The 2019 Gr1 Kentucky Derby in May this year will be the richest in its history, as the purse for America’s greatest race and first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown has been elevated to a guaranteed US$3 million, reports horseracingnation.
An effective 50 percent increase, the US$3 million is befitting for the time-honoured US Classic.
Always Dreaming (photo: Kentucky Derby/Coady Photography)
The addition of a further US$1 million to the purse over last year forms part of a record-setting, 34-race stakes schedule worth an aggregate US$12.03 million for Churchill Downs’ 2019 Spring meeting.
All-told, some 15 of the races received significant purse hikes, among them the Gr1 Old Forester Turf Classic, Gr1 Longines Kentucky Oaks and Gr1 Humana Distaff.
This year’s Kentucky Derby winner will earn US$1.86 million for connections on top of the coveted Gold trophy.
According to the report, “The significant increases in stakes prize money are attributed to early returns from state-of-the-art historical racing machines at Derby City Gaming, Churchill Downs Incorporated’s $65 million facility that opened in mid-September at nearby 4520 Poplar Level Road.”
