Graham Stone, a 40-year-old jeweler from Rapid City, South Dakota, doesn't have a lot of diversions in his town.
He can't go to the racetrack. He can't even buy a Daily Racing Form. But that doesn't prevent him from being a big thoroughbred racing fan.
"I never miss a telecast," he said. "I catch up as much as I can with what's going on."
That paid off big-time with a US$2.6 million winning bet.
Armed with some long-distance knowledge, Stone and his partner, Will Dixon, invested US$80 last Saturday. There were some Pick 3 wagers and one more significant Pick 6, in which Stone chose the winners of six races.
"We bet US$72 on the Pick 3," he said. "I wasn't close on the first two. I was coloring with my 5-year-old on my lap. I just wanted to hit a couple of Pick 3s to make it worth my while. At least we'd win something."
Then things began to drop neatly into place.
"I thought until one hour before that I would use Falbrav in the turf," Stone said. "I don't know what I changed to High Chaparral. I almost had a stroke waiting for the photo outcome."
When the Breeders' Cup card at Santa Anita was completed, the US$8 Pick 6 ticket was worth US$2,687,611.60.
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