The Kentucky Derby and the Eternal Gamble: When Running Is Worth Millions… or Almost Nothing
- Turf Diario
- hace 13 horas
- 3 Min. de lectura
From Canonero's $1,200 to Fusaichi Pegasus's $4 Million: The 2025 Edition Proves Once Again That In Racing, Anything Can Happen—and Price Doesn’t Always Make the Champion
By Diego H. Mitagstein
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special to TDN)—In horse racing, money doesn’t always buy success—but it certainly can help you get close. Running in the GI Kentucky Derby is the ultimate dream for just about anyone involved in U.S. racing, and with every major yearling sale, owners and trainers go in search of the next colt who just might get them there.
According to official Derby records, 33 winners since 1960 have gone through a public auction. At the top of that list in terms of purchase price is Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr. Prospector), who was acquired for a record $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi at the 1998 Keeneland July Sale. He would go on to justify the price tag with a brilliant Derby win in 2000.
Fusaichi Pegasus remains the most expensive horse ever to both run in and win the Derby. He leads a high-priced trio that also includes Dunkirk (Unbridled’s Song), who cost $3.7 million and finished 11th in 2009, and Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), a $3-million purchase who ran last of 20 in 2018.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, few stories rival that of Canonero II (Pretendre). Purchased for just $1,200 by Pedro Baptista at the 1969 Keeneland September Sale, the Venezuelan-bred shocked the world in 1971 with his unlikely success at Churchill Downs.
There have been other bargain buys that carved their names into history: Seattle Slew (Bold Reasoning) was a $17,500 yearling, Spectacular Bid (Bold Bidder) cost $37,000, and Sunday Silence (Halo) changed hands for just $32,000.
Interestingly, since 2000, no Derby winner has been purchased for more than $500,000, with Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) setting that mark after being bought at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale. At the lower end of that scale is Mine That Bird (Birdstone), who cost just $9,500 as an October yearling at Fasig-Tipton and stunned with his 50-1 Derby score in 2009.
Looking ahead to this year's Derby, of the 20 confirmed entrants (excluding two Japanese runners), 14 were sold publicly, while Burnham Square (Liam’s Map), Final Gambit (Not This Time), Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and East Avenue (Medaglia d’Oro) are homebreds representing Whitham Thoroughbreds, Juddmonte Farms, and Godolphin, respectively.
The lowest-priced contender is Chunk of Gold (Preservationist), who sold for just $2,500 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Sale. On the other end, Sandman (Tapit) tops the list with a $1.2 million price tag at OBS March.
Here’s how the rest stack up:
Journalism (Curlin) – $825,000
Rodríguez (Authentic) – $485,000
Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) – $33,500 and later $80,000
Tapan Street (Into Mischief) – $1,000,000
Coal Battle (Coal Front) – $70,000
Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) – $675,000
Owen Almighty (Speightstown) – $360,000 and later $350,000
Publisher (American Pharoah) – $600,000
American Promise (Justify) – $750,000
Flying Mohawk (Karakontie) – $25,000 and later $72,000
Grande (Curlin) – $300,000
Neoequos (Neolithic) – $22,000
The 2025 Kentucky Derby once again underscores one of racing’s enduring truths: sometimes you spend millions, sometimes you spend pennies—but come the first Saturday in May, they all start equal at the gate.
