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Belmont Stakes payout breakdown: How much prize money will the winner get in 2026? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a massive underdog story at the Kentucky Derby and an unexpected win at the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes are set to arrive. If there's one thing horse racing fans have learned from the first two legs of the Triple Crown, it's to expect the unexpected.
With another huge prize pool on the line for the Belmont Stakes, there are many horses that could take home the lion's share of the cash.
Whoever wins this illustrious race will walk out of Saratoga with more than $1 million in prize winnings.
Here's what the horses are racing for this weekend at the Belmont Stakes.
MORE: How much did the Kentucky Derby winner earn?
What is the Belmont Stakes purse in 2026?
The Belmont Stakes payout adds up to $2 million in 2026, which marks no change from the 2025 payout.
How much money does the Belmont Stakes winner get?
The winner of the Belmont Stakes receives $1.2 million, or 60% of the total purse. This is roughly on par with the other two triple crown races. The Preakness Stakes winner also takes home 60% of the purse and the Kentucky Derby winner gets 62%.
Belmont Stakes prize money breakdown for 2026
The breakdown of the $2 million is where Belmont differs from Preakness. The Preakness stakes splits the purse among the top five finishers, while Belmont shares the wealth, all the way down to its eighth place finisher. While it's only 1% of the prize pool, the seventh and eighth place finishers still leave with a cool $20,000.
| Place | Prize money | Percentage of purse |
| First | $1,200,000 | 60 percent |
| Second | $360,000 | 18 percent |
| Third | $200,000 | 10 percent |
| Fourth | $100,000 | 5 percent |
| Fifth | $60,000 | 3 percent |
| Six | $40,000 | 2 percent |
| Seventh | $20,000 | 1 percent |
| Eighth | $20,000 | 1 percent |
Belmont Stakes prize money compared to other Triple Crown races
The 2026 Belmont Stakes has the same total payout as the Preakness Stakes, but does mark a significant step back from the $5 million dollar purse for the Kentucky Derby.
| Race | Date | Total 2024 purse |
| Kentucky Derby | May 2 | $5 million |
| Preakness Stakes | May 16 | $2 million |
| Belmont Stakes | June 6 | $2 million |
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