Winning the run for the roses will get you a lot of cabbage.
The victor of this year’s Kentucky Derby will take the lion’s share of a $3 million total purse, with the bulk of that going to the horse’s owner—and a smaller amount than you might imagine to the jockey who rides the horse to victory.
The first-place winner in the 2023 race will get $1.86 million, with $186,000 going to the jockey. The runner-up will earn $600,000, with $30,000 going to the rider; third place will capture $300,000, with the jockey pocketing $15,000.
Horses that place fourth and fifth will earn $150,000 and $90,000 respectively, while the jockeys who rode them will receive just $4,500 and $2,500.
The Belmont Stakes winners split a $1.5 million purse, while the Preakness winners divide $990,000.
The real money for the owners comes after the race (and the Triple Crown) is in the rearview mirror, though. Stud fees for champion horses can be substantial, ranging from $100,000 to $225,000 per foal, which can result in millions of dollars.
Justify, which won the Triple Crown in 2019, reportedly earned his owner $75 million for the sale of his breeding rights to Coolmore, a top-tier horse breeding organization.
While the prize pool itself for Derby winners and runners up isn’t exactly Super Bowl–level, getting a horse into the Kentucky Derby isn’t a cheap affair. The Downey Profile reports the entry fee for the 2023 race is $25,000, with an additional $25,000 starting fee.
All totaled, 20 horses will compete in this year’s race.
