The first five months of the horse racing season for 2025 have been completed, with one of the biggest events on the calendar already in the book.
The opening leg of the Triple Crown is the major date in the diary for all U.S. horse racing fans, and Sovereignty was a deserving winner of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
However, the earnings for each trainer show a competitive battle for top spot in the money standings this season. But, who are the top five trainers that have accumulated the most in prize money so far in 2025?
Brad Cox
It has been an excellent start to 2025 for Brad Cox, as the trainer has already surpassed $11 million in prize money this calendar year. The American trainer has sent out 193 winners from 375 starters, and he is striking at a very eye-catching rate at 27%.
Cox’s biggest winner in terms of prize money this season was Hit Show, who took his career earnings to over $7 million following a win in the Dubai World Cup. Cox also picked up major prize money across the first weekend in May, sending out Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer, and Final Gambit, who finished an outstanding fourth in the Kentucky Derby.
Steven Asmussen
Steven Asmussen is also enjoying an excellent start to 2025. He has sent out more runners than Cox, but he has accumulated 360 winners from 889 starters. At present, he is striking at a moderate 13%. However, aside from Cox, he is the only other trainer in the United States to have amassed over $10 million in prize money this season.
Asmussen’s leading horse in terms of prize money this season is Tiztastic, who was the winner of the Louisiana Derby on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Other high earners from the stable include Booth, Hall of Fame, and Publisher.
Saffie Joseph Jr
A slightly shocking name to rank in the top five in the current earnings for the 2025 season is Saffie Joseph Jr. The trainer has accumulated 190 winners so far this year, and he is striking at an impressive 19% rate in the U.S. Joseph is already well on his way to accumulating higher returns than in his previous best season, which was achieved in 2024 when winning over $16 million in prize money.
The multiple-time graded stakes winning trainer has already achieved success at the highest level this season, with last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic hero White Abarrio landing the Pegasus World Cup in January. Other high earners from the stable this year include Skippylongstocking, Haulin Ice, and Alexander Helios.
Chad Brown
Chad Brown always ranks among the leading trainers in the United States, and this season has been no different. The American has accumulated 177 winners from just 271 starters this season, meaning that he is striking at an eye-catching rate of 23%. His runners are also placing in the top three at a rate of 63%, which is the best of any trainer in the top ten. To this point, he was won just over $6.7 million in prize money in 2025.
Spirit Of St Louis has been the yard’s top performing star on track this season, with the Grade One winner taking their earnings to over $1 million following success in the Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs. As well as that, Raging Sea, Zulu Kingdom, and Carl Spackler have all achieved victories at the highest level this season. Saffron Moon also ranks in the top five after winning the recent Hillsborough Stakes on the turf.
William Mott
It has already been a year to remember for the William Mott stable, as Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby. Connections will be dreaming of history following that win, as the three-year-old could target success in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become a Triple Crown winner.
You can check more information about Preakness here: twinspires.com/preakness-stakes/
Mott has now accumulated over $6 million in prize money so far this year, sending out 103 winners from just 210 starters. The trainer is operating at a strike-rate of 17%, with 42% of his runners finishing in the first three so far this season.
Unsurprisingly, Sovereignty ranks as the highest earner in the Mott barn, as the three-year-old’s win in the Derby has seen him move beyond $3.5 million in prize money this season. That is vastly more than the second-best on the list, as Nic’s Style has won $162,000 following a win in the Grade Three Hurricanes Bertie Stakes.
No other horse within the stable has won in graded company this season, with the remaining spots in the top five filled out by T Kraft, Timeout, and Serene Seraph. However, success in the Preakness or Belmont Stakes could see Mott closing the gap on the top earners in 2025.
Markmalte is an experienced writer for The Celebrity Niche, specializing in celebrity stories. With a keen eye for detail, he brings the latest updates on celebrity relationships, biographies, and news to his readers.
