Mine That Bird Among Biggest Payouts in History of Online Gambling
While Churchill Downs posted odds on Mine That Bird at 50-1, the folks at Sports Interaction listed the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner at a whopping 80-1 (+8000) which was later taken down to 35-1 by Saturday afternoon, obviously because there were a few bets being placed on this horse.
How much money Sports Interaction will have to shell out on Mine That Bird is not yet known but when payout odds are this high, typically the book will slash the odds quickly after only a few bets are placed at that number.
The amount of volume bet on the 2009 Kentucky Derby at Sports Interaction will certainly make up for any payouts associated with Mine That Bird. After all, nearly all the betting action was placed on the horses assigned single digits. Then again, for every one person who bet Mine That Bird at $100, it would take 80 people betting the same amount on another horse to make up for this loss.
Immediately following the race, Sports Interaction's website briefly crashed, as did the Gambling911.com website, which was the most visible covering 2009 Kentucky Derby payouts.
From The Associated Press:
Mine That Bird dug up a miracle for a stunning win in the Kentucky Derby with a dynamic run through the mud at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The 3-year-old gelding and jockey Calvin Borel found room along the rail deep in the straight then pulled away for a 6 3/4-length win to give the 50-1 long shot one of the biggest upsets in the 135-year history of the race.
"Calvin did a super job," winning trainer Chip Woolley said. "I just can't say enough about the way things went for us. Calvin picks a spot, every thing fell together. We were really lucky to get through there."
It was the largest margin of victory in the Derby since Assault won by eight lengths in 1946. Barbaro won in 2006 by 6 1/2 lengths.
The Derby win was the second in three years for Borel, who used a similar run to send Street Sense to the winner's circle in 2007.
Borel thrust his right arm in triumph as he crossed the wire, and trainer Chip Woolley hobbled to hoist the trophy. The trainer from New Mexico broke his right leg in a motorcycle accident over the winter and drove his colt 21 hours to Churchill Downs.
"They'll know who I am now," Woolley said from underneath his massive black cowboy hat.
Mine That Bird joins Giacomo, who won in 2005, as one of the most unlikely victors.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
