The winning jockey at the Kentucky Derby typically earns about 10% of the winner’s purse, which comes out to roughly 310,000 dollars in recent years.

Quick Scoop

How much does the winning jockey get?

  • The total Kentucky Derby purse is currently around 5 million dollars, with about 3.1 million dollars going to the winning horse’s connections.
  • Jockeys generally get about 10% of their horse’s winnings in top races like the Derby.
  • That means the winning jockey’s share is about 310,000 dollars before taxes and fees.

What about the rest of the money?

  • Most of the winner’s purse goes to the owner (often around 80%), with about 10% to the trainer and 10% to the jockey under a typical deal.
  • From the jockey’s payout, they usually pay their agent and valet a percentage, so their actual take‑home is somewhat lower than the headline 310,000 dollars.

Recent example

  • In 2024, winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. earned about 310,000 dollars for riding Mystik Dan to victory, reflecting that 10% slice of the 3.1 million dollar winner’s purse.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.