Dec. 9, 2005—The Clinton Phipps Racetrack on St. Thomas is ready to hold annual holiday horse races on Sunday.
According to a press release sent from the Office of the Governor, opening events will begin at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, with the first race starting at 2 p.m.
In late November, St. Thomas Administrator James O’Bryan said a task group of government officials from Public Works, Housing Parks and Recreation, and the Office of the Governor launched a full-scale capital improvement initiative at Clinton Phipps to clean out overgrown bush and other debris. The efforts stemmed from a recent Senate meeting to discuss the status of the track, O’Bryan said last month.
At the Senate meeting, stakeholders in the horseracing industry said Clinton Phipps is currently in "deplorable condition," and is losing money because of problems with the present promoter (see: "Senators Question Conditions at Clinton Phipps Race Track").
Furthermore, the government, acting through Housing, Parks, and Recreation, will be taking on the duties of promoting the track for the next six months, O’Bryan said in November. He mentioned that at the Senate meeting, stakeholders said present promoter Lester Ashby of New Image Racing has not been fulfilling the conditions of his contract to operate and manage Clinton Phipps (see: "Government to Get St. Thomas Horseracing Back on Track".)
"By assuming the role of promoter, Housing, Parks, and Recreation has some more time to renovate the property," O’Bryan said after the November meeting. He added that during this time, the government will also be able to obtain the necessary insurance for the racetrack.
In the release sent Thursday, O’Bryan said he and other government officials inspected the track on Thursday afternoon and found that repairs have "essentially been completed."
He also said that representatives from the Horse Owners Association of St. Thomas and St. John expressed their satisfaction with work done at Clinton Phipps, and that a large "cadre of horses" have been brought over from St. Croix for Sunday’s events.
O’Bryan said he is impressed with the work accomplished by the crews to improve the overall appearance of the track.
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