Prize Money at Popular Horse Races Around the World

Jimmy Winemiller is an experienced real estate professional who has successfully acquired, developed, and sold a range of property types, from commercial plots to extensive agricultural properties. Jimmy Winemiller is also involved in professional horse racing, at one point owning more than 100 thoroughbreds.

The three races comprising the Triple Crown represent the pinnacle of horse racing in the United States. Unsurprisingly, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes each offer a healthy grand prize to the winning teams. The Kentucky Derby is the richest of the three races, with a total purse of $2 million and a $1.432 million payout for the winner, with the remaining purse divided among the next four highest-placing finishers.

Both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, meanwhile, have purses of $1.5 million, though the grand prize at the Preakness is $900,000, compared to $800,000 at Belmont. Furthermore, Belmont pays out to the top eight finishers, rather than the top five.

While these boast significant prizes, the Triple Crown events hardly represent the sport’s most lucrative races. The world’s wealthiest horse race, the Saudi Cup, carries a total purse of $20 million, with $10 million set aside for the winner.

The race is held between the Pegasus World Cup and the Dubai World Cup, which both pay about $7 million to first-place finishers. Other large-prize races include the Everest in Australia, with a $10 million total purse, and the Breeder's Cup Classic, which pays more than half of its $6 million purse to the winner.