Thousands in Jockey Sponsorship Money at Stake in Preakness

More from Sportico. com Club Sportico: Kentucky Derby History Is a Marketing Masterclass Churchill Downs Drops $85 Million to Buy Preakness Stakes IP Rights High Horse Debate: A Trainer's Suspension Tests Views on Meth Exposure José Ortiz, the jockey who rode Golden Tempo to a thrilling, come-from-behind Derby victory, will race in the Preakness atop Chip Honcho—one of the favorites at 5-to-1 odds. If Ortiz also rides in the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, as expected, he has a chance to become the only jockey to ever win all three legs of the Triple Crown despite switching horses.

Additionally, a win from 5-to-1 contender Taj Mahal would make trainer Brittany Russell the first ever female trainer to win the Preakness. That would keep another Triple Crown variant alive—the female trainer Triple Crown—after Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to ever win at the Derby. Those aren’t just interesting fun facts—they could lead to more sponsorship money for the jockeys involved.

For the three legs of the Triple Crown, jockeys earn a wide range of sums to wear brand logos on their pants, typically varying from low to mid five-figures. For the Derby, which nearly always draws the highest viewership, deals can routinely come in above $25,000. Many agreements also have win bonuses.

“It’s an NIL deal with the jockey, essentially,” Apex Marketing Group president Eric Smallwood said. “There’s social media posting, there’s pre-race interviews … where the jockeys will wear a ballcap of the brand … there’s a lot of pieces that go into it. ” Deals are made directly with the jockeys and can represent the lion’s share of their earnings from a race.