2026 Belmont Stakes purse: How much prize money the winning jockey will earn
Sovereignty winning the Belmont (G1) at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
June 1st, 2026
The third and final leg of the 2026 Triple Crown is Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The 158th renewal of the Belmont is one of the richest horse races in the country.
Racing 1 1/4 miles around Saratoga’s historic oval takes just over two minutes. The jockey who guides the winning horse to victory earns a lucrative payday for their role in the rapid-fire racing action.
Exactly how much prize money will the winner of the 2026 Belmont take home? Let’s find out.
How the 2026 Belmont Stakes purse is distributed
The purse of the Belmont is divided among the top eight finishers, with by far the largest share going to the winner. Here are the amounts the top eight horses will earn:
1st place: $1.2 million
2nd place: $360,000
3rd place: $200,000
4th place: $100,000
5th place: $60,000
6th place: $40,000
7th place: $20,000
8th place: $20,000
How much prize money will the winning jockey in the 2026 Belmont Stakes earn?
The winner’s share of the purse is divided among the winning owner(s), trainer, and jockey. Typically, the owner(s) receive 80%, leaving 10% apiece for the trainer and jockey. This means that in 2026, the jockey of the winning Belmont horse will earn $120,000 (10% of $1.2 million). In addition, the jockey will receive a trophy.
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However, the jockey won’t keep the full $120,000. Typically, the jockey’s agent receives 25% ($30,000), while the valet who prepped the jockey’s riding gear earns 5% ($6,000). This lowers the jockey’s winnings to $84,000 before taxes.
The history of the Belmont Stakes purse
The Belmont Stakes was contested for the first time in 1867. A filly named Ruthless narrowly prevailed in a three-horse battle to the finish line, earning $1,850 for her effort. That’s about 0.15% of the 2026 winning purse value. If Ruthless’ jockey Gilbert Watson received 10% of the purse, his share would have been $185.
Unsurprisingly given its importance on the U.S. racing calendar, the Belmont's purse has risen sharply in the ensuing century and a half. It reached $1 million for the first time in 1998, rose to $1.5 million in 2014, and settled at its current $2 million in 2024.
