Some of the biggest sports bettors on the planet show up in force for the Kentucky Derby each year. Among the crowd in 2023 was renowned Houston native, Mattress Mack, who deployed some serious cash for the horserace on Saturday.
Mack, whose real name is Jim McIngvale, reportedly had as much as $1.2 million on the line for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, backing the horse called Angel of Empire to be the first to cross the finish line.
That’s a wager Mack will certainly be regretting, as one of the group’s underdogs, Mage, ended up taking home the top prize. The 72-year-old wore his emotions on his sleeve as he watched his money disappear in the blink of an eye, failing to hide his disappointment over the result of the race.
Mattress Mack loses his $1.2 million bet on Angel of Empire 💔
— br_betting (@br_betting) May 6, 2023
(w/ @gallerysports @greggg_ivory) pic.twitter.com/xPrja6lyw5
While the individual next to him was eagerly cheering on “14,” Mack was stone cold and silent throughout the race, before leaning back with a look of defeat on his face after Mage took first place.
Mack is no stranger to placing exorbitant wagers on sporting events. The bettor reportedly had as much as $4 million on the Houston Cougars in the NCAA Tournament, and is also the owner of what is believed to be the largest sports betting payout in history, collecting a reported $75 million from the Astros’ World Series win last season.
His day at Churchill Downs wasn’t so profitable, losing the $1.2 million after Angel of Empire placed third.
