2025 Kentucky Derby payout, purse: What to know about prize money at Churchill Downs
(This story has been changed to reflect the updated post time announced on Thursday.)
The winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby will make over $3 million dollars, with a recent boost to the Run for the Roses' purse taking the total prize pool higher than ever before.
A 19-horse field will vie for the top prize at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby from the very first running back in 1875.
No one is giving a horse the financial windfall that comes with a victory, but the breeders, trainers, and jockeys involved in the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby will all be hoping for a share of a purse that will be split among the top five finishers in this first race of the 2025 Triple Crown.
Here is a breakdown of the 2025 Kentucky Derby purse, including the winner's prize and how to watch the race:
Kentucky Derby purse 2025: Winner payout, prize money
Among other things, the Kentucky Derby claims a place as the most lucrative horse race in the United States, and the 151st edition will once again see a $5 million purse available at Churchill Downs.
The purse had been $3 million for years, but in 2024 that figure jumped by two-thirds. Last year's winner, Mystik Dan, brought home a $3.1 million prize (with 10% of that going to winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.), while runner-up Sierra Leone got a cool $1 million consolation prize.
Here's the prize money breakdown for the 2025 Kentucky Derby:
- Winner: $3.1 million
- 2nd place: $1 million
- 3rd place: $500,000
- 4th place: $250,000
- 5th place: $150,000
Kentucky Derby 2025: TV, streaming and where to watch
- When: Saturday, May 3
- Coverage starts: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Post time: 7:02 p.m. ET
- Where: Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Cable TV: NBC, USA Network
- Streaming: Fubo, Peacock
Watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Fubo