Will The 2024 Kentucky Derby Have A Full 20-Horse Field?

Written By Eli Hershkovich | Published at May 2, 2024

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.