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HORSE RACING · 197 RACES

Horse racing prize money per second in the United States

The 197 races we hold in the United States pay £93.6m across 5 hours 28 minutes of running. the Breeders' Cup Classic pays the most for its time, at £43,790 a second.

The median race here pays £10,478,145 an hour of running, above the £4,549,800 median across all 611 races we rank, which puts the United States 5th of 14 countries. 51 of its races sit in the world's hundred best paid seconds, 20 of them in the top fifty.

MEDIAN PER HOUR £10.5m
BEST PAID SECOND £43,790
RACES 197
COUNTRY RANK 5 of 14

The best paid seconds in the United States

Prize money per hour of running

Breeders' Cup Classic £158m Kentucky Derby £111m Breeders' Cup Turf £93m Breeders' Cup Sprint £79m Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes £75m Nashville Derby £74m Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes £62m Breeders' Cup Mile £58m Breeders' Cup Juvenile £53m Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies £52m Stephen Foster Stakes £50m Breeders' Cup Distaff £50m Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint £49m Preakness Stakes £46m Belmont Stakes £44m

Every race in the United States, ranked per second

197 races, with each one's place in the world order

Lamplighter Stakes is last here at £439 a second

# Race Time Purse Per second World
1 Breeders' Cup Classic $7,000,000 2:00.192025 £5,263,158 £43,790 4
2 Kentucky Derby $5,000,000 2:02.272026 £3,759,399 £30,747 11
3 Breeders' Cup Turf $5,000,000 2:25.452025 £3,759,399 £25,847 16
4 Breeders' Cup Sprint $2,000,000 1:08.202025 £1,503,759 £22,049 18
5 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes $3,000,000 1:48.492026 £2,255,639 £20,791 20
6 Nashville Derby $3,500,000 2:08.492026 £2,631,579 £20,481 21
7 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes $1,750,000 1:16.012026 £1,315,789 £17,311 24
8 Breeders' Cup Mile $2,000,000 1:33.662025 £1,503,759 £16,056 28
9 Breeders' Cup Juvenile $2,000,000 1:42.252025 £1,503,759 £14,707 31
10 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies $2,000,000 1:43.712025 £1,503,759 £14,500 32
11 Stephen Foster Stakes $2,000,000 1:48.032026 £1,503,759 £13,920 35
12 Breeders' Cup Distaff $2,000,000 1:48.072025 £1,503,759 £13,915 36
13 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint $1,000,000 55.24s2025 £751,880 £13,611 37
14 Preakness Stakes $2,000,000 1:58.692026 £1,503,759 £12,670 38
15 Belmont Stakes $2,000,000 2:03.492026 £1,503,759 £12,177 40
16 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint $1,000,000 1:02.412022 £751,880 £12,047 41
17 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf $2,000,000 2:12.542025 £1,503,759 £11,346 43
18 Turf Classic Stakes $1,500,000 1:45.962026 £1,127,820 £10,644 45
19 Kentucky Oaks $1,500,000 1:48.822026 £1,127,820 £10,364 47
20 Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes $1,250,000 1:33.612025 £939,850 £10,040 49
21 Churchill Downs Stakes $1,000,000 1:20.492026 £751,880 £9,341 51
22 Derby City Distaff Stakes $1,000,000 1:20.942026 £751,880 £9,289 52
23 Apple Blossom Handicap $1,250,000 1:42.212026 £939,850 £9,195 53
24 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint $1,000,000 1:21.792025 £751,880 £9,193 54
25 Blue Grass Stakes $1,250,000 1:49.582026 £939,850 £8,577 57
26 Arkansas Derby $1,250,000 1:49.702026 £939,850 £8,567 58
27 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile $1,000,000 1:34.712025 £751,880 £7,939 61
28 Metropolitan Handicap $1,000,000 1:34.852026 £751,880 £7,927 62
29 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf $1,000,000 1:34.932025 £751,880 £7,920 63
