Kentucky Derby 2023 Prize Money Breakdown: The Stakes on Offer in the Most Anticipated Horse Race of the Year

The Kentucky Derby is an important race for everyone who follows equestrian sports. Since 1875, on the first Saturday of May, the Derby has been held, maintaining its status as a major event. The large sum of money awarded to the top five riders in the race is another factor contributing to the event’s appeal. The Kentucky Derby is the most-watched horse race of the year since it kicks off the Triple Crown Series.

The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 6, 2023. This event is a Grade 1 (Gr. 1) Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, for three-year-old Thoroughbreds covering a distance of one and a quarter miles. The event has a storied 149-year history and pays out big bucks to the winners.

Kentucky Derby 2023 Prize Money

When it comes to horse racing in the United States, the first round of the Triple Crown is the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes will follow in subsequent weeks. There are a total of 35 horses in the race for the Kentucky Derby, but only the top 20 finishers will earn a spot in the event. The Derby weekend is filled with high-stakes action with the potential for both financial gain and loss. The Kentucky Derby has the largest purse of any equestrian competition at $3 million.

What is the Kentucky Derby purse in 2023?

Throughout its history, the ‘Run for Roses’ prize pool has seen several changes. The total prize pool is now at $3 million (it was raised from $2 million in 2018 to that amount in 2019), but it may increase this year.

How much money does the Kentucky Derby winner get?

Twenty equines compete in this one-and-a-quarter-mile event. However, only the top five finishers in the race would share the cash prize. This 2-minute race is one of the most watched in the United States, and its total prize pool is a stunning $3 million. This race’s winner will get $1.86 million, while the jockey will take home $186,000. The second-place finisher takes home $600,000, while the jockey earns $30,000. The jockey earns $15,000, while the third-place finisher receives $300,000. The rider earns $4,500 for being in fourth place, and the owner receives $150,000. The jockey who comes in fifth place wins $2,500 and receives $90,000.

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How the Kentucky Derby Purse Has Changed Over Time

The total prize money isn’t usually $3 million; it’s been different in previous years and has fluctuated over time. We can look back at the 2013 Kentucky Derby and see that the winning horse was Orb, ridden by Joel Rosario. The total prize money for the Derby was $2,178,000, with the winner receiving $1,414,800. The total prize money for the 2015 Kentucky Derby was $2,200,000; however, the winner took home just $1,240,000. Once again, the prize increased to $2,000,000, and the winner’s share increased to $1,631,600 in 2016. This purse, however, remained in use until 2019, when it was replaced. The total prize money up for grabs in the 2019 Kentucky Derby was $3 million, with the winner taking home $1,860,000.

The First Kentucky Derby Purse

Before the present multimillion-dollar prize pool for the world’s most prestigious Derby, the prize money was totally different. The inaugural Kentucky Derby, held on May 17, 1875, got off to a routine start. Aristides, the winning horse, was awarded $2,850. But back in the day, the winning jockey, Oliver Lewis, earned a cut of this money. The ever-increasing size of the prize pool is a reflection of the prestige of the world’s most prestigious Derby.

Kentucky Derby prize money compared to other Triple Crown races

The United States is home to a large number of Grade 1 (Gr. 1) thoroughbred horse racing events. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes ($990,000), and the Belmont Stakes ($1.5 million) are the three most important races. The American Triple Crown consists of three events played at intervals of a few weeks. This is the highest possible distinction bestowed on a horse and is universally recognized as the pinnacle of accomplishment. Only 13 horses in history have won multiple Triple Crown races, but this year’s pre-race favorite Forte has a good chance of joining that exclusive club.

Kentucky Derby 2023 Facts

In just a few weeks, the annual “two-minute run for the roses” will take place. Here are some fun facts about the Kentucky Derby, which is steeped in tradition and history.

• It’s incredible how much food gets eaten during the Derby. An estimated 142,000 hot dogs, 18,000 barbecue sandwiches, 13,800 pounds of meat, 32,400 large shrimp, 9,000 scallops, 8,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 cookies, and 300,000 strawberries are expected to be consumed by fans.
• The Kentucky Derby in 1892 and 1905 had just three horses participating.
• Over 120,000 mint juleps are eaten annually during the Derby, making it the official drink of the event.
• Although Diane Crump made history as the first female rider to compete in the Derby, no female has ever gone on to win the race.
• Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton and James “Soup” Perkins, both 15 on Derby day, share the record as the youngest jockeys to win the prestigious event (1892 and 1895, respectively). Bill Shoemaker, who was 54 years old when he won in 1986, is still the oldest champion ever.
• ‘The Run for the Roses’ is another name for the Derby because the winner receives a blanket covered in more than 400 roses. This blanket is around 40 pounds in weight.
• The first horse to win the Triple Crown was Sir Barton in 1919, although the horse had never won a race prior to the Derby.
• There have never been any Derby weather-related cancellations or delays. The race was only slowed down by the wartime prohibition in 1945 and a pandemic in 2020.
• Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980, and Winning Colors in 1988 are the only fillies to ever win the Derby.
• In 1952, television broadcasts of the event debuted.
• Secretariat’s record for Kentucky Derby speed has not been broken. His 1:59.40 from 1973 stands as the all-time record.
• Oliver Lewis, a rider, was the first person to ever win the Kentucky Derby in 1875.

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