For the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the field is capped at 20 horses , but the exact number in any given year can be slightly lower if there are late scratches.

Quick Scoop

  • The modern Kentucky Derby has a maximum of 20 starters, a rule in place since 1975.
  • In many recent years the race has indeed started with a full field of 20 horses.
  • However, late scratches sometimes reduce that number; for example, the 2025 Kentucky Derby was run with 19 horses after injury-related withdrawals.

So if you’re asking “how many horses in the Derby?” in general, the answer people usually mean is: up to 20 horses, and most years it’s right around that, unless a horse is scratched late.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.