sloppy track. He paid $7.24 to win.
"It worked out perfect (to move to the inside at the top of the stretch)—we went on to win. The horse in front (Long Neck Paula) was just getting out a little bit off the rail, and I knew (my horse) stayed very well, so I knew stamina wasn't going to be a problem. So when the opportunity presented itself, I said, 'Perfect, we'll take the shortest way around,' and he went to the front and kept going. That's all you can ask of him."
Normandy Coast's win in the Palisades earned Curtis his first stakes win at Keeneland.
"It's brilliant," said Curtis. "I've only ever been here once, for one day, so to start the meet out like this, and also for Eddie as well—I've known Eddie for years. It's great that he's put me up on a lot of horses and I've had a good few winners, but I think this is the biggest of them, so yeah, absolutely fantastic."
With his victory in the Palisades, Normandy Coast now has three wins from five starts, boosting his bankroll to $269,525. Kenneally said the colt will be pointed towards 3-year-old sprint stakes on the dirt for the spring and summer months.
He was bred in Kentucky by Haymarket Farm, and purchased by Kenneally at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale for $60,000.