30 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf $1,000,000 1:35.072025 £751,880 £7,909 64
31 American Turf Stakes $1,000,000 1:40.312026 £751,880 £7,496 67
32 La Troienne Stakes $1,000,000 1:42.242026 £751,880 £7,354 69
33 Cotillion Handicap $1,000,000 1:42.852025 £751,880 £7,310 70
34 Rebel Stakes $1,000,000 1:43.212026 £751,880 £7,285 71
35 Southwest Stakes $1,000,000 1:44.852026 £751,880 £7,171 72
36 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational $1,000,000 1:47.042026 £751,880 £7,024 73
37 Whitney Stakes $1,000,000 1:47.912026 £751,880 £6,968 74
38 Pennsylvania Derby $1,000,000 1:48.032025 £751,880 £6,960 75
39 Florida Derby $1,000,000 1:49.992026 £751,880 £6,836 79
40 Haskell Stakes $1,000,000 1:50.182026 £751,880 £6,824 80
41 Manhattan Stakes $1,000,000 1:50.502026 £751,880 £6,804 81
42 Louisiana Derby $1,000,000 1:55.182026 £751,880 £6,528 83
43 First Lady Stakes $800,000 1:34.762025 £601,504 £6,348 86
44 Jaipur Stakes $500,000 1:00.022026 £375,940 £6,264 87
45 Arlington Million $1,000,000 2:00.802026 £751,880 £6,224 88
46 Jockey Club Gold Cup $1,000,000 2:02.162025 £751,880 £6,155 90
47 Pacific Classic Stakes $1,000,000 2:02.282026 £751,880 £6,149 91
48 Pat Day Mile Stakes $750,000 1:33.872026 £563,910 £6,007 93
49 Madison Stakes $650,000 1:21.842026 £488,722 £5,972 94
50 Fourstardave Stakes $750,000 1:35.072026 £563,910 £5,932 95
51 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes $800,000 1:48.012025 £601,504 £5,569 98
52 Jeff Ruby Steaks $777,000 1:49.942026 £584,211 £5,314 101
53 Belmont Derby $750,000 1:47.552026 £563,910 £5,243 103
54 Wood Memorial Stakes $750,000 1:51.712026 £563,910 £5,048 106
55 New York Stakes $750,000 1:52.502026 £563,910 £5,013 107
56 Saratoga Derby Stakes $750,000 1:53.222026 £563,910 £4,981 108
57 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes $600,000 1:34.902026 £451,128 £4,754 112
58 Bryan Station Stakes $600,000 1:35.782025 £451,128 £4,710 113
59 Breeders' Futurity Stakes $650,000 1:43.982025 £488,722 £4,700 114
60 Woody Stephens Stakes $500,000 1:20.402026 £375,940 £4,676 116
61 Alcibiades Stakes $650,000 1:44.692025 £488,722 £4,668 117
62 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes $500,000 1:20.712026 £375,940 £4,658 118
63 Ballerina Handicap $500,000 1:22.052026 £375,940 £4,582 119
64 Test Stakes $500,000 1:22.422026 £375,940 £4,561 121
65 Forego Stakes $500,000 1:22.482026 £375,940 £4,558 122
66 Spinster Stakes $650,000 1:49.772025 £488,722 £4,452 124
67 Gallant Bob Stakes $400,000 1:08.772025 £300,752 £4,373 127
68 Bing Crosby Stakes $400,000 1:09.332026 £300,752 £4,338 130
69 Transylvania Stakes $600,000 1:44.492026 £451,128 £4,317 131
70 Belmont Oaks $600,000 1:47.772026 £451,128 £4,186 135
71 Just a Game Stakes $500,000 1:32.842026 £375,940 £4,049 139
72 Champagne Stakes $500,000 1:34.572025 £375,940 £3,975 141
73 Beholder Mile Stakes $500,000 1:35.162026 £375,940 £3,951 142
74 Jenny Wiley Stakes $500,000 1:40.982026 £375,940 £3,723 145
75 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes $750,000 2:31.552026 £563,910 £3,721 146
76 Secretariat Stakes $500,000 1:41.242026 £375,940 £3,713 147
77 Sunland Park Derby $500,000 1:42.222026 £375,940 £3,678 149
78 Alabama Stakes $600,000 2:04.872026 £451,128 £3,613 151
79 Lafayette Stakes $400,000 1:23.922025 £300,752 £3,584 153
80 Ashland Stakes $500,000 1:45.722026 £375,940 £3,556 154
81 Ogden Phipps Stakes $500,000 1:46.642026 £375,940 £3,525 157
82 Virginia Derby $500,000 1:47.762026 £375,940 £3,489 158
83 Acorn Stakes $500,000 1:48.852026 £375,940 £3,454 160
