LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just about all the major workouts have been completed. The post positions have been assigned. For the connections of the 22 horses entered in Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby the waiting becomes the hardest part. Adding to the anxiety and anticipation this week are the daily examinations of the horses being conducted by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians led by Dr. Nick Smith, the commission’s chief veterinarian. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. Not since 2018 has there not been a scratch from the Derby owing to an infirmity or injury. Last year, 23 horses entered the Kentucky Derby, but five were scratched. While four of the five were listed as trainer scratches, most of the horsemen had little choice but to withdraw their horses from the race. The most high-profile scratch was that of Forte, the morning-line favorite, who developed a foot bruise mid-week last year and despite seemingly making progress was scratched by Smith the morning of the race after he watched Forte gallop. “He was a tick off, it was horrible timing because of everything else going on,” Pletcher said, referring to the five equine fatalities that had occurred at Churchill in the week leading up to the Derby. “I think it was not solely his condition, it was partly affected by everything else that was going on. All the fatalities going on made the magnifying lens even larger.” :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Two horses died on the Kentucky Derby undercard and five more fatalities occurred at Churchill after the Derby, which prompted officials in early June to move the rest of the meet to Ellis Park. In reaction to the fatalities, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Churchill Downs implemented additional safety measures. Those actions include the addition of 15 KHRC vets to join Churchill vets and closely monitor and observe Kentucky Derby and Oaks participants before, during, and after training. That process began in earnest Sunday. Pletcher, who has this year’s Derby favorite in Fierceness, welcomes the added monitoring as long as it’s fair. “It shouldn’t be the case, but I’m sure they’re looking a little harder than they are for Wednesday’s third race,” Pletcher said. “But I think everybody also understands how important it is that we have safely run races. I understand it.” Chad Brown, who has the probable second choice in Sierra Leone and another contender in Domestic Product, said the regulatory vets have a difficult job, especially when they are examining horses with whom they are not familiar. Since the perfect specimen is rare, Brown believes its incumbent for the vets to consult with the trainer if there are questions. “My approach with it first and foremost is to present horses that I feel are sound and very safe and ready to go into a high level of competition and stress, then working with them if any questions come up with what’s normal for that horse. We’re available for it,” Brown said. “It is a necessary process to go through, there’s no way out of it, but I do agree in principle with the approach and the process,” Brown added. “It’s just working out the gray area of determining what’s relevant and what’s not and what goes along with that horse is difficult.” Every little thing Derby week is magnified. Danny Gargan, trainer of Dornoch and Society Man, anticipates questions later in the week when he walks Dornoch on Thursday and Friday while likely sending Society Man to the track both days. “He walks two days into every race, he’s won three in a row doing it, we’re not going to change anything now,” Gargan said of Dornoch. “If he does go out Thursday, he’ll jog a mile. Society Man will train all the way up to it.” :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Gargan said KHC veterinarians looked at his horses Sunday “and were happy with the way both our horses look,” he said. The two horses who wound up on the also-eligible list, Epic Ride and Mugatu, in that order, would need horses to scratch from the Kentucky Derby by 9 a.m. Friday in order to get into the race. “I wish no ill fate on anybody. I hope they all get there because they deserve to be there,” said Jeff Ennis, trainer of Epic Ride. “If something unforeseen happens, we’ll be ready to go. If he gets in great. I won’t be disappointed or angry if we don’t get in. It just wasn’t my time.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.