CRAWFORD | Kentucky Derby field finalized as Litmus Test draws in after late defection

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Kentucky Derby field is set. Finally.

Trainer Steve Asmussen's decision Saturday morning to withdraw Chip Honcho from Derby consideration provided the final piece, allowing Bob Baffert's Litmus Test to move into the 20-horse field for the 152nd Run for the Roses.

With that, the lineup is complete heading into Saturday's 2 p.m. post position draw at Churchill Downs.

Asmussen said the decision to bypass the Derby came after the colt's morning work, opting instead to regroup for the Preakness.

Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford

"We're going to wait for the Preakness," Asmussen said. "We have a long year ahead of us. We want to make sure he's 100% and get him back in the mix."

The move elevated Litmus Test — previously on the outside looking in — into the starting gate, giving Baffert a second Derby entrant alongside Potente.

Litmus Test, a son of 2016 Derby winner Nyquist, will be ridden by Martin Garcia. Though his 3-year-old campaign has been uneven, his connections never completely abandoned Derby hopes.

"For Bob, this was his Derby horse at one point," said Jack Wolf of Starlight Racing, one of the colt's co-owners. "You just get in, you get a place, you're starting it — you've got a chance."

Litmus Test won the Los Alamitos Futurity in December but followed with a third-place finish in the Rebel Stakes and a seventh in the Arkansas Derby. He worked five furlongs from the gate in :59 earlier this week, a move that helped solidify the decision to stay the course.

Wolf joked he already has a preferred post position.

"I had a fortune cookie the other day," he said. "It said seven is your lucky number. I guess we'll get to seven."

The late shuffle does little to change the top of the field, which remains anchored by Louisiana Derby winner Commandment (150 points), Blue Grass runner-up Further Ado (135) and Arkansas Derby winner Renegade (125), followed by Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy and Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Fulleffort.

In all, the 20-horse field reflects the now-familiar mix of domestic qualifiers and international invitees. Japan Road entrant Danon Bourbon and Euro/Mideast qualifiers Wonder Dean (JPN) and Six Speed round out the gate.

Litmus Test slots into the field as the 17th-ranked runner on points, the last horse in following Chip Honcho's withdrawal.

The final field, in order of qualifying points, includes:

Commandment; Further Ado; Renegade; So Happy; Fulleffort; The Puma; Silent Tactic; Emerging Market; Albus; Potente; Pavlovian; Right to Party; Incredibolt; Golden Tempo; Chief Wallabee; Intrepido; Litmus Test; Danon Bourbon; Wonder Dean (JPN); Six Speed.

Now comes the next variable.

Post positions will be drawn at 2 p.m., setting the stage for pace scenarios, trip debates and the final round of handicapping ahead of next Saturday's 1¼-mile classic.

As Wolf put it, with a shrug that could apply to the entire field:

"None of us are very smart. We get real smart afterwards."