As the 151st renewal of the ‘Run For The Roses’ draws nearer on Saturday May 3, many horse racing fans will be asking – what is the Kentucky Derby Purse 2025 and just what is the prize money breakdown for the first leg of the US Triple Crown?
Kentucky Derby Purse Was Boosted To $5m In 2024
Trainers and owners looking to land the first leg of the Triple Crown – the Kentucky Derby – were given a boost last year, with Churchill Downs increasing the total purse in 2024.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby purse was bolstered to $5,000,000 from $3,000,000 in 2023.
Which made the race the richest it has ever been and not far adrift of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is still the most lucrative horse race in North America and carries a $7,000,000 purse.
Heading into 2025, the good news is the Kentucky Derby prize money remains at this level.
Here’s how the race prize pool will be broken down between the best finishing horses.
How The $5m 2025 Kentucky Derby Purse Is Split 💰
The Kentucky Derby purse isn’t ‘winner takes all’, which is bad news for the lucky owner, but better news for the connections of the horses placed.
This is because the top five horses will qualify for a slice of the Kentucky Derby $5m purse.
It goes without saying, the winning 2025 Kentucky Derby horse will collect the biggest share of the Churchill Downs pot and bank $3,100,000 for their owners.
However, the runner-up (second) will still collect a cool $1,000,000 and the third $500,000.
Here’s how the $5m win and place money is broken down.
- 1st: $3,100,000
- 2nd: $1,000,000
- 3rd: $500,000
- 4th: $250,000
- 5th: $150,000
2023 to 2025 Kentucky Derby Purse Payouts and Increases
The 2023 Churchill Downs winner Mage, who returned a $32.42 Kentucky Derby payout that year, landed $1.86m for his connections.
However, since 2024 and into 2025, the winner will now get $3.1m.
Which is a massive $1.24m more and exactly what the winning 2024 owner (Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing LLC Et Al) of Mystik Dan walked away with.
Position |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
% Increase
|
| 1st | $1,860,000 | $3,100,000 | $3,100,000 | 66% |
| 2nd | $600,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | 66% |
| 3rd | $300,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | 66% |
| 4th | $150,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | 66% |
| 5th | $90,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | 66% |
| Total Purse | $3,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | 66% |
75% Of The Kentucky Derby Runners WON’T Win A Cent
Last year in 2024, there were 20 Kentucky Derby runners, so this meant 15 of these runners walked away with just the memories and not a cent of the Kentucky Derby purse.
This is because the horse who finished 6th (or worse) won’t qualify for a share of the Kentucky Derby prize money.
In a full field of 20 Kentucky Derby runners, 75% will walk away with just the experience of telling the tale they had a runner in the big Triple Crown race.
Here’s how the 2024 Kentucky Derby purse was split out but the sixth horse Resilience missed out.
- 1st – Mystik Dan ($3,100,000)
- 2nd – Sierra Leone ($1,000,000)
- 3rd – Forever Young ($500,000)
- 4th – Catching Freedom ($250,000)
- 5th – T O Password ($150,000)
- 6th – Resilience ($0)
WATCH: Mystik Dan Winning $3.1m Of The Kentucky Derby Purse
How Has The Kentucky Derby Purse Increased Over The Years?
Over the years, the Kentucky Derby prize money has gone up a fair bit since the race was first run in 1875.
Aristides, who was the first of the previous Kentucky Derby winners won $2,850 in the first ever renewal.
While the other significant increases over the years were in 1954, when the Kentucky Derby purse increased to $100,000 and in 1995 it reached the historic $1,000,000 mark.
A decade later in 2005, the prize fund leaped up to $2,000,000.
Then, in 2019, Churchill Downs super-charged it again to $3,000,000. The purse stayed at this figure until now with the rise up to $5,000,000.
Kentucky Derby Purse Changes Since 1875
- $2,850 – First Ever Kentucky Derby Purse
- 1954 – $100,000 Purse
- 1995 – $1,000,000 Purse
- 2005 – $2,000,000 Purse
- 2019 – $3,000,000 Purse
- 2024 – $5,000,000 Purse
Kentucky Oaks Purse Was Also Boosted In 2024
To mirror the Kentucky Derby, its sister race – the Kentucky Oaks – was also subject of a cash boost in 2024.
The fillies’ race, which is run the day before the Derby – this year on Friday, May 2 – was increased by $250,000 up to a purse of $1,500,000 (from $1,250,000).
It will also remain at this level for 2025.
How Does the Kentucky Derby Purse Compare With Other Triple Crown Races?
The Triple Crown consists of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, with the Churchill Down ‘Run For The Roses’ first up on May 3.
In total, there have been 13 horses to land the Triple Crown over the years (win all three races) with the first Sir Barton in 1919 and Justify in 2018 the most recent.
So, how do the purses for the three Triple Crown races compare to each other?
We know the Kentucky Derby carries a total prize haul of $5,000,000 and this Churchill Downs contest sits top of the tree, but which Triple Crown race comes next?
Well actually – they both do. The Preakness Stakes, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown, and the Belmont Stakes both currently carry a purse of $2,000,000.
This year, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico will be run on Saturday, May 17.
While the Belmont Stakes, will continued to be run at Saratoga because of Belmont Park still being renovated and is on Saturday, June 7.
Triple Crown Prize Purses 2025
- Kentucky Derby: $5m
- Preakness Stakes: $2m
- Belmont Stakes: $2m
FAQs
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