Sovereignty ruled the day at the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. But how much did the thoroughbred earn? and what about the trainer? and the jockey?
Lets start with Sovereignty and the top finishers in this year’s Run for the Roses.
How much did Sovereignty earn at the Kentucky Derby?
The total purse for the 151st Kentucky Derby was $5 million. Sovereignty who entered the race as one of the favorites at 7-1 pulled away down the stretch from the favorite Journalism (7-2) to take home the $3.1 million winner’s share of that lucrative purse.
Fun fact: that $3.1 million is more than the entire field earned in 2023.
Here’s the purse breakdown for the Top 5 finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby (along with closing odds for each):
1 - Sovereignty (7-1) - $3,100,000
2 - Journalism (7-2) - $1,000,000
3 - Baeza (14-1) - $500,000
4 - Final Gambit (17-1) - $250,000
5 - Owen Almighty (39-1) - $150,000
How much did the winning jockey earn?
Jose Alvarado will earn $310,000 for his first Kentucky Derby victory. The second and third place jockeys earned $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. The minimum payday for a jockey in the Kentucky Derby is $500.
How much did the winning trainer earn?
Bill Mott earned $310,000 of the $3.1 million dollar purse.
2025 Kentucky Derby betting payouts (based on a $2 bet)
Bet Type:
The Exacta (18-8) paid $48.32
The Trifecta (18-8-21) paid $231.12
The Superfecta (18-8-21-3) paid $1,682.27
It was a sloppy day at Churchill Downs, but the race lived up to the hype as it nearly always does. Its now on to Baltimore and the Preakness Stakes. Here’s hoping the trio of Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza make their way to the Fairgrounds for the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
