Kentucky Derby 2018 Winner: Texas Woman Collects $1.2 Million From $18 Bet On Horse Races

A Texas woman on Saturday secured a rare $1.2-million windfall with a meager $18 bet she placed on winners of five separate horse races during the Kentucky Derby.

The "Pick 5" wager landed the woman the huge prize while she watched the horses compete from a television at the Retama Park racetrack in Selma, Texas.

"It's extremely rare," Retama Park spokeswoman Rachel Bagnetto told KSAT, an ABC affiliate in San Antonio. "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 woman, who hails from Austin, Texas, correctly picked the favorite Justify to win the big race. Justify was the first colt who didn't race as a 2-year-old to win the Derby since 1882, in what was known as the "Curse of Apollo."

She also went with 9-1 longshot Yoshida, who edged out favorite Beach Patrol by a nose during the Old Forester Turf Classic. She also correctly chose a 6-year-old horse named Limousine Liberal that won the eight race at the Churchill Downs Stakes, as well as Maraud to win the American Turf Stakes in the ninth race, with Funny Duck to triumph during the Pat Day Mile race, according to ESPN.

The big betting victory is reminiscent of an unidentified English man who won $1.5 million after betting 75 cents on eight horses winning despite 2,000,000-1 odds.

In 2017, a Kentucky Derby gambler collected $75,000 off a $1 bet. In 2015, a bettor at Saratoga Race Course correctly picked all five winners to collect $471,124.50 off a 50 cent bet.