2026 Kentucky Derby Purse: How much prize money will the winning owner and trainer earn?
Mystik Dan wears the garland of roses as the 150th Kentucky Derby winner (Photo by Horsephotos.com/Getty Images)
April 22nd, 2026
Have you ever wondered how much prize money the owner of a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner receives? Or what the payday for the winning trainer looks like?
With a purse of $5 million, the 2026 Kentucky Derby is the second-richest Thoroughbred horse race in North America. And while the purse is ultimately divided among many horses, owners, trainers, and jockeys, the winning owner and trainer each take home a lofty portion of the prize money.
How the 2026 Kentucky Derby purse is paid out
The Kentucky Derby isn’t a winner-takes-all race. The top five horses across the finish line earn purse money, divided as follows:
1st: $3.1 million
2nd: $1 million
3rd: $500,000
4th: $250,000
5th: $150,000
How much prize money will the winning Kentucky Derby owner earn in 2026?
The winning owner doesn’t claim the entirety of the $3.1 million first-place purse. In a typical arrangement, the winning owner receives 80% ($2.48 million in 2026), leaving 20% to be split between the winning trainer and jockey.
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Nor is the $2.48 million pure profit. The cost to enter a horse in the Kentucky Derby is $25,000, and another $25,000 is required to actually start in the race. There’s also a minimum $600 Triple Crown nomination fee, reducing the owner’s winnings to $2,429,400 before taxes.
Also, it’s common for Kentucky Derby horses to be owned by partnerships comprised of two or more people, stables, groups, etc. The prize money must then be subdivided according to the specifics of the partnership, such as the percentage of the winning horse owned by each entity.
When Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in 2024, he raced for the partnership of Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III, and Valley View Farm. Presumably, all four owners received a share of the prize money.
The winning owner or ownership group also receives a gold trophy.
How much prize money will the winning Kentucky Derby trainer earn in 2026?
Usually, the trainer of a Kentucky Derby winner receives 10% of the first-place prize money. In 2026, this amounts to $310,000 before taxes.
The winning trainer also receives a trophy.
