The question is; what is Orb? While it may be a play on the sire’s name, Malibu Moon, or the circumference of the moon, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino it is the name of the Kentucky Derby winning horse that Stuart Silvers placed a $10,000 win bet upon and won over $60,000 on Saturday, May 4.
At odds of 5-1, Silvers’ answer to the age-old $64,000 question was Orb. The three-year-old gelding used a late surge down the homestretch to coast home a winner in the 139th running of horse racing’s signature event.
After reading an edition of his local newspaper that named Orb as the early favourite, Silvers decided that was the horse for him. Silvers, 82, is a retired Butler University professor who walked through the doors of Hoosier Park on Saturday, May 4 and walked out $64,000 richer after he won the signature Derby Day promotion at Hoosier Park.
Hoosier Park provided invited guests a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to place a $10,000 Kentucky Derby win bet on the horse of their choice. The winner had to wager the entire $10,000 sum on the horse they believed would win first place honours. Silvers was randomly selected and without hesitation, chose Orb as his horse. Thousands walked in to Hoosier Park to watch and wager on the Kentucky Derby, but it was Silvers that walked out with the thousands, 64 to be exact.
The $10,000 mega-bet promotion culminated two of the biggest days in the sport of horse racing as Hoosier Park also welcomed guests with extended hours, wagering promotions, and property wide dining specials. Silvers, a frequent visitor of Hoosier Park, occasionally tries his luck wagering on horse racing, but never misses an opportunity to bet the Kentucky Derby.
“I’ve been betting on the Derby for awhile now,” Silvers noted. “But I’ve never won, at least not compared to what I won today. I came here today wishing for the best and I just got lucky. I didn’t expect this year to be any different than years past, but it hasn’t hit me that I won just yet.”
Derby weekend included property-wide dining specials, expanded beverage options, and official Kentucky Derby merchandise sales at Hoosier Park. Patrons that sported a Kentucky Derby hat also had the opportunity to receive a free Kentucky Derby win wager. While many other promotions were taking place throughout the facility none culminated the adrenaline of a horse race quite like the one experienced by Silvers.
Live racing resumes at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Tuesday, May 7 with a 5:30 p.m. post time. The 160-day all harness racing meet will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and run through November 9.
(Hoosier Park / Photo courtesy Linscott Photography)