An $18 Kentucky Derby bet placed more than 1,000 miles away and picking the winners in a series of races run that day, including Justify, paid off for a Texas woman who rode away with $1.2 million.
In her $18 “Pick 5” Kentucky Derby bet placed at Retama Park in Selma, Texas, just northeast of San Antonio, Margaret Reid picked the winner of the derby and four other pre-derby races at Churchill Downs, ABC News reported.
Reid, of Austin, Texas, won all five races, including the Kentucky Derby itself, making her an instant millionaire.
ABC News noted she won nearly as much as the $1.24 million Justify won in the world's most famous horse race.
"She was in the sports bar when it happened," Bill Belcher, general manager of Retama Park, told the San Antonio Express-News. "The whole bar went nuts. … (The) odds are unbelievable, and the payout is so big. She was very excited."
Reid’s "Pick 5" streak started when Limousine Liberal won the Churchill Downs Stakes in the eighth race in Louisville.
Maraud won the American Turf Stakes in the ninth race, and Funny Duck took the Pat Day Mile race after facing 39-1 odds. Then in the 11th race, Yoshida beat favorite Beach Patrol by a nose in the Old Forester Turf Classic, setting up her derby win by Justify, ABC News said.
"It's extremely rare," Rachel Bagnetto, spokeswoman for Retama Park, told ABC News. "To bet that little amount of money and win $1.2 million is unheard of. In fact, it's the first time it's happened at Retama."
Many on social media congratulated Reid on her win.
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