Horse Not in Derby Wins Prep : Lexington Stakes: Sore shins prevented Home at Last--winner at Keeneland--from entering Triple Crown.

Another Kentucky Derby prep was won by a horse not nominated for the Triple Crown races when Home at Last scored a two-length victory Tuesday in the $112,900 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

Stalwart Charger, winner of Saturday’s California Derby at Golden Gate Fields, also wasn’t nominated for the Triple Crown--the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont. Stalwart Charger’s omission occurred because of a mix-up, but Home at Last was left off by design after sore shins forced his trainer, Carl Nafzger, to remove him from training late as a 2-year-old.

A horse could have been nominated for the Triple Crown by paying $600 by Jan. 17, or $3,000 by March 17.

The Lexington did produce at least one candidate for the Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5. Pleasant Tap, who missed the Blue Grass April 14 because of a fever that cost him 10 days of training, ran second despite a troubled trip, and after the race his trainer, Chris Speckert, indicated that the son of Pleasant Colony--the 1981 Derby winner--would be heading for Churchill Downs.

Pleasant Tap finished five lengths in front of Thirty Slews, who was 2 1/2 lengths better than Slew of Angels. Following them across the finish line, in order, were Armed for Peace, Big E.Z., Cordoba, Sling Shot and Smelly, the 3-1 favorite who was in contention until the far turn, but took a bad step and was eased by his jockey, Jean Cruguet. Video Ranger and Five on Five were scratched.

A 17-horse field is likely for the Derby, headed by the co-favorites, Summer Squall and Mister Frisky. The others are Video Ranger, Pleasant Tap, Silver Ending, Thirty Six Red, Unbridled, Land Rush, Real Cash, Killer Diller, Burnt Hills, Pendleton Ridge, Dr. Bobby A., Country Day, Nuits St. Georges, Fighting Fantasy and Shot Gun Scott.

Nafzger trains both Unbridled and Home at Last, the Quadratic-Away from Home colt who won his third consecutive start Tuesday. Home at Last earned $73,385 for his owner, Russell L. Reineman of Chicago.

“Mr. Reineman and I have no regrets about not making Home at Last eligible,” Nafzger said. “He would have been pushing him (by running in the Derby), and might have hurt the horse. There are a lot of other races later in the year, and some we have in mind are the Illinois Derby (at Sportsman’s Park) and the Travers (at Saratoga).”

Home at Last, ridden by Jerry Bailey, paid $17.20 to win and ran 1 1/16 miles in a creditable 1:43 2/5. While Slew of Angels and Smelly pushed the pace-setter, Thirty Slews, Home at Last and Bailey waited in the second tier, within easy range of the leaders. Home at Last overtook Thirty Slews at the top of the stretch and had no trouble holding off Pleasant Tap and Kent Desormeaux, who was riding the colt for the first time.

Bailey, who does not have a Derby mount, gave up Thirty Six Red, Saturday’s Wood Memorial winner, when that colt and Home at Last were both running on April 7. Thirty Six Red, under Mike Smith, won the Gotham at Aqueduct, and Bailey won the Preview at Gulfstream Park with Home at Last.

“I think this horse (Home at Last) has as much ability as any of them, but he doesn’t have as much experience,” Bailey said. “He might be better eventually. I think he’ll be good to me in the long run.”