84 Coaching Club American Oaks $500,000 1:48.982026 £375,940 £3,450 162
85 Santa Anita Derby $500,000 1:49.012026 £375,940 £3,449 163
86 Jim Dandy Stakes $500,000 1:49.082026 £375,940 £3,446 164
87 Risen Star Stakes $500,000 1:49.142026 £375,940 £3,445 165
88 Personal Ensign Stakes $500,000 1:49.232026 £375,940 £3,442 166
89 Ohio Derby $500,000 1:51.182026 £375,940 £3,381 169
90 Diana Stakes $500,000 1:51.422026 £375,940 £3,374 171
91 Old Dominion Derby $500,000 1:53.012025 £375,940 £3,327 172
92 Penn Mile Stakes $400,000 1:34.172026 £300,752 £3,194 177
93 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes $400,000 1:34.672026 £300,752 £3,177 178
94 Perryville Stakes $350,000 1:23.452025 £263,158 £3,153 179
95 Frizette Stakes $400,000 1:37.972025 £300,752 £3,070 181
96 Matt Winn Stakes $400,000 1:41.262026 £300,752 £2,970 183
97 San Felipe Stakes $400,000 1:42.922026 £300,752 £2,922 184
98 Tampa Bay Derby $400,000 1:43.232026 £300,752 £2,913 186
99 Fountain of Youth Stakes $400,000 1:43.332026 £300,752 £2,911 187
100 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes $400,000 1:44.102026 £300,752 £2,889 188
101 Lexington Stakes (Keeneland) $400,000 1:44.512026 £300,752 £2,878 190
102 Gamely Stakes $400,000 1:47.512026 £300,752 £2,797 192
103 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes $500,000 2:14.452025 £375,940 £2,796 193
104 Malibu Stakes $300,000 1:20.972025 £225,564 £2,786 194
105 La Brea Stakes $300,000 1:21.682025 £225,564 £2,762 196
106 Oklahoma Derby $400,000 1:49.992025 £300,752 £2,734 198
107 Del Mar Futurity $300,000 1:22.572026 £225,564 £2,732 199
108 Spinaway Stakes $300,000 1:22.722026 £225,564 £2,727 200
109 Hollywood Derby $400,000 1:50.742025 £300,752 £2,716 201
110 Del Mar Debutante Stakes $300,000 1:23.542026 £225,564 £2,700 202
111 Hopeful Stakes $300,000 1:24.082026 £225,564 £2,683 204
112 West Virginia Derby $400,000 1:52.472026 £300,752 £2,674 206
113 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes $500,000 2:25.722025 £375,940 £2,580 209
114 Shoemaker Mile Stakes $300,000 1:32.522026 £225,564 £2,438 211
115 Matriarch Stakes $300,000 1:35.602025 £225,564 £2,359 212
116 Maxfield Stakes $250,000 1:21.432026 £187,970 £2,308 215
117 Gotham Stakes $300,000 1:37.942026 £225,564 £2,303 217
118 Pennine Ridge Stakes $300,000 1:40.942026 £225,564 £2,235 219
119 Indiana Derby $300,000 1:41.362026 £225,564 £2,225 220
120 American Pharoah Stakes $300,000 1:43.672025 £225,564 £2,176 222
121 Quick Call Stakes $175,000 1:02.692026 £131,579 £2,099 225
122 Del Mar Oaks $300,000 1:48.062026 £225,564 £2,087 229
123 Goodwood Stakes $300,000 1:48.432025 £225,564 £2,080 230
124 Holy Bull Stakes $275,000 1:44.522026 £206,767 £1,978 231
125 American Oaks $300,000 2:01.022025 £225,564 £1,864 241
126 San Vicente Stakes $200,000 1:21.122026 £150,376 £1,854 243
127 Iowa Derby $250,000 1:43.172026 £187,970 £1,822 245
128 Sam F. Davis Stakes $250,000 1:43.542026 £187,970 £1,815 246
129 Santa Anita Handicap $300,000 2:05.172026 £225,564 £1,802 247
130 Lecomte Stakes $250,000 1:44.982026 £187,970 £1,791 249
131 Smarty Jones Stakes (Oaklawn Park) $250,000 1:45.062026 £187,970 £1,789 250
132 Del Mar Derby $250,000 1:47.662026 £187,970 £1,746 253
133 Illinois Derby $250,000 1:50.432024 £187,970 £1,702 257
134 Kent Stakes $250,000 1:50.732025 £187,970 £1,698 261
135 Super Derby $250,000 1:50.782025 £187,970 £1,697 263
136 Withers Stakes $250,000 1:51.682026 £187,970 £1,683 266
137 Albany Stakes $250,000 1:51.782025 £187,970 £1,682 267
138 Calder Derby $250,000 1:54.322014 £187,970 £1,644 271
139 Chick Lang Stakes $150,000 1:09.772026 £112,782 £1,616 274
140 Commonwealth Turf Cup $200,000 1:33.432016 £150,376 £1,610 275
