Horse Racing
How Much Money Does The Winning Jockey Earn At The Kentucky Derby?
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Get to know Dan Girolamo betterPublished01 May 2025
The 151st Running of the Kentucky Derby is set for May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. With a lucrative purse, how much will the winning jockey earn at the Kentucky Derby?
Kentucky Derby 2025 Purse & Payouts
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The 2025 Kentucky Derby carries a purse of $5 million for the second consecutive year. The purse was $3 million until Churchill Downs’ backing added $2 million.
The horse that etches its name in history and enters the winners’ circle will earn $3 million.
Second and third place walks away with $1 million and $500,000, respectively.
The top five payouts:
- First: $3.1 million
- Second: $1 million
- Third: $500,000
- Fourth: $250,000
- Fifth: $150,000
Kentucky Derby 2025: How Much Does The Winning Jockey Make?
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With $3 million going to the winner, how much of that purse goes to the jockey?
Three people — owner, trainer, and jockey — are awarded money with a win.
The typical revenue split is 80% to the owner, 10% to the trainer, and 10% to the jockey.
10% of $3.1 million is $310,000, a great payday for the winning jockey.
Let’s look at the 2024 Kentucky Derby to see a payout breakdown.
2024 Kentucky Derby Payout Breakdown:
1st Place (Mystik Dan): $3.1 million
2nd Place (Sierra Leone): $1 million
3rd Place (Forever Young): $500,000
4th Place (Catching Freedom): $250,000
5th Place (T O ): $150,000
Brian Hernandez Jr. was on the back of Mystik Dan and earned $310,000.
The winning jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr., earned 10% of the first-place prize, taking home $310,000—a massive payday for a two-minute ride!
2025 Kentucky Derby Field: Horses, Trainers, Jockeys, Odds
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizen Bull | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 16-1 |
| 2 | Neoequos | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Luis Saez | 53-1 |
| 3 | Final Gambit | Brad Cox | Luan Machado | 16-1 |
| 5 | American Promise | D. Wayne Lukas | Nik Juarez | 12-1 |
| 6 | ire Daytona | Yukihiro Kato | Christophe Lemaire | 36-1 |
| 7 | Luxor Café | Noriyuki Hori | Joao Moreira | 13-1 |
| 8 | Journalism | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 7/2 |
| 9 | Burnham Square | Ian Wilkes | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 17-1 |
| 10 | Grande | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 18-1 |
| 11 | Flying Mohawk | Whit Beckman | Joe Ramos | 34-1 |
| 12 | East Avenue | Brendan Walsh | Manny Franco | 30-1 |
| 13 | Publisher | Steve Asmussen | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 27-1 |
| 14 | Tiztastic | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 18-1 |
| 15 | Render Judgment | Kenny Meek | Julien Leparoux | 12-1 |
| 16 | Coal Battle | Lonnie Briley | Juan Vargas | 27-1 |
| 17 | Sandman | Mark Casse | Jose Ortiz | 5-1 |
| 18 | Sovereignty | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 10-1 |
| 19 | Chunk of Gold | Ethan West | Jareth Loveberry | 30-1 |
| 20 | Owen Almighty | Brian Lynch | Javier Castellano | 41-1 |
| 21 | Baeza | John A Shirreffs | Flavien Pratt | 42-1 |
