Racing Commission Investigating After Three Horse Deaths at Phipps Track

The St. Thomas/St. John Horse Racing Commission is investigating conditions at the Clinton E. Phipps Racetrack on St. Thomas and has halted all racing after three horses had to be euthanized when they suffered injuries during the races held Dec. 22.

The Sports, Parks and Recreation Department issued a press release on Wednesday afternoon acknowledging the incidents and shared a letter from the commission detailing its efforts to investigate what went wrong. “The Commission has reviewed the injuries that occurred on the race day, consulting with veterinarians, jockeys, trainers, and track personnel,” the letter states. “Several factors have been identified that may have contributed to the events, including pre-existing injuries, the age and overall health of the horses, the ease and availability of medication used by owners, and the condition of the racing surface.”

The track had been closed since the 2017 hurricanes, when it sustained heavy damage, and reopened to great fanfare last May for the traditional St. Thomas Carnival races after Southland Gaming of the Virgin Islands completed most of the rebuild. However, the actual track the horses race on is the responsibility of the Sports, Parks and Recreation Department and it has not been refurbished, said Hugo Hodge Jr., chairman of the St. Thomas/St. John Horse Racing Commission, in a call with the Source Wednesday evening.