Kentucky Derby 2015 Payout: Examining Race Standings and Prize Money Earnings
Bettors of American Pharoah aren't the only ones raking in a big haul from the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
Another unforgettable and exhilarating Run for the Roses is in the books, with American Pharoah overcoming Firing Line and Dortmund down the stretch to gallop into the winner's circle on Saturday. The simple feeling of winning America's biggest horse racing event is enough to validate the years of hard work for those involved, but a significant payday isn't such a bad thing.
Let's take a look at how each horse finished the race, as well as who is taking home the most cash.
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2015 Kentucky Derby Results
| 1 | 18 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | ----- |
| 2 | 10 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 3 |
| 4 | 15 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 3 1/4 |
| 5 | 5 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 6 1/2 |
| 6 | 3 | Materiality | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 7 3/4 |
| 7 | 14 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 8 3/4 |
| 8 | 6 | Mubtaahij | Christophe Soumillon | Mike de Kock | 9 1/2 |
| 9 | 13 | Itsaknockout | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 10 1/4 |
| 10 | 2 | Carpe Diem | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 11 |
| 11 | 21 | Frammento | Corey Nakatani | Nick Zito | 12 |
| 12 | 9 | Bolo | Rafael Bejarano | Carla Gaines | 12 3/4 |
| 13 | 17 | Mr. Z | Ramon Vazquez | D. Wayne Lukas | 15 1/2 |
| 14 | 1 | Ocho Ocho Ocho | Elvis Trujillo | Jim Cassidy | 15 1/2 |
| 15 | 20 | Far Right | Mike Smith | Ron Moquett | 15 3/4 |
| 16 | 16 | War Story | Joe Talamo | Tom Amoss | 19 1/4 |
| 17 | 4 | Tencendur | Manny Franco | George Weaver | 35 |
| 18 | 19 | Upstart | Jose Ortiz | Rick Violette Jr. | 60 1/2 |
Prize Money
| 1 | American Pharoah | $7.80 | $5.80 | $4.20 |
| 2 | Firing Line | - | $8.40 | $5.40 |
| 3 | Dortmund | - | - | $4.20 |
| 1st | American Pharoah | $1.24 million |
| 2nd | Firing Line | $400,000 |
| 3rd | Dortmund | $200,000 |
| 4th | Frosted | $100,000 |
| 5th | Danzig Moon | $60,000 |
Purse prize money information courtesy of TheTripleCrown.com.
Top Finishers
1. American Pharoah
His name may be spelled incorrectly, but that's about the only blemish you can find on American Pharoah after Saturday.
The favorite justified his status by becoming the third favorite in a row to win the Kentucky Derby, but the manner in which he won said the most. After failing to be tested seriously in five career races prior to Saturday, American Pharoah came from behind and burst by two blistering-fast horses in Firing Line and Dortmund to win.
The victor's camp raked in a cool $1.24 million, but that paled in comparison to the amount of cash won in the betting world, as Gary Dougherty found out:
As is the case with any Derby champion, the elusive quest for the Triple Crown is the next obstacle in the way. But considering the relative ease that American Pharoah rode with while burning his opposition, it's hard to knock his chances of at least carrying the winning on through Pimlico and the Preakness Stakes.
With not too many miles on him, he should enter Pimlico fresh. And it doesn't hurt that jockey Victor Espinoza has a great streak going for him at the Preakness after winning at Churchill Downs, per Frank Angst of The Blood-Horse:
Whether American Pharoah's summer ends in being named the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, or he disappoints at the final two stops, there's no doubting that he etched his name into the history books at the Run for the Roses.
2. Firing Line
Firing Line can hold his head up high, knowing he put his best on the track at Churchill Downs and simply got beaten by the better horse, but that doesn't make finishing in second place any less excruciating.
There was a good amount of buzz regarding Firing Line's chances heading into the race, but few expected his nose to be in front approaching the final stretch. Unlike in his last two close-call defeats, he overtook Dortmund and held him off, but he couldn't overcome American Pharoah's lightning-quick escape and lost by a length.
Despite the defeat, Firing Line's trainer indicated there was nothing his side could have done differently, per Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal:
Firing Line serves to have his chances for redemption later on in the Triple Crown circuit, possibly beginning in Pimlico. Saturday's race didn't result in unlikely victory, but it gave Firing Line's camp more than enough confidence moving forward.
If the result was any indication, though, he might need a slip-up from American Pharoah to steal one.
3. Dortmund
Starting out as the tone-setter and running wild early on is typically a recipe for disaster at the Kentucky Derby, as it allows other horses to stay on your tail before pulling away late. But Dortmund seemed like one horse who could buck that trend.
For much of the race, it looked like Dortmund's to lose as he threatened to put together a wire-to-wire performance rarely seen at Churchill Downs. But like so many that preceded him in grabbing the early lead, he didn't save his best for last, being overtaken by Firing Line and American Pharoah.
Despite having a Triple Crown opportunity, trainer Bob Baffert—who operates both American Pharoah and Dortmund—doesn't plan on leaving his No. 2 option out of the Preakness. That's a promising sign for folks like California Chrome owner Steve Coburn, who publicly criticized trainers who skip the Preakness in order to be fresh for the Belmont Stakes, per Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden:
While Dortmund figures to be the toughest horse standing between American Pharoah and the Triple Crown's second leg, it will also ensure that Dortmund has no advantage over his fellow contender in terms of rest. That may not be an ideal approach for the Dortmund camp, but it plays right into American Pharoah's ballpark.
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