Another day, another Kentucky Derby dropout. Field down to 19 horses after fourth scratch.

For the fourth time in less than 24 hours, a horse in the field for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby has been scratched from the race.

This time, there are no horses left to replace him Saturday night at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

On Friday morning, it was announced that Skinner — trained by John Shirreffs and set to be ridden by Juan Hernandez — would be scratched from the 2023 Derby due to an elevated temperature.

This is the same reason why Practical Move was scratched from the race Thursday afternoon.

Additionally on Thursday, Lord Miles was scratched from the race after his trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., was suspended by Churchill Downs.

On Thursday night, Continuar was also scratched from the race due to fitness concerns.

Thursday’s three announced scratches brought all three also-eligible horses — Cyclone Mischief, Mandarin Hero and King Russell — into the Derby field.

As such, the Derby field is now down to just 19 horses with Skinner no longer taking part.

The last time four horses were scratched from the Kentucky Derby was in 2015. The last time the field started with less than 20 was in 2021, when 19 went to post.

In the last two weeks, five horses that were at one point projected to race in the Derby have been taken out of the event.

Last week, expected Kentucky Derby contender Wild On Ice was euthanized after suffering a leg injury during training at Churchill Downs.

Skinner only moved into the projected Derby field after Wild On Ice dropped out of the race.

Skinner’s scratch takes away trainer’s lone entry, jockey’s Derby debut

Skinner was set to start Saturday night’s race from post position No. 9 and had been given morning-line odds of 20-1 during Monday’s post-position draw.

Shirreffs, his trainer, won the Kentucky Derby in 2005 with 50-1 long shot Giacomo.

Hernandez, his jockey, was to make his Kentucky Derby debut aboard the horse.

Skinner was 19th on the Kentucky Derby qualifying points leaderboard with 45 points. The California-based horse ran third in both the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park this spring.

A son of Curlin — the legendary horse who won 11 of 16 career starts, including the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2007, as well as American Horse of the Year honors in 2007 and 2008 — Skinner has a 1-0-3 career record in six starts.

Kentucky Derby

When: 6:57 p.m. Saturday

Where: Churchill Downs

TV: NBC and Peacock

Purse: $3 million (Grade 1)

Distance: 1 1/4 miles

For: 3-year-old Thoroughbreds

Kentucky Derby field, with odds:

1. Hit Show (30-1)

2. Verifying (15-1)

3. Two Phil’s (12-1)

4. Confidence Game (20-1)

5. Tapit Trice (5-1)

6. Kingsbarns (12-1)

7. Reincarnate (50-1)

8. Mage (15-1)

9. Skinner (SCRATCHED)

10. Practical Move (SCRATCHED)

11. Disarm (30-1)

12. Jace’s Road (50-1)

13. Sun Thunder (50-1)

14. Angel of Empire (8-1)

15. Forte (SCRATCHED)

16. Raise Cain (50-1)

17. Derma Sotogake (10-1)

18. Rocket Can (30-1)

19. Lord Miles (SCRATCHED)

20. Continuar (SCRATCHED)

21. Cyclone Mischief (30-1)

22. Mandarin Hero (20-1)

23. King Russell (50-1)

This story was originally published May 5, 2023 at 10:34 AM.

Cameron Drummond

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-242-5257

Cameron Drummond works as a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a focus on Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting and the UK men’s basketball team, horse racing, soccer and other sports in Central Kentucky. Drummond is a second-generation American who was born and raised in Texas, before graduating from Indiana University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker who previously worked as a community news reporter in Austin, Texas. Support my work with a digital subscription