How much money did Golden Tempo earn for winning the 2026 Kentucky Derby?

Cameron Drummond, Lexington Herald-Leader on May 2, 2026

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Golden Tempo bested a field of 18 runners on Saturday night to win the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Golden Tempo’s victory in one of the most prestigious horse races in the world was historic. Cherie DeVaux is the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

The victory is also a lucrative one.

From the $5 million Derby purse, $3.1 million will go to Golden Tempo and his connections for the race win. The horse was ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, who also won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday night with Always a Runner.

Second-place finisher Renegade, who was beaten at the wire by Golden Tempo, earned a cool $1 million for his efforts. Third-place runner Ocelli got $500,000 for his performance, while fourth-place Chief Wallabee took home $250,000 and fifth-place Danon Bourbon earned $150,000.

The purse had been $3 million for the Derby from 2019 until 2023. The Derby purse was bumped up to $5 million starting with the 2024 race.

Under that previous format, the winning horse earned $1.86 million for its Derby win, with second-place earning $600,000, third-place earning $300,000, fourth-place earning $150,000 and fifth-place earning $90,000.

From 2005 through 2018, the Kentucky Derby winner took home approximately $1.24 million.