How much money does 2025’s Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty get? See the purse

This year’s 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs will see Sovereignty, ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado, walk away with $3.1 million.

The prize for the winner, which will be split to compensate the jockey, is part of a larger $5 million purse awarded to the top finishers. As such, Sovereignty will take the $3.1 million, leaving $1 million for second-place finisher and favorite Journalism, $500,000 for third-place finisher Baeza and lesser amounts through fifth place.

The owners typically get 80% of that prize. The prize for Sovereignty’s win makes for a lucrative weekend for owner Godolphin LLC, which also owns the winner of Thursday’s Kentucky Oaks, Good Cheer. Winnings from the two races for Godolphin total nearly $4.

The Kentucky Derby award has grown substantially over the years. The winner took a cut of an estimated $1.24 million 20 years ago in 2005. The overall purse was upped to $5 million, its largest ever, in 2024.

In addition to the cash prize, Derby winners are traditionally garbed with a garland of roses, giving way to the Run for the Roses race moniker, and receive a golden trophy. Gov. Andy Beshear presented the trophy in front of a Derby crowd of more than 147,000 shortly after Saturday’s win.

Thursday’s Kentucky Oaks had a purse of $1.5 million. Good Cheer took a first-place prize of $855,600.

Here are the prize amounts by winner for the 2025 Kentucky Derby:

• Sovereignty: $3.1 million
• Journalism: $1 million
• Baeza: $500,000
• Final Gambit: $250,000
• Owen Almighty: $150,000

Herald-Leader reporter Cameron Drummond contributed to this report.

This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 8:19 PM.