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 Fusaichi Pegasus, with an auction price of $4 million, remains the only Derby winner to sell at auction for over $1 million |
While most people would pay any price to get a Kentucky Derby winner, the truth is the less you pay the better chance you have of buying a Derby winner at auction. There have only been three Kentucky Derby winners to sell at auction for $500,000 or more: Fusaichi Pegasus ($4,000,000), Winning Colors ($575,000), and Alysheba ($500,000). Despite the inflated auction prices of horses in the last 30+ years, most of the Derby winners sold since 1980 were bought for less than $50,000!
Below is a list of the Kentucky Derby winners since 1960 who sold at auction with their prices. In the cases where a horse went to auction more than once, the highest price realized is used. Also included is a list of the 31 highest priced auction purchases who ran in the Kentucky Derby and where they finished.
| Derby Winner Auction Prices
2016 Nyquist $400,000 2015 American Pharoah $300,000 2012 I’ll Have Another $35,000 2011 Animal Kingdom $100,000 2009 Mine That Bird $9,500 2008 Big Brown $190,000 2003 Funny Cide $22,000 2002 War Emblem $20,000 2001 Monarchos $170,000 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus $4,000,000 1998 Real Quiet $17,000 1997 Silver Charm $100,000 1994 Go for Gin $150,000 1992 Lil E. Tee $25,000 1990 Unbridled $70,000 1989 Sunday Silence $32,000 1988 Winning Colors $575,000 1987 Alysheba $500,000 1980 Genuine Risk $32,000 1979 Spectacular Bid $37,000 1977 Seattle Slew $17,500 1976 Bold Forbes $15,200 1975 Foolish Pleasure $20,000 1971 Canonero II $1,200 1970 Dust Commander $6,500 1969 Majestic Prince $250,000 1966 Kauai King $42,000 1960 Venetian Way $10,500 | Top Auction Price Derby Runners
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus $4,000,000 - 1st 2009 Dunkirk $3,700,000 - 11th 1989 Houston $2,900,000 - 8th 2009 Desert Party $2,100,000 - 14th 2001 Talk Is Money $1,800,000 - 17th 2015 Carpe Diem $1,600,000 - 10th 2007 Cowtown Cat $1,500,000 - 20th 2000 Exchange Rate $1,400,000 - 12th 2004 Lion Heart $1,400,000 - 2nd 1996 Unbridled’s Song $1,400,000 - 5th 2006 A.P. Warrior $1,300,000 - 18th 2001 Millennium Wind $1,200,000 - 11th 2005 Noble Causeway $1,150,000 - 14th 2007 Any Given Saturday $1,100,000 - 8th 2000 High Yield $1,050,000 - 15th 1983 Chumming $1,000,000 - 12th 2001 Songandaprayer $1,000,000 - 13th 1987 Capote $800,000 - DNF 2006 Point Determined $750,000 - 9th 2006 Jazil $725,000 - DH for 4th 2007 Zanjero $700,000 - 12th 2009 Flying Private $700,000 - 19th 2009 Regal Ransom $675,000 - 8th 2016 Mor Spirit $650,000 - 10th 1985 Tank’s Prospect $625,000 - 7th 2004 Tapit $625,000 - 9th 1992 Thyer $600,000 - 13th 2005 Going Wild $600,000 - 18th 1988 Winning Colors $575,000 - 1st 1999 Desert Hero $575,000 - 13th 2000 Commendable $575,000 - 17th |
So let's apply this to 2017's top Kentucky Derby contenders. Here are the top 20 Derby contenders by points earned as of April 10 with their auction prices.
 Gunnevera could be the Cinderella horse for this year, selling for only $15,000 as a yearling at Keeneland. |
Girvin $130,000
Gormley ($150,000) RNA
Irap $300,000
Irish War Cry n/a
Thunder Snow n/a
Always Dreaming $350,000
Gunnevera $15,000
Practical Joke $240,000
J Boys Echo $485,000
State of Honor n/a
Tapwrit $1,200,000
Malagacy $190,000
Hence n/a
Fast and Accurate $85,000
McCraken n/a
Battle of Midway $410,000
Patch n/a
Battalion Runner $700,000
Cloud Computing $200,000
Untrapped $150,000
Lookin at Lee $70,000
Sonneteer n/a
Royal Mo $300,000
Local Hero $500,000
Iliad $285,000
Horses with n/a have never been through an auction and Gormley was an RNA (reserve not achieved) so did not sell when he went to auction but had a high bid of $150,000. As you can see, Tapwrit and Battalion Runner sold at high enough prices to pretty much be a toss as a possible Derby winner.
