A chance conversation at a Baltimore County convenience store turned a first-time Racetrax bet into an unexpected payday.

HALETHORPE, MD – A Texas nurse visiting family and friends in Maryland took a stranger’s advice, tried a lottery game she had never played before and walked away with a $37,951 prize. But the biggest surprise came weeks later, when she discovered the winning ticket had been sitting in her purse after she returned home to Texas.

The traveling nurse purchased her first Racetrax ticket at Quick Mart, located at 4225 Annapolis Road in Halethorpe, during a September visit to the Baltimore area. A stranger at the store encouraged her to try the game, selected numbers for her and even helped complete the betting slip.

The woman claimed her winnings October 15 at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. Her $70 wager on a Superfecta Wheel covered 20 virtual horse races, with the winning combination appearing in the sixth race.

Stranger’s Advice Turns Into $37,951 Lottery Win

According to the Maryland Lottery, the woman had never played Racetrax before entering the Halethorpe convenience store.

A man she encountered encouraged her to give it a try, telling her he had a good feeling about the numbers he suggested.

“He told me he had a good feeling and that I should play,” the nurse recalled during her visit to Lottery headquarters.

“He gave me the numbers to play, helped me fill out the form and everything.”

Following his advice, she placed a 50-cent Superfecta Wheel wager covering 20 races, bringing the total ticket cost to $70.

The wager used several selected horses in specific finishing positions while allowing multiple combinations for the remaining position.

In the sixth race, horses numbered 10, 7, 9 and 5 finished in the combination needed to produce her winning ticket.

The result was a $37,951 prize, although the nurse had no idea she had won when she left the store.

Winning Ticket Sits Forgotten in Purse After Trip Home

The nurse returned to Texas without checking the outcome of her Racetrax wager.

She was speaking with a friend from Baltimore when the conversation turned to the lottery ticket she had purchased during her visit.

Her friend asked whether she had ever checked the results.

“I forgot about it, so I grabbed it out my purse and checked the numbers on the Lottery’s website,” she explained.

“I figured out that my numbers matched, but I was still a bit confused.”

Racetrax offers numerous wagering options, including Superfecta Wheel bets that allow players to cover several possible finishing combinations.

The complexity of the bet left the first-time player uncertain about exactly how much she had won.

She contacted a family member, who examined the results and confirmed that the ticket was worth $37,951.

“He told me I needed to come back to Baltimore to claim it,” the nurse recalled.

“So, here I am.”

Her unexpected discovery required another trip to Maryland, this time to collect a prize she had nearly forgotten about.

Texas Nurse Plans to Start Business With Lottery Winnings

The mother of two told Maryland Lottery officials that she plans to use her $37,951 prize to start a mobile transport company.

The money provides an unexpected opportunity to pursue a business venture after a trip that was originally intended for visiting family and friends.

Quick Mart at 4225 Annapolis Road in Halethorpe will also benefit from the winning ticket. The Baltimore County retailer receives a $379.51 bonus for selling the prize-winning Racetrax ticket.

The Maryland Lottery’s October 20 announcement confirmed the prize and the unusual circumstances that led to it.

For the Texas nurse, the entire experience began with a stranger offering a set of horse numbers and helping her place a bet.