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Multiple graded stakes winner Imperative is succeeding in a new career as a sport horse. According to a tweet this week from the National Thoroughbred Welfare Organization (NTWO), the 10-year-old gelding retired and joined the organization's retraining program in August 2019 after a seventh-place finish in that year's Grade 1 Whitney. The earner of over $3 million was shown looking graceful in the dressage ring.

Imperative had a place guaranteed for him at Old Friends, but owner Ron Paolucci said in a press release at the time that the gelding was still healthy and sound and wanted a job so he opted to send him along to a new career.

The 10-year-old gelding is a son of Bernardini out of Call Her. Imperative had 50 starts and placed in 19 of them. He is a two-time winner of the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic and has placed second or third in the G1 Gold Cup, G1 Pacific Classic, G2 San Antonio, G2 San Pasqual, and G3 Native Diver.

At the time of his retirement, Anthony Qartarolo conditioned the horse for Paolucci and Imaginary Stables.

Imperative was bred in Kentucky at Darley's Glencrest Farm. He was consigned by Four Star Sales at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2011 and bought by John Fergusson for $325,000.

Remember Imperative? Retired to NTWO, here he is in his new life as a show horse. He looks wonderful! pic.twitter.com/qTOjuARXuR

— NTWO (@NTWOorg) December 26, 2020

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The National Thoroughbred Welfare Organization (NTWO) announced this week that former Spendthrift stallion Normandy Invasion has been gelded and will be retrained and rehomed by the organization.

NTWO farm manager and trainer Tayja Smith said that the multiple graded stakes placed earner of $551,900 is doing better than she had expected with the adjustment after she was warned he could have some aggressive tendencies.

“We pulled him off, and he was dead quiet,” Smith said. “He had his head right where it needed to be, walked super respectful in, settled right into his stall, and rolled and relaxed.”

Smith said that she is planning on trying group turn out soon after giving him some more time to get adjusted.

The 10-year-old son of Tapit has not begun any training yet. Smith said that she wants to allow him to pick up some herd dynamics as well as pass a veterinary check before she begins training with him. She plans to start his training on the ground and go from there.

“They kind of tell you what to do, I think,” Smith said. “I do everything by feel.”

Smith said it usually takes a week or two to get a horse where she wants on the ground, and then she starts the under-saddle training. When asked about what she might look for in a potential adopter for Normandy Invasion, Smith said that most importantly it should be someone who has experience with a stallion and someone who really bonds with him as a horse instead of just wanting him because he is well known.

“While he's very, very well mannered,” Smith said. “If he ever does decide to show stallion tendencies, I would rather it be somebody who is going to be confident with those tendencies.”

“I kind of want him to choose.”

Normandy Invasion was runner-up in the 2012 Grade 2 Remsen Stakes and the 2013 G1 Wood Memorial Stakes. He was bred in Kentucky by Betz/Kidder/Gainesway/Graves/D.J. Stable/Cole and is out of the Boston Harbor mare Boston Lady. Normandy Invasion was a $230,000 purchase as a 2-year-old by Fox Hill Farms, which campaigned him throughout his racing career with trainer Larry Jones. Fox Hill's Rick Porter is the founder of NTWO. Normandy Invasion is the sire of 13 winners from 43 starters, and his first foals are 3-year-olds of 2020.

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