“Always Dreaming…the American dream” was the quote of the evening at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino when Kim Toben, from St. Marys, Ohio, placed a $10,000 bet on the Kentucky Derby and pulled off a $57,000 win on Saturday, May 6.
At odds of 9-2, Toben placed her dream on Always Dreaming who proved to be the best on a soggy Saturday.
As a part of Hoosier Park’s annual Kentucky Derby celebration, guests were invited to enter in a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity to place a $10,000 Kentucky Derby win bet on the horse of their choice. The only rule was that the winning guest would have to wager the entire $10,000 on one horse to win the Kentucky Derby.
Toben arrived at Hoosier Park just moments before the $10,000 Mega Bet drawing was about to take place. After hearing her name called, she and husband Tony would soon learn the excitement of placing a bet of that size on the Kentucky Derby.
Kim was randomly selected and had never placed a bet on a horse race. She relied on husband Tony to make the decision. The Tobens immediately selected horse number five, Always Dreaming, to win. Thousands of guests visited Hoosier Park to watch and wager on the Kentucky Derby, but it was the Tobens that walked out with the big $57,000 win.
Prior to the big race, the Tobens were taken to the Terrace Showroom suite area to enjoy the atmosphere of the Kentucky Derby celebration at Hoosier Park. The crowd in The Terrace Showroom and grandstands surrounded the Tobens and cheered them on as the race went off.
Always Dreaming, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by jockey John Velazquez, left the gate from the fifth post position, took the lead at the three-quarters pole and went on to win the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby.
After Always Dreaming sailed across the finish line, the crowd went wild and congratulated the Tobens with high fives and pats on the back.
When asked what she might do with the $57,000 win, Kim – with much emotion - said that her hope was that her husband could retire.
In addition to the Mega Bet drawing, the Kentucky Derby weekend at Hoosier Park included property-wide dining specials, expanded beverage options, and official Kentucky Derby merchandise sales. Guests 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 the Tobens.
Hoosier Park Racing & Casino offers a full simulcast race schedule daily, and live harness racing starting at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday now through Nov. 17. The season is highlighted by the 34th edition of the Breeders Crown, harness racing’s championship event valued at $6 million, on Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28.
(Hoosier Park)