Kentucky Derby Runs With 19 Horses After The Puma Scratched With Skin Infection

The Delgado father-son training duo, who won the Derby with Mage in 2023, will not get a second shot Saturday after their horse was ruled out less than 12 hours before post time.

The 152nd Kentucky Derby will go to post Saturday at Churchill Downs with 19 horses after The Puma was scratched due to a swollen leg caused by a skin infection. Churchill Downs officials announced the scratch less than 12 hours before the 6:57 p.m. EDT post time, past the deadline for Corona de Oro to draw in off the also-eligible list. Renegade remains the morning-line favorite.

The Puma Scratched Late, Closing the Door on a Replacement

The Puma's removal came too late for any also-eligible horse to take the spot. Corona de Oro was next in line but could not draw into the field once the deadline had passed, leaving the field at 19 rather than the maximum 20.

Gustavo Delgado Jr., who co-trains The Puma alongside his father Gustavo Delgado Sr., said the situation was painful but expected to be short-lived. "It's incredibly disappointing, but the swelling should go down within a day or two," Delgado Jr. said. "It's just really bad timing." The horse had opened at 10-1 odds and was bet down to 8-1 by Friday before the scratch was announced.

A Familiar Name, a Familiar Heartbreak

The Delgado father-son team won the Kentucky Derby in 2023 with Mage, making Saturday's scratch particularly stinging. They had been positioned for a rare repeat as a training duo, a feat that would have added another chapter to one of the sport's more compelling recent storylines.

The race still carries its own notable family angle. Bill and Riley Mott became the first father-son duo to each have a horse entered in the Derby since 1964, a distinction that stands regardless of the field size.

A Week of Attrition Before the Gate Opens

The Puma is the fourth horse scratched from the field in as many days. Silent Tactic was ruled out Wednesday, Fulleffort on Thursday, and Right to Party on Friday. As horses exited, Great White, Ocelli, and Robusta drew into the field from the also-eligible list.

Renegade heads into Saturday as the favorite, a position the Todd Pletcher-trained colt has held since opening as the morning-line choice a week ago. Should Renegade win from the No. 1 post position, it would be the first Derby winner to do so from that draw in four decades.

Las Vegas Watching From Afar, With Plenty of Options

For Las Vegas residents not making the trip to Louisville, the city has organized a wide range of watch parties across the valley. South Point is offering all-day race viewing, betting windows, food and drink specials, and a hat contest at 2 p.m., following a Friday night handicapping seminar hosted by Ralph Siraco with Jon Lindo and Jon Hardoon in the Grandview Lounge.

On the Strip, Wynn's Charlie's Derby Day event pairs wall-to-wall race coverage with reserved tables and all-inclusive food-and-drink packages near the sportsbook, featuring Southern-inspired comfort foods. Fontainebleau is spreading the action across multiple venues including The Tavern, Bleau Bar, Collins, and Oasis Pool, with specialty cocktail menus available all day.

Downtown, Circa's Legacy Club is hosting a rooftop party with a Mint Julep bar, Derby-themed bites, and a hat contest offering a $300 Legacy Club credit as the prize. Tickets are required. Off the Strip, Al Solito Posto at 420 S. Rampart Blvd. is welcoming walk-ins for its annual Derby party with themed small bites, bourbon-forward cocktails, and a best-dressed contest at no charge. In Henderson, Timeless Moments at Lake Las Vegas is combining big-screen viewing with brunch-style food and classic Derby drinks.

What we know

• The Puma was scratched from the 152nd Kentucky Derby due to a swollen leg caused by a skin infection.
• The scratch was announced less than 12 hours before the 6:57 p.m. EDT post time, past the deadline for Corona de Oro to draw in off the also-eligible list.
• The Puma was trained by Gustavo Delgado Sr. and Gustavo Delgado Jr., who previously won the Derby with Mage in 2023.
• The Puma opened at 10-1 odds and was bet down to 8-1 by Friday before the scratch.
• The Puma is the fourth scratch of the week; Silent Tactic was ruled out Wednesday, Fulleffort on Thursday, and Right to Party on Friday.
• Great White, Ocelli, and Robusta drew into the field as horses were scratched.
• Renegade is the favorite, trained by Todd Pletcher, and would be the first Derby winner from the No. 1 post in four decades.
• Bill and Riley Mott are the first father-son duo to each have a horse in the Derby since 1964.

The take

Late scratches in the Kentucky Derby are not unusual, but four in four consecutive days is a notable run of attrition for a single field. The Derby's also-eligible system exists precisely to absorb early withdrawals, but once the deadline passes, the field is locked regardless of how many spots open. That timing quirk is a recurring frustration for connections of horses sitting just outside the top 20 on points.

The Delgado situation carries extra weight given their 2023 win with Mage. Repeat Derby trainers are rare enough; father-son repeat trainers would have been a genuine historical footnote. The Bill and Riley Mott storyline now stands as the race's most prominent family angle, and the 1964 reference underscores how infrequently that kind of dual entry happens.

Renegade's position as favorite from the No. 1 post is worth watching closely. The inside draw has historically been considered a disadvantage in a full field because of traffic concerns in the early going, and no horse has won from that post in roughly 40 years. Pletcher is one of the most accomplished trainers in Derby history, which adds credibility to the horse's chances despite the post-position headwind. Whether the reduced 19-horse field changes the calculus around that draw is a reasonable question heading into Saturday.

Why it matters

For Las Vegas sports bettors, a late scratch this close to post time reshapes the wagering landscape, particularly in exotic bets where The Puma's connections had already driven meaningful handle. The field reduction also affects superfecta and trifecta combinations. More broadly, the Derby remains one of the few events that draws casual bettors into sportsbooks and watch parties across the country, and the week's string of scratches is a reminder of how fragile a horse's path to the starting gate can be.

What’s next

The 152nd Kentucky Derby posts Saturday, May 2, at 6:57 p.m. EDT at Churchill Downs. Las Vegas watch parties at South Point, Wynn, Fontainebleau, Circa's Legacy Club, Al Solito Posto, and Timeless Moments in Henderson are all scheduled for Saturday. South Point's handicapping seminar was held Friday evening ahead of the race.

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