Retired seamstress claims big win on quick-pick wager
A 74-year-old Baltimore woman told Maryland Lottery officials that she spends several mornings each week at the track — a simulated one with computer-animated horses. A fan of the Lottery’s Racetrax game, the retiree parlayed a $1 quick-pick Trifecta wager into a $13,346 prize.
“I have the time in the mornings to sit down and watch the races, so that’s when I do it,” said the longtime player. “Afternoons and evenings get busy with family stuff, so it’s Racetrax in the mornings.”
A few hours before arriving at Lottery headquarters with her winning ticket, the lucky lady stopped to play Racetrax at 7 Star Convenience Store in Baltimore. She had no expectations of a win, big or small, but wanted to relax and try her luck. She let the terminal pick the horses to win the Trifecta wager. As a result, horses 12, 7 and 10 had to cross the finish line in that order to give her a prize.
“I saw the race and the results and didn’t think much of it, not realizing what the quick-pick had given me,” she said. “A little bit later, I looked at the ticket and the numbers looked familiar.” Scanning her ticket to check for a win provided quite a shock. “It told me I’d won more than $13,000. I said, ‘Oh, Lord. Thank you, God.’ ”
The former seamstress plans to share her winnings with her children. She also plans to stick to her weekday morning Racetrax schedule. “I won’t expect anything like this again. I’ll go for the relaxation, excitement and conversation with the other players,” said the happy winner.
The lucky Lottery retailer also wins. For selling a winning Racetrax ticket of $10,000 or more, 7-Star Convenience Store at 3201 W. North Avenue in Baltimore earns a $133.46 bonus from the Lottery. The bonus is equal to 1 percent of the prize.