How much does jockey Mike Smith make? - Project Sports
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How much does jockey Mike Smith make?

4 min read

Asked by: Jenny Radtke

$339,645,945$339,645,945 during his career, which puts “Big Money Mike,” the nickname he earned from Bob Baffert, at third all-time among all jockeys.

Who is the highest paid horse jockey?

2022 leaderboard

Rank Jockey Earnings $
1 Irad Ortiz, Jr. $14,850,821
2 Flavien Prat $12,790,975
3 Joel Rosario $12,640,227
4 Jose L. Ortiz $11,496,553

How much does the winning jockey make?

Meanwhile, the winning jockey who successfully crosses the finish line first will receive 10% of the winner’s purse — which equates to a $186,000 payday before taxes and other payments.

How much money does the owner of the Kentucky Derby horse win?

Rich Strike received $1,860,000 of the Kentucky Derby’s $3 million purse as the race winner. Before his victory in the first leg of the Triple Crown, Rich Strike’s career earnings totaled only $111,289.

How much does a top jockey make a year?

The salaries of Horse Jockeys in the US range from $10,049 to $271,427 , with a median salary of $48,880 . The middle 57% of Horse Jockeys makes between $48,882 and $123,036, with the top 86% making $271,427.

Do jockeys get paid if they don’t win?

Rather than earn a salary, a jockey receives a “mounting fee” — often $50-$110 — for each race, riding sometimes eight races per day. The real money for jockeys comes from prize money, if they can ride a horse to finish first, second or third in a race and earn part of the purse.

Do jockeys get paid if horse is scratched?

This replaces the current system, whereby jockeys are paid 40 per cent of the riding fee but only when a horse is scratched after 9am on the day it is due to run. Jockeys will be paid 50 per cent of the riding fee as a booking fee for any horse that becomes a non-runner after final declarations.

How much do jockeys get per race?

How much prizemoney jockeys win is decided by a very complicated Rule of Racing and varies from race type to race type and is dependent on how many places are being paid. However, as a general rule of thumb Flat jockeys receive around 8.5% of the advertised win prize and 2.61% of the advertised place prize.

What does it cost to enter a horse in the Kentucky Derby?

$25,000

The entry fee for the Kentucky Derby is another $25,000. Another $25,000 is paid if the horse enters the starting gate. By now, the owner has also paid entry fees at a number of other races through the winter and spring as the trainers prepare the horses in “prep” races.

How much does a Preakness jockey make?

Preakness Stakes Prize Money & Purse
The Preakness carries a total purse of $1.65 million, with the winner earning $990,000, or 60%. The winning jockey will also walk away with about $99,000, or 10% of the winnings.

How heavy is the average jockey?

108 to 118 lb

The weight of a jockey usually ranges from 108 to 118 lb (49 to 54 kg). Despite their light weight, they must be able to control a horse that is moving at 40 mph (64 km/h) and weighs 1,190.5 lb (540.0 kg).

How much do Kentucky Derby horse trainers make?

The average horse trainer makes roughly $37,000 per year, according to Salary.com. But, if a trainer saddles a Triple Crown winner, that number can soar to $200,000 or more, per HorseAnswer.com.

What is the weight limit for jockeys?

So, ultimately the jockeys should not weigh more than 119 pounds, according to Bustle. While there is no height restriction, most jockeys tend to be around 4-foot-10 and 5-foot-6 due to the weight restriction.

Do jockeys have eating disorders?

Horse jockeys have a demanding job that requires very specific weight requirements and as a result many jockeys are diagnosed with eating disorders.

Do jockeys starve themselves?

Starvation is still a very common practice in that the jockey may not eat for 24 hours or more before a race, and combine this with a sauna or hot bath.” Among Irish jockeys, 14% use vomiting as a method for meeting weight requirements, Dr McGoldrick and his team found in a 2011 study into dieting habits.