Along with being named as one of the top thoroughbreds in the country, the Preakness winner gets a massive trophy and a pretty good payday.
BALTIMORE — The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes won’t feature the Kentucky Derby winner, but there’s still a lot on the line including a massive payday and a big venue change.
Saturday’s race is being run at Laurel Park for a one-time performance while Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore gets rebuilt from the ground up. The plan is for the Preakness to return to its traditional home next year.
There will be no Triple Crown this year as Golden Tempo, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, will skip the Preakness to “prioritize the horse’s long-term health and provide extra recovery time.”
The amount the winning owner of the Preakness gets has changed dramatically since the first race in 1873. Payouts for the first winners were between $1,500 and $4,000.
Now, 150 years later, the total purse for the winners is $2 million, with $1.2 million going to the first-place horse.
In addition to a nice payday, the winners of the Preakness Stakes receive a replica of the Woodlawn Vase, a 30-pound sterling silver Preakness trophy.
How much do the top five finishers get at the Preakness Stakes?
With the $2 million total purse up for grabs, here is how it breaks down between the top finishers.
- 1st place: $1.2 million
- 2nd place: $400,000
- 3rd place: $220,000
- 4th place: $120,000
- 5th place: $60,000
How are the winnings divided?
The $1.2 million first-place prize is not kept entirely by the horse’s owner. Industry agreements typically allocate an 80/10/10 split. Here are the estimated breakdowns:
- Owner: Approximately 80% ($960,000)
- Jockey: 10% ($120,000)
- Trainer 10% ($120,000)
The big payday isn’t all profit for the owner. They pay $15,000 to enter and another $15,000 to start a horse in the race. That brings the total payday to around $930,000 for sole owners before taxes. If a horse is owned by a partnership, that prize money gets shared evenly among the partners.
How does the Preakness purse compare to other legs of the Triple Crown?
The purses for the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are both $2 million, significantly lower than the Kentucky Derby, which has a purse of $5 million.
Historical context
The Preakness Stakes purse has grown steadily through its 151 years.
- 2025: $2 million ($1.2M to winner)
- 2023: $1.65 million ($990,00 to winner)
- 2010: $1 million ($600,000 to winner)
- 1990’s: $500,000+
- 1980’s: $250,000+