Gaithersburg Racetrax Player Wins $60,000 on Long-Odds Horses

Watching the computer-animated horses is part of the fun

The Montgomery County resident always enjoys playing Racetrax, he said, because he likes watching the computer-animated horses race along the track. Winning $60,564.20 made it a lot more fun.

“I’m just happy and very excited,” said the player, 40, who claimed his prize Jan. 13 at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. While he also buys Mega Millions and Powerball tickets, he says, “The Racetrax game is my favorite.”

On a Nov. 23 stop at the Laurel Exxon gas station at 801 Washington Boulevard in Laurel, he played the four highest-odds horses — 9, 10, 11, and 12 — in a Superfecta Box configuration for 20 draws. The bet consisted of a 10-cent wager for each of the possible combinations of those four horses finishing in the top four spots. Although the bet amount was small, the odds were long so the payout is relatively large.

The strategy and variations that include low- or middle-odds horses is used by many Racetrax players. The Gaithersburg man has found success playing Racetrax in the past, scoring wins in the $2,000 range  and one as high as $7,000 but nothing this big.

With his prize, the player said he will celebrate a little, pay some bills and sock money into his savings account.

Also having reason to celebrate is Laurel Exxon, which picks up a bonus of $605.64 from the Lottery for selling a winning Racetrax ticket worth $10,000 or more. The bonus is equal to 1% of the prize.