How Much Money Do Horse Racers Make?

Have you ever wanted to know how much money horse racers make? By horse racers we mean the owners, horse trainers, and jockeys who make the sport what it is. You might be surprised to find out the earnings for the various professionals that are involved with thoroughbred horse racing can be low. Horse racing is a brutal sport that rewards only the best while those who do not succeed fight for the crumbs from the Sport of Kings’ table.

How Much Do Race Horse Owners Make?

Let’s start at the top when looking at how much the people in the sport make. At the top of the food chain are those who actually own the race horses. Some of these owners can have large stables with 30, 40, or even more horses. Other owners have only one horse. All of these horse racers must compete for the same money that is offered by race tracks as purses for the winners in a race.

An older article cited here estimated owner income, but that figure is not a reliable current average. The older Money account quoted average yearly income for a race horse owner as about $75,000. Without a defined sample, year and cost basis, that figure cannot establish today’s average profit from ownership. Some owners are fortunate enough to also earn money from stud fees if a horse they own is exceptionally talented. As for the earnings from races, an illustrative owner’s winning share is 60%; the actual distribution depends on race conditions. So, if the purse was $100,000 the winning owner would receive $60,000 minus deductions for the winning jockey.

Obviously there are some horse owners that make far more than $75,000 per year. There are also those who make much less. Some of them depend upon the horses that they own to pay the bills for their operations.

How Much Do Race Horse Trainers Make?

The next category of horse racer is the trainer that is responsible for preparing the horses for racing. Trainers make the majority of their money from what is called a day rate. This is an amount of money that the owner of the horse pays per day to keep their horse in training. The lowest trainers in the business command the lowest day rates. The best are able to charge the highest.

The older article used about $75 per horse per day as a lower-rate example for horse training. It also cited rates above $100; current quotes depend on location, services and the agreement, not only win percentage. High-profile trainers may charge more, but their current rates are private and should not be inferred from race results. How much a trainer makes each year is dependent upon how many horses they have in their stable.

Trainers can also make money when the horses they train win a race. The owner of the winning horse may give the trainer a bonus for winning. It can range from $100 to much more depending on the purse value of the race.

How Much Do Race Horse Jockeys Make?

When most people ask how much money do horse racers make they are usually referring to the jockeys that ride the horses. The jocks are among the lowest paid workers in horse racing and they have the most dangerous job! The earlier guide used $50 as a losing-mount example; current fee schedules can be substantially different. This is known as a jock mount.

Jockeys make more money when they win a race. Assume, for illustration, that the jockey receives 10% of the winning owner’s share. So, if an owner makes $60,000 from a race the jockey will receive $6,000. Out of this money they are required to pay their valet and jockey agent. The best jockeys in horse racing can take home over $100,000 each year. The great majority of jockeys take home much less.

The Economics of a Racing Career: Beyond Prize Money

Understanding how horse racing participants earn money requires looking beyond the headline prize money figures to the full ecosystem of revenue streams that support professional careers in the sport. For trainers, the day rate charged for each horse in their care — with rates depending on the stable, location and included services — provides the primary income base regardless of racing results. A trainer with thirty horses in their barn at $100 per day generates over $1 million in gross revenue annually before any prize money considerations, though operating costs including staff, facilities, feed, and veterinary expenses consume a large proportion of that figure.

For jockeys, the mount fee paid for each ride — regardless of the finishing position — provides a financial floor that is supplemented by win percentages and stakes bonuses for successful rides. Leading jockeys at major circuits can earn mount fees on hundreds of rides per year, creating meaningful income even in periods when winners are elusive. The disparity between leading and journeyman jockeys in terms of total earnings is vast, however, with leading riders receiving a larger share of the total income available to the profession. For more on the financial structure of racing, our articles on how much does a jockey earn per race and people behind the scenes of horse racing provide detailed context on compensation across different roles.

Can You Make a Living as a Horse Racer?

As our examples show it can be difficult to make a living in horse racing. If a person is willing to put in the time and work to learn the business and has the talent to do well, it is possible to earn a full-time living as a horse racer. But for every one that makes it there are stories of those who tried and failed.

Some people do not easily give up their horse racing dream. They continue to train race horse while working at another job. This usually doesn’t work out very well because the time demands of training race horses are great. There are a few select owners who make money with only a few horses, but these owners usually train their own horses rather than paying someone else to do it.

The claiming horse trainer is often able to make a living buying horses from claiming races and then selling the horses in another claiming event for a higher price. This is very rare. For horses to be claimed again they must show potential. Many of them have already landed at the bottom of the claiming ranks and are therefore hard to get rid of.

Now that you know how much a horse racer can make we can tell you about how account products differ for spectators who choose to wager. Betting carries the risk of loss and is separate from professional racing income. Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. online racebook comparison for folks anywhere!  Signing up takes just a few moments and you will be able to bet right from the comfort of your own home.

Follow the Money From Purse to Personal Income

Suppose an owner’s share is $60,000 and the jockey agreement pays 10% of that share. The illustrated jockey fee is $6,000; it is not 10% of the entire $100,000 race purse. Other deductions still need to be accounted for. A trainer billing 30 horses at $100 daily would invoice $3,000 per day if all remained in training. That is turnover, not profit, and occupancy may vary.

For a dated example of actual mount-fee variation, the California 2026 schedule sets losing-mount fees by purse band. Our jockey-pay guide separates that schedule from hypothetical winning-fee calculations.

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