Richest Figures in Horse Racing and Equestrian
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum: $14 billion.
Who is the richest model? Slavica Ecclestone’s net worth is estimated to be over a billion dollars.
Who is the richest shoe company? Nike is the largest footwear company by market cap.
Kim Jung-Youn is the youngest billionaire in the world as of November 2022.
Bob Baffert is an American horse owner and horse trainer who has a net worth of $30 million. Baffert has won many awards and accolades, including seven Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks.
The Akhal-Teke is the National Horse of Turkmenistan, and may only have less than 8,000 Akhal-Teke horses in existence today.
High-paying equine careers include mounted police officer, equine science professor, ranch manager, equine insurance agent, equestrian program director, occupational therapist, and equine veterinarian.
The average salary for an equine stable owner was $76,000 as of 2014.
In the U.S., Excel Communications founder Kenny Troutt is the most high-profile billionaire in the horse racing game thanks to an incredible year in 2010.
William Benter earned nearly $1 billion through horse betting software.
The official high jump record is 2.47 m by Huaso ex-Faithful.
Andrew Nicholson’s Nereo has been named the Best Eventing horse for the year by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses.
Top Earnings in the World of Horse Racing: Jockeys and Races
Who is the highest paid horse rider? The next highest-earning U.S. jockey is Javier Castellano, who has started over 30,000 races with 5,568 wins, for earnings of over $374 million.
Meet Yutaka Take, the world’s richest jockey. A legend in Japan, Take, 52, enjoys ‘God’ status in his homeland and has a film star wife.
World’s highest-earning racehorse: Winx Her success on the track has made her a global superstar, and she is now the leading earner in horse racing, with over $18,739,211.44 (USD) in prize money.
The Puerto Rican is the highest-placed non-Japanese rider on this list, amassing well over $400 million in career prize money from his 6,258 winners, which is by far the most in this top ten.
Yuichi Fukunaga – $479m. Only a few thousand dollars off of the number three position on this list, Fukunaga has ridden over 2,400 winners over his long and illustrious career.
Inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame back in 2012, jockey John Velazquez has proven to be quite the rider of a horse, earning the most money ever in the history of the sport at just under $318 million.
Additionally, horse racing is a sport where participants (owners, trainers, jockeys) get paid a lot of money after a successful race. Prize pools for popular horse racing events go north from $1 million, which are distributed to all people who are responsible for the success.
When it comes to high-paid sports, it is usually soccer, boxing, and ones with lucrative sponsorships that spring to mind. Yet horse racing has some of the highest payouts in the world.
Below, we give the highest-paying horse races in the world.
Frankie Dettori is the highest-paid horse jockey in the world. His estimated salary is around $10 million annually, and he has achieved this success due to his immense talent and hard work.
Kentucky Derby: Riches and Records
Who is the richest owner of the Kentucky Derby? Bob Baffert’s career earnings from Derby-winning horses total almost $5 million.
How much money did Rich Strike’s owner make? Rich Strike’s owner made $1.86 million from winning the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Who is Rich Strike’s owner? Rich Strike is owned by Richard Dawson.
How much does the Kentucky Derby winner receive? The 2022 Kentucky Derby winner received $1.86 million of the $3 million total purse.
What is the prize breakdown for the Kentucky Derby? First place wins $1.86 million, second place wins $600,000, and third place wins $300,000 of the total $3 million purse.
How much money do the top Kentucky Derby trainers make? Bob Baffert has made the most money training Derby winners, earning almost $5 million total.
How did Rich Strike’s owner get rich? Richard Dawson claimed Rich Strike for $30,000 after the horse finished last in his first race. Rich Strike was not even originally entered into the Derby until another horse withdrew the day before.
Rich Strike overcame 80-1 odds for the second biggest upset in Derby history. His owner Richard Dawson made over $1.8 million from the shocking win.
The Kentucky Derby is called the "Run for the Roses" due to the red rose garland presented to the winner.
Owning elite racehorses can cost between $500,000 to $2.4 million. The Derby winner receives 60% of the total purse, then 20% for second, 10% third, 5% fourth, 3% fifth, and 2% sixth. Top jockeys in graded stakes races can make over $800,000 per race.