Patrick Smith/Getty Images
If only I had access to a time machine, I could have threw the $19.29 left in my checking account on choosing the correct superfecta for yesterday’s Kentucky Derby and be set of the next decade.
The one dollar payout for picking the first four finishing horses in this year’s Derby was a cool $75,974.50. Throwing two bucks down on the exacta (top 2 horses) would have netted you $336.20, while putting a buck down on the trifecta (top 3 horses) would have fattened your wallet by $8,297.20.
That Superfecta Payout 👀💰#KentuckyDerby pic.twitter.com/CaaCko5Pbg
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 6, 2017
Well, one lucky dude put $1 to take a stab at the superfacta and was spot on by choosing Always Dreaming, Lookin At Lee, Battle of Midway and Classic Empire. Always Dreaming was the odds on favorite, but Looking At Lee and Battle of Midway were expected to finish toward the last half of the 20-horse field. This dude was playing chess while every one else was playing checkers.
This guy hit a $75,000 superfecta at the #KyDerby @WHAS11 pic.twitter.com/Kcj3mbM8xX
— Holden Kurwicki (@Holden_Kurwicki) May 6, 2017
Not to rain on this guy’s parade, but according to the The Marion Star, the payouts in years past dwarf this year’s winnings.
Even taking out the payout-skewing 2005 race that saw an $9,800 exacta, $133,000 trifecta and $864,000 superfecta when 50-1 Giacomo blew up tickets with a 72-1 shot finishing second, there is serious bank to be won at the Derby.
Trifectas with four-figure payouts were the norm for seven of the last 10 races. The 2009 superfecta paid $557,000. The next year it was $202,000. From 2007 to 2014, the lightest super was $15,383.
In any event, $75,000 could pay off all my loans and for that mini pony I’ve been dreaming of.
[h/t For The Win]