H o r s e m e n A s s o c i a t i o n, I n c.
H o r s e m e n A s s o c i a t i o n, I n c. To: The Honorable Senator Novel E. Francis, Jr. Chairman of the Committee on Budget Appropriations and Finance From: Elroy Bates, Jr. President, Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, Inc. RE: Bill Number 36–0119 Date: October 7, 2025 Good morning, Senator Francis, and other members of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, as well as the other senators of the 36th Legislature. I am Elroy Bates, Jr., President of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association. On behalf of the members of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to testify on bill number 36–0119, a bill reprogramming the $5 million that was appropriated in Act 8651 from the Community Facilities Trust Fund to the Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation. We, the members of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, strongly support this bill. It is not merely a matter of convenience but a necessity. It would allow work to start at the Randall “Doc” James racetrack in the near future. …
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H o r s e m e n A s s o c i a t i o n, I n c. To: The Honorable Senator Novel E. Francis, Jr. Chairman of the Committee on Budget Appropriations and Finance From: Elroy Bates, Jr. President, Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, Inc. RE: Bill Number 36–0119 Date: October 7, 2025 Good morning, Senator Francis, and other members of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, as well as the other senators of the 36th Legislature. I am Elroy Bates, Jr., President of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association. On behalf of the members of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to testify on bill number 36–0119, a bill reprogramming the $5 million that was appropriated in Act 8651 from the Community Facilities Trust Fund to the Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation. We, the members of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, strongly support this bill. It is not merely a matter of convenience but a necessity. It would allow work to start at the Randall “Doc” James racetrack in the near future. This bill would enable the completion of the racing surface and stable area, allowing horses to begin training. As many of you have probably heard, in July 2025, the Equine Risk Management Group conducted testing of the running surface. Additionally, a safety assessment was carried out in the stable area. Based on the testing and evaluation, some work needs to be redone on the racing surface and in the stable area. The $5 million is needed for DSPR to start work on the race track. An extension was added to the old running surface to create a mile track; however, the entire extension must be removed because of the incorrect material used as a base. Some large stones are protruding from the base, which could be harmful to the horses' well-being. As I mentioned earlier, once this work is finished, more horses can begin training and hopefully compete in races at the Clinton E. Phipps Racetrack. Currently, some owners are running horses in St. Thomas and training them on St. Croix, often in open fields, on roadsides, and some are even training on the highway, which is unsafe for drivers, riders, and the horses involved. We all understand that it could lead to a disaster someday, and no one wants to see that happen. But with your support, we can make a difference. We, the members of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, are desperately seeking your support to get horses, riders, and trainers in their rightful place at the racetrack. Senator Lewis, we sincerely appreciate your efforts in sponsoring this bill. We hope every Senator will support the effort to restore the Randall "Doc" James Racetrack. Thank you all.