how many horses race in the kentucky derby

The Kentucky Derby typically has a maximum field of 20 horses. For the 2025 Kentucky Derby, the race featured 19 horses competing after two scratches reduced the field from 20 to 19. The scratches were Rodriguez (No. 4) due to a minor foot bruise and Grande (No. 10) due to a cracked heel, with Baeza entering the field as a replacement and taking post position 20