WASHINGTON — The deadline passed at midnight Wednesday for candidates to qualify for the next Democratic presidential debate and only 10 made it, narrowing the largest field in history to a more manageable size.

Gone, for now at least, are the two-night debates of June and July, since everyone can fit on one stage, one night, for next month's debate in Houston.

The only real suspense came in the form of billionaire Tom Steyer, who fell one poll short of qualifying even after spending nearly $12 million on advertising to boost his campaign.

Gone, too, are the earlier, wilder days of the campaign when anyone seemed like they could be the next breakout star (remember Michael Avenatti?).

"The field is cut in half overnight, basically. That's clarifying. It's important to get all the major candidates on stage together," said David Brock, a Democratic fundraiser who runs a collection of major Democratic super PACs. "But on the other hand, there's a lot of chatter about the candidates who got boxed out, they would say unfairly. I think it's really tough if you're not in the debate to have any hope."

As the summer winds down, the 2020 race has settled into a more predictable rhythm, with a clearly stratified field that includes a few front-runners, a wider second-tier and a larger crop candidates barely registering in the polls who are still praying for a Hail Mary.

While more than 20 candidates are staying in the race, fewer and fewer are staying relevant.

Only three candidates are polling at double digits (Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders). Just five are averaging support above 2 percent (California Sen. Kamala Harris; Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker; former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke; and entrepreneur Andrew Yang). Everyone else has just around 1 percent or less in polling averages.

At least 26 candidates declared their intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination over the past year, the largest in history for either party. But five recently dropped out, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York on Wednesday evening, and more are expected to follow as the prospect of making future debate stages dims.