At the first Kentucky Derby, in 1875, a total of 15 horses ran the race. At the 100th Run for the Roses, a record 23 horses competed – and jockey complaints following that crowded track caused Churchill Downs to set a 20-horse limit the following year.
Since 1975, that 20-horse cap has been questioned and commented on regularly. When Maximum Security finished first at the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby Saturday, then became the first winning horse to be disqualified for interference, first-time Derby winner owner Gary West brought into question the reason why the race allows six horses more than any other major American race. West pointed to the profit the race track makes off allowing 20 horses to compete instead of the standard 16. Churchill Downs Racetrack representatives assert that the track certainly has safety in mind, but it is because no other race regularly draws 20 horses than the Derby standards are different.
