Triple Crown race plus Pacquiao fight equals money for Vegas (USA TODAY)

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By Bob Velin, USA TODAY

Updated 5h 51m ago

LAS VEGAS — This sounds like a dream scenario for the sportsbooks here: I'll Have Another going for the elusive Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday afternoon, then Manny Pacquiao fighting Tim Bradley that night.

CAPTION

By Kirby Lee, US Presswire

And that comes just a month after the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Miguel Cotto fight followed America's biggest horse race, the Kentucky Derby on Cinco de Mayo.

It's something you'd think the casinos would have planned out long ahead, right?

Not exactly. Maybe more lucky than anything.

"They don't necessarily look to load up on two or three events on the same day. It always seems to fall that way," says Jay Rood, vice president of Race and Sports for MGM Grand Resorts.

Rood admits these big sports weekends bring in a handle that is about "10 times larger" than a normal weekend.

"We've kind of lucked out with I'll Have Another going for the Triple Crown and it's going to start earlier," he says.

Rood says a big fight brings in much greater handle than a big horse race, even when a Triple Crown is on the line.

"The Derby's big, but it's not big money, like the fight is big money," Rood says. "You'll see seven figures pass through our counter easily on a big fight night. The horse racing handle's been in decline for a long time now."

See photos of: Manny Pacquiao