How Much Do Kentucky Derby Jockeys Get Paid?

How Much Do Kentucky Derby Jockeys Get Paid
Image courtesy of Don Blais / Shutterstock.com. The three legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, all take place in the months of May and June in the United States. These are the most prominent months for horse racing in the country.

Rich payouts are a hallmark of the world’s most prestigious horse races, such as the Kentucky Derby (2022), which offered a total pot of $3 million and awarded the winner $1.86 million of that total. The rider, or jockey, is the person who stays atop the horse during the whole race and receives far less attention than the horse itself.

At the Kentucky Derby, the winning jockey receives 10% of the total payout won by their horse. This year’s winning rider, Sonny Leon, received $186,000 of the total purse. It is possible that Leon sent a commission of 25 percent to his agent and a gratuity of 5 percent to the valet who assisted him in preparing his gear for the race from those gains.

How much does a Derby jockey make a year?

What kind of salary can one expect to get working as a jockey? The average salary for a jockey in the United States is $52,737 per year. Horse Jockeys earn the highest in San Francisco, California, with an average total remuneration of $79,630, which is 51% higher than the average in the United States.

Who is the highest paid jockey?

Did You Already Know That? DJs are among of the earliest examples of what we now refer to as “gig workers” since they are independent contractors. A jockey does not receive a salary but rather earns a “mounting fee” for each race that they ride in, which may range anywhere from $50 to $110, and can ride in as many as eight races in a single day.

Jockeys may make a significant amount of money through prize money, which is awarded to them if the horse they are riding comes in first, second, or third place in a race and they earn a portion of the purse.
According to the Covington Reporter, the percentages a jockey earns for a thoroughbred race range from 5% for a second- or third-place finish to 10% for first place.

A jockey receives 5% for a second- or third-place finish. According to Career Trend, the earnings of a jockey in less competitive races can be as low as 0.5% for a third-place finish, 1% for placing second, and even 6%-10% for first place. As is the case with many other types of gig labor, jockeys frequently have to foot the bill for their own equipment.

This may include protective gear like as helmets, vests, goggles, boots, and riding crops.
Without a doubt, the best jockeys have a lot of success.
John Velazquez is the most successful thoroughbred jockey in history.
Over the course of his long career, he has earned a total of 452,078,586 dollars.
He participated in almost 35,000 races, of which he won 6407.

Javier Castellano is the second highest-earning rider in the United States. He has started more than 30,000 races, and he has 5,503 victories, which has resulted in earnings of almost $368 million.

Who is the richest horse jockey?

How Much Do Kentucky Derby Jockeys Get Paid The CHELTENHAM Festival is the most important week of the horse racing season, and it features enormous prizes, rich owners, and millionaire trainers. However, in order to locate the jockey who has amassed the greatest wealth, you will need to go to a location far remote from Prestbury Park, such as the other side of the earth.2 There is a good chance that the richest jockey in the world is someone you have never heard of.

And yet, despite having won at least 592 million pounds throughout the course of his career, there is a strong probability that you have never heard of the person who holds the record for the most money won. Meet Yutaka Take, the most successful jockey in the world. Take, who is 52 years old and a legend in Japan, is regarded as a god in his own nation and is married to a famous actress.

His image is prominently displayed on posters at racetracks, he has been referred to as the “pin-up” of racing for many years, and he has a degree of celebrity comparable to that of pop singers. He is the Frankie Dettori of the opposite side of the planet, except that he is far more wealthy.

Who is the highest paid horse trainer?

Columns

Rank	Trainer Name	Earnings
*1	Todd A. Pletcher	$441,310,258
*2	Steven M. Asmussen	$397,256,430
*3	Bob Baffert	$333,809,925
*4	William I. Mott	$317,310,234

How much do jockeys get per ride?

Each jockey’s riding fees and prizemoney are deposited into their respective Weatherbys accounts in a timely manner. The amount of prizemoney that jockeys walk away with is determined by an extremely intricate rule of racing, and it changes from race type to race type and depends on how many places are being paid out.

Flat jockeys, on the other hand, as a general rule of thumb, get around 8.5% of the announced win award and 2.61% of the advertised place prize. Jump Jockeys are entitled to about 11.03% of the prize money for taking first place and 3.44% of the prize money for second place. The PJA and the ROA engage in yearly fee negotiations to determine the amount of the riding charge.

The current prices for riding are as follows: £142.90 for flat, and £194.63 for jump. The Members’ Handbook has a detailed revenue and expenditure breakdown that may be accessed by Members.

Who is the oldest jockey still riding?

10. Davy Russell, age 43 – There are few few National Hunt jockeys in the world that have achieved the kind of fame that Davy Russell has. After making his mark in point-to-point racing in Ireland, the 43-year-old moved to England to ride for trainer Ferdy Murphy.

In Ireland, he competed in point-to-point races. It wasn’t until March 2006 that he finally won his first race at the Cheltenham Festival, and it was with Native Jack in the Cross Country Chase. In the same race, he would go on to have even more success with a superstar named Tiger Roll. Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Russell, became the first horse trained by Elliott to win back-to-back editions of the Grand National since Red Rum in 2019.

In 2019, Red Rum was the last horse to accomplish this feat. Russell has been victorious in a vast number of races at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Gold Cup in 2014 with Lord Windermere. In addition to his victory in the Cross Country, Russell has also been victorious in a number of other events.

How tall is the average jockey?

Height Requirements and Restrictions for Jockeys – In horse racing, weight constraints are a significant factor; however, there are no height limits to speak of, as I have already explained. However, this does not always mean that jockeys will come in a variety of sizes.

