Churchill to debut new 20-stall starting gate in 2020 Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs has contracted with an Australian company to produce a 20-stall starting gate that will be used for this year’s Kentucky Derby, the racetrack announced on Monday.

The 20-stall starting gate will allow Churchill to eliminate a gap between the 14th and 15th starting stalls in the Derby field, which is capped at 20 horses. Since 1942, Churchill Downs has used a six-stall “auxiliary” gate for the Derby any time the field exceeded 14 horses, with the auxiliary gate positioned adjacent to the 14-stall gate, nearer the outside rail.

The gap between the two gates gives ample room for horses in the 14th and 15th starting position to veer into the open space. The horse in the 15th stall typically uses that gap to charge toward a more inward position in the field, although the positioning of horses out of the gate is also dependent on the horse’s running style.

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“We believe that a new custom-made, 20-stall starting gate will deliver a clean start for all horses and enhance safety for horses and riders in the Kentucky Derby,” said Mike Ziegler, the executive director of racing for Churchill’s parent company, in a prepared statement.

The 20-stall gate will be used only for the Kentucky Derby, the track said. Churchill limits fields to 14 horses in all of its other races.

The 20-stall gate is 65 feet wide. Churchill’s main track is 120 feet wide at the quarter pole, where the Derby starts.

The Australian company that is manufacturing the gate, Steriline Racing, has built a 22-stall gate that is in use at York Racecourse in England. The company’s products are in use at racetracks around the world, the company said, and its starting gates are in place at every track in England.