Maryland man attributes lottery luck to Taylor Swift

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- A Maryland Lottery player who won his second large jackpot said his luck is tied to an unusual source: pop singer Taylor Swift.

John Cabral, 58, of King George, Va., told Maryland Lottery officials his first brush with lottery luck came in 2015, when a Pick 3 ticket he bought from Tim's II at Fairview Restaurant & Crabhouse earned him a top prize.

Cabral said the win came on the same day he helped out with a Taylor Swift show on the Potomac as part of AquaPalooza.

"She was the sweetest girl and we boated her out to the stage," he said. "That was the night I won a pretty sizable Pick 3 prize."

Cabral said his second big prize came from a Racetrax wager he placed at Tim's II in November. The Trifecta Box wager with the optional bonus feature ended up winning him $33,054.

He said his second win also seemed connected to Taylor Swift in a way -- the singer won six awards at the American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Artist of the Decade, just two days after his lottery win.

"Maybe she'll write a song about me," Cabral said.

The winner said he plans to use his winnings to make an extra special Christmas for his family.