LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -Glen Fullerton's not much of a gambler.

A couple bucks at the blackjack table here. A few dollars at the craps table there.

The 40-year-old software designer from Houston, Texas has always loved the Kentucky Derby but never spent a dime trying to pick a winner in the Run for the Roses.

When Fullerton won a $100,000 contest sponsored by Churchill Downs and CNBC to place one win bet on a Derby horse, the stakes changed considerably.

So did his life.

Fullerton took the large suitcase filled with cash to the betting window on Saturday, took a deep breath and let it ride on Super Saver.

A half hour later, Fullerton was in a decidedly higher tax bracket. He cashed in a win ticket worth more than $900,000 after jockey Calvin Borel stomped through the mud to victory.

Heady territory for a guy who was thrilled when he pocketed $100 of his own money while betting at the track on Friday.

``I hit a good exacta, I was happy,'' he said. ``It was a good day.''

And it led to a sleepless night. Fullerton woke up in his hotel room around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. The power was out. The wind was howling. His decision was looming.

``I tried everything I could to think of something else,'' he said. ``I couldn't get the race or the horse out of my mind. Even some of the simple functions like finishing a drink, I couldn't do it.''

He received plenty of advice on who to back in the Derby. Fullerton estimated he heard the name of all 20 horses at least once.

Yet not everyone was forthcoming with a pick. Too much pressure.

``Most people I asked were a little hesitant,'' he said. ``I wouldn't want that responsibility.''

Fullerton says he finally settled upon Super Saver based on Borel's success at Churchill Downs and the 3-year-old colt's steady improvement.

And no, he didn't think of making a run for it when he was handed the briefcase filled with a cool 100 grand.

``There were a couple of very large law enforcement officers standing right next to me,'' he said with a laugh.

Fullerton wasn't tempted to back one of the long shots even though it would have made him a millionaire a couple of times over.

``I'm a fairly conservative person and I was here to win,'' he said.

Did he ever. Fullerton has no immediate plans on what to do with the windfall. He'll be back at work on Monday morning.

``This is definitely life-changing, but you know, I don't have to spend it all this next week,'' he said.