On the other hand, the majority of jockeys have an average height between 1.47 and 1.70 meters, which is equivalent to 58 to 67 inches.
The typical height of a male jockey in the United States and the United Kingdom is 69 inches (1.75 m).
To put it another way, the majority of professionals are shorter than the typical guy.

As I have indicated before, shorter jockeys have an easier time meeting the stringent weight restrictions. In addition to this, because of the superior proportioning of their bodies, they possess superior strength. Jockeys who are of a taller stature have the option of reducing their weight till they satisfy the specifications of the racehorse trainers.

How much do jockeys get per ride?

Flat jockeys, on the other hand, as a general rule of thumb, get around 8.5% of the announced win award and 2.61% of the advertised place prize. Jump Jockeys are entitled to about 11.03% of the prize money for taking first place and 3.44% of the prize money for second place. The PJA and the ROA engage in yearly fee negotiations to determine the amount of the riding charge.

The current prices for riding are as follows: £142.90 for flat, and £194.63 for jump. The Members’ Handbook has a detailed revenue and expenditure breakdown that may be accessed by Members.

Do jockeys get paid track work?

Pay & Salary
How Much Money Does a Jockey Make? (Along with Some Tips on How to Get One)

By the Editorial Staff of Indeed The publication date is October 18th, 2021. The Indeed Editorial Team is comprised of a brilliant and varied group of writers, researchers, and subject matter experts who are armed with Indeed’s data and insights in order to provide you with helpful advice to aid you through your career journey.

Jockeys are professional equestrian racers who compete on horses owned by others. Horse owners and trainers pay jockeys to compete on their horses in races. The majority of jockeys are self-employed, and they charge a fee for their services as well as the possibility of commission and incentives based on how well they perform.

Learning the answer to the question “how much do jockeys earn?” might assist you in deciding whether or not you should pursue a career in this specialized field of work. This page addresses some of the most often asked topics pertaining to jockeys, including how much money they make, what exactly they do for a living, and how someone may train to become a jockey.

How do jockey agents get paid?

Note from the Editor: This essay was initially published in the edition of the Quarter Racing Journal dated July 2013 and can be seen there. By Denis Blake The jockey agents are a component of the horse racing industry that is mostly unseen but absolutely necessary.

Behind the scenes at a racetrack are a lot of hardworking men and women, from the grooms and hot walkers who take care of the horses to the outriders and gate crew who put their own health at risk to safeguard the riders and horses.
Although the job of a jockey agent is neither hazardous nor physically demanding in the same way that many other positions at racetracks are, many who work in the field have a strong enthusiasm for the sport despite the long hours that come with the job.

Even children who were raised in racing families are more likely to picture themselves riding an All American Futurity (G1) winner than they are to picture themselves as the person who books the winning jockey’s mount. This is because being a jockey agent is not exactly a job that most children dream about having when they are younger.

But for the very few people who engage in the practice of “hustling book,” it may be the next best thing (and it is a great deal safer).
An agent is expected to perform a variety of duties, including those of a salesperson, negotiator, travel agent, and others.
Although the remuneration can be significant — agents typically receive 25 percent of their jockey’s profits, and many agencies represent numerous riders – the daily routine typically begins well before the sun rises and does not conclude until after the last race of the day.

Working in an industry such as horse racing, where even the greatest jockeys only win roughly one out of every five races, and where making the incorrect choice on which horse to ride may lose an agent and rider thousands of dollars, can also be challenging.

Kathy Murphy, who represents Esgar Ramirez and Jesse Lee Levario, stated, “My phone rings 24 hours a day, and my kids joke that it’s linked to my arm.” Murphy is the attorney for Ramirez and Levario. “It takes up all of our time, particularly when we are going through trying times. In the event that we dismount this horse, what are the implications that would follow? If we continue to beat this dead horse, these individuals are going to be delighted, but someone else is going to be upset.” According to Murphy, a normal day for her starts before the morning works, when she seeks to match her riders with horses who have a chance to win in the future.

Murphy, whose brother Glen is a prominent Thoroughbred rider, remarked, “Basically, I plan all of the gallops and training in the morning.” “The next thing I do is obtain my condition book, read through each day, and make notes in it about which horses I believe are likely to be running in which races.

What percentage of the purse does a jockey get?

How much of the total purse money does the jockey get to keep for his or her efforts? – A tiny amount of the prize money is given to the jockey, even though the great majority of the money is awarded to the owners of the winning horse. Jockeys get a fee that ranges from around 5% to 10% of the total purse, however this percentage might be more or lower depending on the jockey’s level of expertise and their track record of success.

How much of the $10,000.00 would go to the jockey then, assuming the purse is $10,000.00? That varies.
First, let’s look at a simple illustration: In the fifth race, our jockey, Bobby, is mounted on a horse called Assange, which is one of the seven horses.
They get a strong start, gain the lead, and then cruise to victory without ever relinquishing the lead.

The payment is the regular rate at the track where our case took place; typically, 60% of the purse is awarded to the winner, 20% to second place, 10% to third place, 5% to fourth place, 3% to fifth place, and 2% to sixth place. If the total amount won was $10,000, then the winning horse would receive $6,000 of that.

That total is split equally between the jockey and the trainer, each receiving 10% of the total.
For his participation in the race, Bobby will get $600.
In addition to earnings, jockeys are guaranteed a basic salary for each ride they make on a horse.
The term “mount charge” refers to this type of payment.

Mount fees are subject to change based on the kind of racecourse as well as the place that the horse finishes in. The majority of mount costs fall somewhere between $70.00 and $135.00.