141 Dwyer Stakes $200,000 1:33.862025 £150,376 £1,602 276
142 Colonel Liam Stakes $200,000 1:35.052023 £150,376 £1,582 278
143 Mathis Mile Stakes $200,000 1:35.132025 £150,376 £1,581 279
144 Swale Stakes $175,000 1:23.462026 £131,579 £1,577 280
145 Robert B. Lewis Stakes $200,000 1:37.022026 £150,376 £1,550 281
146 American 1000 Guineas Stakes $200,000 1:39.242010 £150,376 £1,515 283
147 Smarty Jones Stakes (Parx) $200,000 1:42.502025 £150,376 £1,467 287
148 Lone Star Derby $200,000 1:42.552011 £150,376 £1,466 288
149 Twilight Derby $200,000 1:47.662025 £150,376 £1,397 290
150 Hill Prince Stakes $200,000 1:48.232025 £150,376 £1,389 291
151 Ellis Park Derby $200,000 1:48.892021 £150,376 £1,381 294
152 Sunshine Millions Classic $200,000 1:50.122018 £150,376 £1,366 295
153 Carry Back Stakes $150,000 1:22.632017 £112,782 £1,365 296
154 Peter Pan Stakes $200,000 1:50.252026 £150,376 £1,364 297
155 Bay Shore Stakes $150,000 1:23.002026 £112,782 £1,359 299
156 Kitten's Joy Stakes $175,000 1:40.232026 £131,579 £1,313 303
157 California Cup Derby $175,000 1:46.122025 £131,579 £1,240 308
158 Discovery Stakes $150,000 1:33.452025 £112,782 £1,207 310
159 San Rafael Stakes $150,000 1:36.452010 £112,782 £1,169 317
160 Mike Lee Stakes $125,000 1:21.602026 £93,985 £1,152 318
161 Jerome Stakes $150,000 1:38.962026 £112,782 £1,140 321
162 Saranac Stakes $150,000 1:40.452026 £112,782 £1,123 323
163 La Jolla Handicap $150,000 1:40.982024 £112,782 £1,117 324
164 Pegasus Stakes $150,000 1:44.642025 £112,782 £1,078 328
165 Kentucky Cup Sprint Stakes $100,000 1:10.282011 £75,188 £1,070 330
166 New York Derby $150,000 1:46.672026 £112,782 £1,057 334
167 Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes $100,000 1:11.782015 £75,188 £1,047 336
168 Baldwin Stakes $100,000 1:11.862009 £75,188 £1,046 337
169 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes $100,000 1:12.322025 £75,188 £1,040 338
170 Hawthorne Derby $150,000 1:48.712025 £112,782 £1,037 339
171 Lazaro Barrera Stakes $100,000 1:16.282021 £75,188 £986 344
172 Rumson Stakes $75,000 57.98s2025 £56,391 £973 348
173 Northern Dancer Stakes $125,000 1:43.602010 £93,985 £907 362
174 Tom Ridge Stakes $80,000 1:08.852024 £60,150 £874 374
175 Federico Tesio Stakes $125,000 1:52.922026 £93,985 £832 387
176 Jersey Derby $100,000 1:34.762024 £75,188 £793 393
177 Hutcheson Stakes $75,000 1:11.442020 £56,391 £789 395
178 James W. Murphy Stakes $100,000 1:35.822026 £75,188 £785 396
179 Sham Stakes $100,000 1:35.872023 £75,188 £784 397
180 Harry Henson Stakes $70,000 1:08.162009 £52,632 £772 398
181 San Miguel Stakes $70,000 1:09.542009 £52,632 £757 403
182 Will Rogers Stakes $100,000 1:40.432010 £75,188 £749 405
183 Affirmed Stakes (LATC) $100,000 1:42.572024 £75,188 £733 410
184 Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park $100,000 1:43.662013 £75,188 £725 414
185 American Derby $100,000 1:44.292025 £75,188 £721 417
186 Sir Barton Stakes $100,000 1:44.772026 £75,188 £718 419
187 Arlington Classic $100,000 1:45.522018 £75,188 £713 421
188 Select Stakes $60,000 1:04.182024 £45,113 £703 427
189 Los Alamitos Derby $100,000 1:47.592025 £75,188 £699 430
190 Lexington Stakes (NYRA) $100,000 1:48.452007 £75,188 £693 433
191 Round Table Stakes $100,000 1:49.752007 £75,188 £685 436
192 Forerunner Stakes $100,000 1:50.162007 £75,188 £683 437
193 Jefferson Cup Stakes $100,000 1:50.232016 £75,188 £682 439
194 El Camino Real Derby $100,000 1:50.682024 £75,188 £679 441
195 Cinema Stakes $100,000 2:01.272023 £75,188 £620 461
196 Count Fleet Stakes $65,000 1:42.832012 £48,872 £475 513
197 Lamplighter Stakes $60,000 1:42.802017 £45,113 £439 531

