GARDNERVILLE, Nev. (AP) — Steve Coburn received a hero’s welcome back at Sharkey’s Casino in Gardnerville this week where he placed a 200-1 bet in January on the unlikely proposition that his horse few people had even heard of would win the Kentucky Derby.

With California Chrome a victory away from the Triple Crown, Coburn says he’s trying to savor every minute of the wild ride from rural northern Nevada to horse racing’s greatest stage.

Coburn told the Reno Gazette-Journal there must be a reason that the horse that was bred for $10,500 has made it so far and he’s not going to question it. He told dozens of well-wishers at Sharkey’s on Wednesday there’s no doubt in his mind California Chrome will win the Belmont States on June 7.

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