Governor Bryan Sets Deadline to Break Impasse on Horse Racing Deal

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. is pushing to break the stalemate over the proposed horse racing agreement, calling all major players to Government House on St. Croix for a June 12 stakeholder meeting. The governor has asked senators, horsemen association presidents and Southland Gaming representatives to submit written concerns, objections and proposed amendments by June 5 — a structured approach that signals the administration is serious about moving the needle, but on a timeline.

The proposed agreement at the center of the dispute would rebuild the Randall ‘Doc’ James Racetrack on St. Croix, establish a single promoter for the industry and create a long-term framework backed by private investment.

It’s a deal the Bryan administration believes is the clearest path to restoring racing, but one that has drawn enough pushback from lawmakers, horsemen and the public to require a reset. The governor was direct about the stakes. ‘The territory cannot afford indefinite delay, and we cannot ignore legitimate concerns,’ Bryan said. ‘Horse racing is part of who we are, but it will not return on memories alone.’ The June 12 meeting is meant to tackle the hard specifics — economic impact, protections for horsemen, tax treatment, gaming provisions and regulatory oversight — with the goal of determining whether the agreement can be amended in a way that gets racing back on track without gutting the deal’s core purpose.