What is Kentucky Derby 2026 purse? See how much money winner will earn

The first Kentucky Derby, in 1875, had a $1,000 purse — plus added money.

Added money, according to Daily Racing Form, is any amount of money added to the purse of a race by a racing association (or a breeding fund, etc.) to the amount paid by owners in nomination, eligibility, entry and starting fees.

The winner of the first Run for the Roses, Aristides, received $2,850. The runner-up, Volcano, received $200.

That makes for a grand total of $3,050, of which $2,050 was added money.

Kentucky Derby purse growth, distribution changes over years

Here's a look at how the Kentucky Derby purse has changed over the years:

• 1875: $1,000-added
• 1876-87: $1,500-added
• 1888-92, 1894-95: $2,500-added
• 1893: $3,000-added
• 1896-1912: $6,000-added
• 1913: $5,000-added
• 1914-16: $10,000-added
• 1917-18: $15,000-added
• 1919: $20,000-added
• 1920, 1934: $30,000-added
• 1935-36: $40,000-added
• 1921-33, 1937-39: $50,000-added
• 1940-45: $75,000-added
• 1946-54: $100,000-added
• 1955-78: $125,000-added
• 1979-81: $200,000-added
• 1982-85: $250,000-added
• 1986-90: $350,000-added
• 1991-95: $500,000-added
• 1996-2004: $1 million guaranteed
• 2005-18: $2 million guaranteed
• 2019-23: $3 million guaranteed
• 2024-2026: $5 million guaranteed

Between 1875-85, only the first- and second-place finishers received payouts. That changed in 1886; when Free Knight was awarded $150 for placing third.

Now the top five collect checks. Here's how the purse has been distributed since 2024:

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

How much money is wagered on Kentucky Derby each year?

Wagering at the first Derby, according to the race's official website, was done via auction pools.

How'd that work? Bettors would bid on their desired horse, and once the entire field was auctioned off, all the winning bids were pooled together. The bettor who backed the winning horse won the whole pot.

Pari-mutuel betting was first introduced three years later but didn't catch on until 1908, when bookmaking was outlawed in Louisville. In 1911, the minimum bet amount was lowered from $5 to $2.

Money really started flowing in with the advent of simulcast wagering during the early 1980s. It hasn't slowed down since — and shouldn't, considering the widespread legalization of sports gambling and the accessibility of mobile sportsbook apps.

Here's a look at the all-sources handle for Derby Day over the past four decades:

• 1984: $25,009,276
• 1985: $26,805,205
• 1986: $33,046,562
• 1987: $34,405,461
• 1988: $41,015,694
• 1989: $36,945,894
• 1990: $42,227,280
• 1991: $42,724,449
• 1992: $43,448,786
• 1993: $52,362,661
• 1994: $58,826,098
• 1995: $67,840,867
• 1996: $75,405,564
• 1997: $82,677,468
• 1998: $88,941,832
• 1999: $90,843,598
• 2000: $101,455,291
• 2001: $107,598,904
• 2002: $123,243,228
• 2003: $140,373,426
• 2004: $142,848,289
• 2005: $155,793,495
• 2006: $175,129,090
• 2007: $168,018,982
• 2008: $164,668,176
• 2009: $155,969,770
• 2010: $162,749,136
• 2011: $165,230,636
• 2012: $186,960,855
• 2013: $184,600,256
• 2014: $186,639,424
• 2015: $194,271,295
• 2016: $192,587,197
• 2017: $209,179,920
• 2018: $225,671,089
• 2019: $250,900,257
• 2020: $126,033,002
• 2021: $233,030,397
• 2022: $273,800,000
• 2023: $288,700,000
• 2024: $320,500,000
• 2025: $349,000,000

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit atacubit@gannett.comand follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2026, how much is purse for Churchill's Run for Roses