Late Grandfather's Memory Sparked Prince George's Army Veteran To Play Lotto, Win $31K

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A Racetrax Trifecta wager placed in memory of one man's late grandfather resulted in a $31,454 prize for the Prince George’s County man whose three horses crossed the finish line together for the big win.

The lucky 64-year-old says that he has not played lottery games in almost three years before the winning race. He went into the Express Mart in Bowie to buy coffee and saw the Racetrax game. He instantly thought of his late grandfather, who worked at the Pimlico Race Course. He decided to place a bet in honor of his memory.

The U.S. Army veteran placed an $8 trifecta bet for eight races on horses 12, 11 and 10 and struck gold on his seventh race.

As of now, other than handing the check over to his wife, he said, he has no definite plans for his winnings. Married for 33 years, the couple may put some of the prize into celebrating their upcoming anniversary.

The Prince George’s County business that sold him the winning ticket will also receive a bonus of $314.54 from the lottery for selling a winning ticket worth $10,000 or more. Express Mart is located at 15709 Hall Road in Bowie.