Field reduced to 19 runners as Churchill Downs prepares for 152nd Kentucky Derby

The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is set to take place this Saturday, 2 May 2026, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The event, which serves as the first leg of the Triple Crown, will feature a field of 19 three-year-old horses after a late withdrawal altered the original entry list.

Official confirmation from Churchill Downs indicates that The Puma was scratched from the race less than 12 hours prior to the scheduled post time of 6:57 p.m. ET. The thoroughbred was ruled out due to a swollen leg caused by a skin infection, a condition that prevented the horse from competing in the $5 million purse event.

With the field now reduced to 19 runners, Renegade has emerged as the 4-1 favourite to claim victory. The colt, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., is positioned in post number one. This location offers a strategic advantage inside the rail, a benefit not held by a No. 1 starter in four decades.

The race maintains the same financial structure as recent years, with the total purse remaining at $5 million for the third consecutive year. The winner will receive $3.1 million, while the runner-up is awarded $1 million. This financial framework applies to the 19 horses vying for the title after the late entry reduction.

Qualification for the event required participants to accumulate points by finishing in the top five in designated races from September through mid-April, or by winning their international series. Historically, post position five has produced the most winners with 10 victories, though the current favourite holds the inside post.

Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, won the previous year's edition at 7-1 odds. As the race approaches, the focus remains on the remaining 19 competitors as they prepare for the opening challenge of the Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.