Last fall we created a concept for Hawthorne Race Course called the Breeders’ Cup $5000 SuperBet Sweepstakes, and this year we re-launched it for the best known horse race in the world: The Kentucky Derby.

Here’s how it worked: register for free on Facebook, and earn unlimited additional entries every time you use your Club Hawthorne player’s rewards card.  Five contestants each won a free $1000 bet on the Derby, and one lucky winner had the chance to play a life-changing $5000 bet on the big race.

For casual race fans: a $5,000 win bet on this year’s Derby winner, Animal Kingdom (20:1) would have paid $100,000!  But to up-the-ante we let the winners bet exactas (picking top 2 horses) and trifectas (picking the top 3 finishers).  A straight $5000 tri ticket on the 2011 Derby would have paid almost $10,000,000!!!

The $5000 SuperBet party was at the Club Hawthorne OTB at The Foundry in Aurora.  Awesome, awesome place.

CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS HERE.

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