The most awaited Kentucky Derby 2025 kicks off on May 3, with a $5 million prize money up for grabs this time for position holders. It is one mega event where jockeys have the opportunity to take away millions, with all eyes on some select race cards.

How much prize money will be given away?

The winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby stands to make a whopping $3.1 million this time. This amount matches the record-breaking prize money from last year's edition. The race card, which comprises of the owner, the trainer and the jockey, will see a split of the prize money as per terms. These terms are decided by the jockeys and trainers, and once the prize money is bagged, the amount is split accordingly.

How much does a jockey earn from these events?

Race jockeys are typically hired on a per-race basis, and the amount of money they are set to receive is pre-decided between them and the owner. This is a common thing with other sports as well, according to a federal research report. If jockeys are able to bag pole positions in the races, they tend to make something between 5-10% of the prize money.

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During the last year's Kentucky Derby, Brian Hernandez Jr. emerged as the winner on the horse Mystic Dan. After the win, he took away 10% of the record prize money awarded for the race. Depending on the agreement between the jockey and the owner, a similar instance is expected to be seen in this edition of the Kentucky Derby too.

How much did the winning jockey make last year?

Hernandez was able to make a whopping $310,000 for the win with Mystic Dan. This included the prize money's share along with his fixed race fee, says the data from Kentucky Derby.

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