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Home • News

Black Woman In Texas Wins $1.2 Million From $18 Kentucky Derby Bet

Black Woman In Texas Wins $1.2 Million From $18 Kentucky Derby Bet
Retama Park Race Track/ Facebook
By Paula Rogo · Updated October 24, 2020
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A Texas woman made $1.2 million this weekend by betting on the Kentucky Derby. 

And her bet? A mere $18!

Margaret Reid watched as all her selections on a Pick 5 wager came out on top in each of their races — including the main event winner Justify, ABC News reports. A “Pick 5” is a bet where one has to choose the winner of five races in a row.

“It was an amazing feeling…that you won really big, like a really big ticket,” she told CBS San Antonio affiliate KENS-TV.

Reid, who has attended the event for years, said that she picked her winners very carefully. She almost made as much money as the winnings off Justify’s $1.24 million win.

“It’s extremely rare,” spokeswoman Rachel Bagnetto said. “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.”

As for her plans with the money, Reid will take a vacation then invest the rest of it, according to Page Six.

 “I’ll invest some of it, obviously,” she said. “I have a young daughter that’s going to be going to college in three years, so some of it will go there.”