The 2026 Breeders’ Cup is in the books and the winner is yours. Here’s a breakdown of how the $7 million bag will be drawn.
How does the prize money for the Breeders’ Cup work?
Competitions from all Breeders’ Cups, including the Classic Cup, are paid to owners and sponsors and nominators, with owners receiving a share of the purse based on their horse’s finishing positions.
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The total bag distribution percentages are as follows:
1st Place: 52.0%
2nd Place: 17.0%
3 places: 9.0%
4th Place: 5.0%
5th Place: 3.0%
6th Place: 2.0%
7th Place: 1.0%
8th Place: 1.0%
9th Place: 1.0%
10th Place: 1.0%
Travel Awards: 8.0%
(Travel Awards: $10,000 is awarded to all non-Kentucky North American starters, and $40,000 to all non-North American starters.
What does this mean for the winner of the Empire and the rest of the Cup Order of the field?
The payout usually extends through the 10th place, but with a smaller Saturday field of only seven horses (note by the way), the payments go to the first through the 7th positions according to the percentage of the breakdown. Unknown 8 th* Shares of 9th and 10th place (1%, or $70,000, each) go back to the Breeders’ Cup limited edition and are typically “realized or rolled into performance/promotional purses, stakes programs or future year distributions,” according to Breeders Cup rules.
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With a percentage distribution, here is what each owner will receive from $7 million of the stock;
1st Place: Government, $3.64 million
2nd Place: Cats, $1.19 million
3 places: Knightsbridge, $630K
4th Place: TO Password, $350K
5th Place: Forever Young, $210K
6th Place: Golden Time $140K
7th Place: Napoleon Solo $70K
8th Place: $70K (reallocated)
9th Place: $70K (reallocated)
10th Place: $70K (reallocated)
How much does the Classic Cup-winning coach and player deserve?
The Breeders’ Cup Classic riders will distribute prize money to the trainers and drivers, but the exact percentages vary according to individual contracts and agreements between the parties. A typical split of the winning purse is 80 percent to the owner/owner group and the remaining 20 percent split between the coach and the player.
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A good knight usually pays some wages to his steward and chamberlain (the one who prepares the knight’s armor).
The 2016 Breeders Cup Order betting payouts
Empire ($2 bet)
To win: It costs $5.94
Location: He paid $4.16
Show: It costs $2.94
Leopard Panther ($2 bet)
Location: $11.22
Show: $6.10
Knightsbridge ($2 bet)
Show: $3.76
Finishing combinations ($ bets 2)
Demand: $62.60
Trifecta: $290.60
He overcame: $2,634.20