the United States against the other 13

Median prize money per hour of running

# Country Races Median per hour
1 Australia 11 £59,338,377£59.3m
2 Hong Kong 15 £55,272,727£55.3m
3 Saudi Arabia 5 £18,175,311£18.2m
4 Singapore 3 £17,376,837£17.4m
5 the United States 197 £10,478,145£10.5m
6 Japan 24 £7,907,679£7.9m
7 New Zealand 37 £6,278,639£6.3m
8 Great Britain 42 £3,475,821£3.5m
9 Italy 32 £3,274,638£3.3m
10 France 127 £2,952,683£3.0m
11 the United Arab Emirates 31 £2,622,995£2.6m
12 Canada 24 £2,621,159£2.6m
13 Germany 50 £1,653,197£1.7m
14 Ireland 10 £1,365,201£1.4m

Frequently asked questions

Which race in the United States pays the most per second?

the Breeders' Cup Classic, at £43,790 a second. Its £5,263,158 purse was run in 2:00.19 in 2025, and it is 4th of the 611 races we rank worldwide.

How does the United States compare with the rest of the world?

The median race in the United States pays £10,478,145 an hour of running, above the £4,549,800 median across all 611 races. That makes it 5th of the 14 countries with a page here.

How long do the races in the United States take to hand over their prize money?

The 197 races here pay out £93,595,489 across 5 hours 28 minutes of running, an average of £4,754 a second.

Where to next

The rest of the racing money

Per second, by country

Elsewhere in racing