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What are the purses for the Kentucky Derby?

The 152nd Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 2, which is always a highly anticipated event.

The Kentucky Derby is considered to be the greatest two minutes in sports, and will be seen by millions of people. Not only does winning the Derby come with plenty of eyeballs, but it’s also a huge monetary gain for not just the horse’s owner but the jockey as well.

The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set to begin 6:57 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Kentucky Derby Purses

Throughout the years, the purses of the Kentucky Derby have only increased. In the first year of the race in 1875, the winner got $1000 plus ‘added money’ which comprised entry fees, starting fees, etc. that would all go to the winner.

In 1996, the purse was a guaranteed $1 million, before going to $2 million in 2005. The purse jumped to $3 million in 2019, before being guaranteed $5 million in 2024, which is the same amount it will be in 2026.

The guaranteed purse gets broken down between the top-five finishers.

• First place: $3.1 million
• Second place: $1 million
• Third place: $500,000
• Fourth place: $250,000
• Fifth place: $150,000

Along with winning the $3.1 million, the winning horse gets draped in the famous Garland of Roses.

“Each year, a garland of more than 400 red roses is sewn into a green satin backing with the seal of the Commonwealth on one end and the Twin Spires and number of the race’s current renewal on the other,” the Derby’s website reads on why the horse gets roses. “Each garland is also adorned with a ‘crown’ of roses, green fern and ribbon. The ‘crown,’ 
a single rose pointing upward in the center of the garland, symbolizes the struggle and heart necessary to reach the Derby Winner’s Circle.”

The winner also gets the handcrafted gold trophy.

Although only the top five finishers will receive payouts, there will be 19 horses in the race. The track allows for 20 horses, but the day before the Kentucky Derby, The Puma was scratched from the race due to leg swelling.

Do the Jockeys Win Anything?

Although the Kentucky Derby purses go to the owner of the horse, the jockeys do get a cut.

The winning jockey usually gets a percentage of around 10%, meaning the winning jockey would take home $310,000 out of the $3.1 million purse.

However, out of that $310,000, the jockey then has to pay his agent. The jockey usually also tips out the valet who helped prepare their riding gear.

So, after winning the Kentucky Derby and paying out their fees, they receive a payout of around $217,000, which is before taxes.

Meanwhile, for the jockeys who finish second to fifth, they receive roughly 5% of the purse.

Who’s The Favorite?

The Kentucky Derby doesn’t have a clear favorite as three horses are considered 5-to-1 to win the race.

The full odds just hours before the race is as follows:

• No. 1: Renegade | odds: 5-1
• No. 2: Albus | odds: 44-1
• No. 3: Intrepido | odds: 46-1
• No. 4: Litmus Test | odds: 26-1
• No. 5: Right to Party SCRATCHED
• No. 6: Commandment | odds: 5-1
• No. 7: Danon Bourbon | odds: 14-1
• No. 8: So Happy | odds: 5-1
• No. 9: The Puma SCRATCHED
• No. 10: Wonder Dean | odds: 24-1
• No. 11: Incredibolt | odds: 24-1
• No. 12: Chief Wallabee | odds: 7-1
• No. 13: Silent Tactic SCRATCHE
• No. 14: Potente | odds: 21-1
• No. 15: Emerging Market | odds: 9-1
• No. 16: Pavlovian | odds: 47-1
• No. 17: Six Speed | odds: 33-1
• No. 18: Further Ado | odds: 6-1
• No. 19: Golden Tempo | odds: 25-1
• No. 20: Fulleffort | SCRATCHED
• No. 21: Great White | odds: 22-1
• No. 22: Ocelli | odds: 85-1
• No. 23: Robusta | odds: 84-1