2026 Kentucky Derby jockeys, purse breakdown: How much prize money will the winning jockey will take home?

The Kentucky Derby purse will again be $5 million and offers one of the biggest potential paydays for jockeys in the field

By Robby Kalland May 1, 2026 at 11:48 am ET • 2 min read

Getty Images

The 2026 Kentucky Derby field is set and post positions have been assigned for the 152nd Run for the Roses, with the morning line favorite, Renegade, at 4-1 and running out of the 1 gate.

The field of challengers is headlined by last year's Derby-winning jockey Junior Alvarado riding Chief Wallabee, trained by Bill Mott, running out of the 12 gate at 8-1 and two horses trained by Brad Cox -- Commandment and Further Ado -- at 6-1.

The Kentucky Derby is the sport's most prestigious race, and while everyone wants to take home the rose garland, they're also vying for a piece of one of the richest purses in all of horse racing. Let's take a closer look at how all the money breaks down.

Kentucky Derby 2026 odds, post positions, picks, date, time: Renegade, Further Ado, Commandment predictions Ross Kelly

2026 Kentucky Derby purse breakdown

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will once again feature a $5 million purse, paid out to the top five horses in the field. The purse increased from $3 million to $5 million in 2024 ahead of the landmark 150th Kentucky Derby and has remained there since. The winner of the race will take home $3.1 million (more than the entire purse was back in 2023), while the horse that finishes second will still pull down $1 million. The full purse breakdown for the top 5 horses in the field looks like this:

First: $3.1 million
Second: $1 million
Third: $500,000
Fourth: $250,000
Fifth: $150,000

How much will the winning jockey make?

Jockeys at the Kentucky Derby negotiate a guaranteed riding fee of at least $500 to run the race, but there is a potential for a massive payday for the riders that finish in the money. The typical prize split for the winning horse is 80% going to the owners, 10% to the trainer and 10% to the jockey. Last year, Junior Alvarado took home $310,000 for riding Sovereignty to the winner's circle and will look to go back-to-back on Chief Wallabee this year.

With the purse remaining the same for this year, the winning jockey in the 152nd Run for the Roses will earn that same $310,000 prize -- with some of that money going to the jockey's agent and valet as well. The jockeys who finish in second and third typically take home 5% of the purse, which is $50,000 and $25,000, respectively.