by Pete Denk Monday, May 11, 2009

Mine That Bird’s improbable victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at 50.60-to-1 odds provided a major payday for some bettors in the Birdstone gelding’s adopted home state of New Mexico.

Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. is based in New Mexico, and Mine That Bird raced twice at Sunland Park in New Mexico this year.

Sunland Park and Ruidoso Downs reported paying out considerably more money than they took in on Derby day thanks to wagers placed on Mine That Bird.

“We paid out over $180,000 more than we put into the pools, so that gives you an idea that the locals did have some money on the winner,” said Heath Battles, director of marketing for Sunland.

Battles said Sunland paid out 102 winning $2 exactas on the Derby, which paid $2,074.80 each. Sunland also had three bettors hit the $2 trifecta for $41,500.60 each, Battles said.

At Ruidoso Downs, Director of Mutuels Deano McTeigue, said a local couple from Roswell, New Mexico, bet $700 to win and $100 to place and show on Mine That Bird.

“They were a couple of young kids and they had worked for [Mine That Bird’s co-owner] Mark Allen. They thought [Mine That Bird] had a shot,” McTeigue said. “I paid them out about $40,000.”

McTeigue said Churchill Downs, the host track for the Derby signal, owed Ruidoso $145,000 on the day.

“We have a little casino here, so we had plenty of money here, and some people took checks,” McTeigue said. “We paid out most of them, but there were still outstanding tickets of about $60,000 at the end of the day.

“When a horse pays $100 to win, it encourages people to come out. The local media has really jumped on the bandwagon now, and I think there’s a lot of advertisement right now for Saturday’s race. I know I’m interested to see how [Mine That Bird] will run.”

BACK - Pete Denk is sales editor for Thoroughbred Times