The Top Greatest Horse Racing Purses

No matter how big or small a horse racing event it maybe, all have a purse. The purse is the amount of money given to the owners of the horse at the end of each race and the amount paid out is related to the horses finish. The purse encourages the owners of the horses to perform and create intense competition at the highest levels.

The winning horse is given 60% of the total purse, the second taking 20% and the third winner is paid 10% of the total purse whilst the remaining purse is shared evenly amongst the remaining horses. The purse varies from one race to another. For example, In America, a typical race will have a purse of at least $10,000 whilst some of the top races for the day may have a purse of $30,000 or more.

The purse can be over a million dollars when it comes to the prestigious international horse racing events. For Grade I races, the purses tend to be very high due to the fact the race will comprise of only the best horses in the world.   

The Grade II and Grade III horses are not as outstanding as the Grade I horses but they surely have some great purses.

As a professional punter, if you are seeking for ways to get a favorable return on your investment, you need to focus on a race that offers the highest purse due to the fact that the payouts will be incredibly higher especially when favorites fail. It’s all about betting where the money is and you should keep track of these major events so has to maximize your profits. Placing bets at major events tend to be a lot easier than compared to any other event because information and stats of each horse is readily available with ease. If you are a punter who is good at playing combined bets and grouped bets, selecting good runners would be a lot easier.

In this article, we have listed the top major international horse racing events that have the highest purses.

Dubai World Cup - $10 million Purse

The Dubai World Cup is the highest international horseracing event that has the highest purse marking the world’s richest horse racing event due to its purse size. The event is held at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai and when all races of the Dubai World Cup Night event are combined they project a total purse of $27.25 million.

Melbourne Cup – $5.65 Million Purse

Melbourne Cup is the second richest international horse racing event that is held at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The event is also known as the Race That Stops a Nation running over a two-mile track and held every November. Not only is it the top racing event in Australia but also marks as the top races in the world.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe - $5.4 Million Purse

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is also one of the richest international horse racing events that runs over a 1 1/2-mile track at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. The race was inaugurated in 1920 and its purse doubled from $2 million up to $4 million to $5.4 million due to its recent sponsors - Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club.

Breeders Cup Classic – $5 Million Purse

This is the top race of the Breeders Cup series with five of the fourteen slots in this race guaranteed to the winners of specific races like the Awesome Again Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Pacific Classic.

Dubai Duty Free Stakes – $5 Million Purse

This is yet another attractive event after the Dubai World Cup held at the Dubai World Cup night event with a purse of $5 million. The event is sponsored by a renowned Dubai retail company, Dubai Duty Free that offers duty free shops throughout a number of airports in the Middle East.

Breeders Cup Turf, Breeders Cup Distaff, and Breeders Cup Sprint

Breeders Cup Turf and the Breeders Cup Distaff are events held annually at the Breeders Cup series with a purse over $2 million. These events are an appetizer of the main event, the Breeders Cup Classic. Breeders Cup Distaff is a prominent race among female horses. The Breeders Cup Distaff was formerly known as the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic. The Breeders Cup Sprint is a short race with horses running less than a mile. The event occurs during the Breeders Cup World Championships in North America every year.

Kentucky Derby – $2 Million Purse

Kentucky Derby also known as Run for the Roses is an annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky’s Churchill Downs. It is the first leg of the U.S Triple Crown Series with a purse of $2 million following Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes each with a purse of $1 million completing the Triple Crown Series.