Pre-race favorite Justify won the Kentucky Derby by 2 1/2 lengths on Saturday, becoming the first horse in 136 years to win at Churchill Downs after not racing as a two year old.
The colt also earned a sizable paycheck for his large ownership team: 62 percent of the $2 million purse, or $1.24 million. The co-owners, WinStar Farm, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and the China Horse Club, bought Justify for $500,000 in 2016.
The 52-year-old jockey, Mike Smith, also brought home a nice paycheck: The winning horse rider gets 10 percent of what the owners collect, meaning Smith got a check for $124,000. That number will get shaved down to about $100,000 after paying his agent and valet, the person who gets the jockey's gear in place.
The top five finishers all get a cut of the $2 million purse. Here's a breakdown of how it got divied up:
First place (Justify): $1.24 million
Second place (Good Magic): $400,000
Third place (Audible): $200,000
Fourth place (Instilled Regard): $100,000
Fifth place (My Boy Jack): $60,000
The second and third place jockeys get 5 percent of their owner's take, meaning the second place jockey got a check for $20,000, while the third place jockey got one for $10,000. After fees, they'll take home closer to $14,000 and $7,000.
As for the 17 other jockeys, they won't make out nearly as favorably. Their ride is only worth "a couple hundred dollars apiece," jockey agent Ron Anderson told CNBC in 2010.
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