Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park offers a $2 million purse split among 14 horses this Saturday.
- The winner will earn $1.2 million with decreasing payouts down to $60,000 for fifth place.
- Owners receive approximately 80% of prize money while trainers and jockeys split the remaining portion based on experience.
The 2026 Preakness Stakes has a total of $2 million in prize money waiting at the finish line for 14 horses. Or more accurately, their owners.
The 151st running of the Middle Jewel for the Triple Crown is taking place at Laurel Park in Maryland this year, instead of the usual Pimlico because of construction. That won't change how much money is on the line for the teams that have gotten their thoroughbreds into the starting gate.
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not be one of those horses, though. The decision was made not to run the Preakness because of the narrow two-week lead-up. That guarantees there will be no Triple Crown winner in 2026. Of course, the winner of Saturday's race will be more focused on the purse than that anyways.
151st Preakness Stakes purse: Payout, prize money for finishing position
The total purse for the Preakness Stakes is $2 million. That's a million less than the winner of the Kentucky Derby took home alone. Still, a $1.2 million prize for crossing the finish line first is nothing to scoff at.
Finishing position | Preakness Stakes prize money |
|---|---|
1st | $1.2 million |
2nd | $400,000 |
3rd | $220,000 |
4th | $120,000 |
5th | $60,000 |
The horse in second place will receive $400,000 while third, fourth and fifth will get $220,000, $120,000 and $60,000 respectively.
With 14 horses running the race, there's only so much prize money to go around. Going into Saturday morning, Taj Mahal, Chip Honco and Incredibolt were the favorites to take the top spot. But you never know. Golden Tempo was a massive longshot. We could see another triumph in Maryland.
Preakness Stakes prize money: How much do trainers and jockeys make?
- Owner/s: ~80%
- Trainer: ~10%
- Jockey: ~5-10%
The owner of each horse takes home around 80 percent of the prize money. The trainer will receive somewhere around 10 percent. The jockey is paid out anywhere between five and 10 percent.
So the winning trainer at the Preakness will earn a cool $120,000 while the jockey who rode the horse home could make anywhere between $60,000 and $120,000.
Determining exactly the percent owed to the trainer and jockey comes down to status. A more seasoned trainer or jockey will get a bigger piece of the pie. A relative newcomer might receive less. Of course, having a Preakness win on your resume will certainly bring more opportunities in the future. So the financial windfall is definitely a plus.
Golden Tempo's jockey, Jose Ortiz, will be riding Chip Honcho, one of the favorites in the Preakness. He's still fresh off a six-figure payday at the Derby.
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