Wes Welker hit it big at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, and the Denver Broncos wide receiver was ecstatic about it. Welker made his exit from the race carrying stacks of hundreds and was spotted handing money out to random strangers. Now, Churchill Downs is claiming they accidentally overpaid him by $14,000.
TMZ reported on Friday that Welker sent a friend to collect his $57,193.90 at the track a few days after he placed the winning bets himself. Due to a computer malfunction that was caused by human error, Welker’s friend was supposedly given $14,000 he wasn’t entitled to. Churchill Downs is asking for the money back.
“An individual believed to be a member of Wes Welker’s group on Kentucky Derby day was the beneficiary of an overpayment north of $14,000 on a wager due to a tote malfunction,” Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said in a statement. “In turn, a letter has been sent to that individual in an attempt to resolve the error.”
Welker, who won most of his money on 37-1 long shot Commanding Curve, told “The Dan Patrick Show” on Friday that he’s not giving the money back and that he never calculated what he was supposed to take home.
"Yeah, get in line." Wes Welker on Churchill Downs wanting 15k back. "They could have underpaid us and we wouldn't have known." @dpshow
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) May 16, 2014
According to TMZ, Welker is likely going to have to pay the money back. He can obviously afford it, but you would think Churchill Downs should be responsible for their own mistake. What if someone who had no money in the bank was accidentally given $15,000 and spent it? Winner beware, I suppose.
