Will The 2024 Kentucky Derby Have A Full 20-Horse Field?
With the home stretch for Kentucky Derby odds approaching, the field is closer to being finalized. Only 18 horses entered the starting gate in last year's race. Will the 150th Run for the Roses feature a full field of 20? Barring any more scratches, yes.
No. 9 Encino has scratched but No. 21 Epic Ride now draws into the field to maintain 20 horses in the race. One more also-eligible remains, No. 22 Mugatu; however, there is a deadline for him to get into the race. So there is still a possibility less than 20 horses will run in the Derby. We'll explain more below.
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2024 Kentucky derby Morning Line odds
| Post Position | Horse | Morning line odds | Updated Kentucky Derby odds | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1. | Dornoch | 20-1 | 22-1 | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez |
| 2. | Sierra Leone | 3-1 | 5-1 | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 3. | Mystik Dan | 20-1 | 16-1 | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez |
| 4. | Catching Freedom | 8-1 | 8-1 | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat |
| 5. | Catalytic | 30-1 | 32-1 | Saffie Joseph | Jose Ortiz |
| 6. | Just Steel | 20-1 | 22-1 | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith Asmussen |
| 7. | Honor Marie | 20-1 | 13-1 | Whit Beckman | Ben Curtis |
| 8. | Just A Touch | 10-1 | 10-1 | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux |
| 9. | Encino | Scratched | Scratched | Brad Cox | Axel Concepcion |
| 10. | T O Passowrd (JPN) | 30-1 | 47-1 | Daisuke Takayanagi | Kazushi Kimura |
| 11. | Forever Young (JPN) | 10-1 | 6-1 | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai |
| 12. | Track Phantom | 20-1 | 40-1 | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario |
| 13. | West Saratoga | 50-1 | 23-1 | Larry Demeritte | Jesus Castanon |
| 14. | Endlessly | 30-1 | 47-1 | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli |
| 15. | Domestic Product | 30-1 | 28-1 | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz |
| 16. | Grand Mo The First | 50-1 | 45-1 | Victor Barboza | Emisael Jaramillo |
| 17. | Fierceness | 5-2 | 7-2 | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 18. | Stronghold | 20-1 | 35-1 | Philip D'Amato | Antonio Fresu |
| 19. | Resilience | 20-1 | 29-1 | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| 20. | Society Man | 50-1 | 46-1 | Danny Gargan | Frankie Dettori |
| 21. | Epic Ride | 50-1 | 44-1 | John Ennis | Adam Beschizza |
| 22. | Mugatu | Scratched | Scratched | Jeff Engler | Joseph Talamo |
At the time of publication, 21 horses remain entered in the Kentucky Derby field, with a maximum of 20 allowed to run in the race. If one more scratch takes place before 9 a.m. ET Friday, No. 22 Mugatu will draw in and help maintain a full 20-horse field.
If a scratch happens after 9 a.m. ET Friday, only 19 horses will run on the first Saturday in May and Mugatu will remain a scratch.
When there are scratches from the Derby field, horses move inward by one slot in the starting gate. For example, if Mugatu draws into the field, he would run as No. 22 on horse racing betting apps and wear a No. 22 saddle cloth but break from post position No. 20. When Encino scratched, horses numbered 10-20 moved inward in the starting gate by one post.
Remember that 2022 victor Rich Strike emerged via this same also-eligible caveat, breaking from post No. 20. He galloped all the way to cashing in 80-1 odds, teaming up with Big Brown (2008) as the only Derby winners to begin their conquest from post No. 20.
The biggest winner of Saturday's post-position draw was arguably the initial betting favorite Fierceness, now priced ahead of Derby points standings leader Sierra Leone. Drawing to the far outside, with the other speedy horses on the inner posts, greatly increases the odds of Todd Pletcher's prized contestant enduring a trouble-free run on the first turn. Fierceness should also be positioned to pace-press, rather than being pressed himself, down the stretch.
Generally, a horse that has to showcase its speed early will have less energy to expend in the waning moments of the race.
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