Grade 1 winner Home At Last dies

Home At Last, a Grade 1 winner and pensioned sire, died July 30 due to the infirmities of old age. He was 26 years old.

The son of Quadratic was bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. and Sons, and stood the bulk of his stallion career at the family’s farm in Midway, Ky., retiring from stud duty in the late 1990s.

Home At Last came into his own during his 3-year-old campaign, first winning the listed Preview Stakes at Gulfstream, and following up with a score in the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

The highlight of Home At Last’s sophomore season, and his career, came when he won the Grade 1 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs over Kentucky Derby-winning stablemate Unbridled and Cee’s Tizzy.

Owned by Russell Reineman and trained by Carl Nafzger, Home at Last entered the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Classic as part of an 8-1 morning line entry with Unbridled. However, while Unbridled split horses to win the race, Home At Last was pulled up in the stretch. He returned for a 4-year-old campaign in the handicap division, but went winless in six starts before he was retired.

“He was one of many stakes winners bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. and Sons that raced for Mr. Reineman, the same team that brought us leading sire Distorted Humor and Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem, who Reineman sold to The Thoroughbred Corporation before his first classic victory,” said Charles Nuckols III.

At stud, Home At Last sired 19 crops, with 93 winners, including six in stakes competition. His runners were led by Grade 2-placed multiple stakes winner Home of Stars, as well as multiple stakes winners Home First and Special Moments.