The 2025 Kentucky Derby is finally here, and it goes without saying that there’s a lot of money on the line.
On May 3, 19 horses and their jockeys are set to compete in a 1.25-mile race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The first five to make it across the Kentucky Derby finish line will split a massive $5 million purse, which is the highest payout across the Triple Crown races, including the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
A horse named Journalism. is favored to win the 2025 Derby with 3–1 odds. He is co-owned by Aron Wellman and will be ridden by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey, Umberto Rispoli.
“Nothing compares to the Kentucky Derby,” Wellman told The Press-Enterprise in April 2025. “To have a high-profile horse like Journalism, you try to find a balance between enjoying this very unique position that we’re in and having fun with it because we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.”
Now, let’s get to the money! Here’s everything to know about the 2025 Kentucky Derby purse.
The 151st Kentucky Derby purse is worth $5 million — and the winner will take home $3.1 million, according to the race. Big payouts will also be awarded to the second through fifth-place finishers.
As for the jockeys, they are typically hired on a race-to-race basis, with owners paying their jockey a set amount up front. According to USA Today, they also earn 5-10% of the prize money for races they win. In 2024, winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. earned 10% of the first-place prize, taking home $310,000. A year prior, the purse was a guaranteed $3 million, so jockey Javier Castellano, who won with horse Mage, took home $186,000.
The horse’s trainer also gets a good chunk of the winnings, receiving a 10% cut of the prize money. Following the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan’s trainer, Kenny McPeek, was paid $310,000.
In 2024, the second-place finisher at the 2025 Kentucky Derby took home $1 million. Third place was awarded $500,000, while fourth and fifth place earned $250,000 and $150,000, respectively.
Post time for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is 7:02 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 3.
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