Texas Woman's Winning Derby Bet Is 'Unheard Of'

Margaret Reid called 5 races in a row
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted May 7, 2018 6:21 AM CDT
Texas Woman's $18 Derby Bet Wins Her $1.2M
Mike Smith, right, rides Justify through the fourth turn and unto victory during the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Ky.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Justify's owners walked away with $1.43 million after the colt won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, reports the AP. A woman in Austin, Texas, who picked him to win ended up with just a hair less—$1.2 million. Her incredible bet cost her just $18 and involved a Pick 5 wager, in which she had to select the winners of five consecutive races, in her case, the final five of the day. And Margaret Reid nailed it, reports My San Antonio, correctly choosing Limousine Liberal as winner of the day's 8th race, the Churchill Downs Stakes; then Maraud in the American Turf Stakes; Funny Duck (and his 39-1 odds) in the Pat Day Mile; Yoshida in the Old Forester Turf Classic; and then, of course, Justify.

She made the bet at the Retama Park racetrack in Selma, Texas, on Saturday, and a rep for the track called Reid's win "extremely rare" in comments to 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." The park's manager says "she was in the sports bar when it happened. The whole bar went nuts." (The queen's horses have brought in far more money.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X