MIDDLE RIVER, MD—A Middle River woman has come forward to claim her Racetrax prize.

On March 11, Valerie Megginson, 62, won $35,087 playing the Maryland Lottery horse racing game.

A regular when it comes to playing Pick 4 and Racetrax, Valerie sometimes waits to watch the animated horses round the track after buying her tickets. She also sometimes leaves the retailer and checks her tickets later.

The Baltimore County resident said her Racetrax win came at Pulaski Auto Service in Middle River. She decided to spend $3 on her lucky numbers of 5, 6, 8 and 9.  She then put the ticket away and went about her day.

Later, she found herself at another store that sells Maryland Lottery games. She sometimes buys Pick 4 tickets there using the numbers 1, 1, 1 and 1. Valerie glanced at the Racetrax results on the screen. Initially, she thought her numbers came up but on a different race. When she checked her ticket, however, she realized she had won.

“I said, ‘Oh my gosh!’ ” she recalled. Valerie went home and shared the great news with her husband. The money, she said, will go into a retirement account to provide for her future.

An employee of the Maryland court system, Valerie is the primary caregiver for her mom and performed that role, as well, for her late father. Her husband says playing Racetrax is a nice diversion for his wife and helps keep a smile on her face. That smile was extra wide on March 17 when she claimed her windfall.

Meanwhile, she plans to pick a new combination of lucky numbers for Racetrax and continue playing her 1, 1, 1, 1 combo for Pick 4. Part of the reason she plays that combination is its connection to her dad’s passing, Valerie said. She also regards her Racetrax prize as “a blessing from dad,” adding, “he sent this to me!”

Sharing in Valerie’s good luck is Pulaski Auto Service located at 9525 Pulaski Highway in Middle River. The Baltimore County retailer picks up a bonus of $350.87, equal to 1% percent of the prize, for selling a winning Racetrax ticket worth $10,000 or more.