By Jason Hall
Houston furniture store owner
Jim 'Mattress Mack' McIngvale said he plans on making the largest wager in Kentucky Derby history during the annual race at Churchill Downs this weekend.
McIngvale, 70, told
the
Las Vegas Review-Journal that he plans to bet "2 million plus, maybe $3 million, maybe $4 million" on
Essential Quality, the 5-2 favorite to win on Saturday (May 1.)
McIngvale has been known to place multimillion-dollar bets in recent years in an effort to hedge potential losses on furniture promotions, with Saturday's bet offering customers a chance to get their money back on a mattress purchased at $3,000 or more if the favorite wins the Kentucky Derby.