History of a Grift: Can a $25M Deal Outrun the Ghosts of St. Croix’s Racetrack?
STERN ACCOUNTABILITY: Governor Albert Bryan Jr. outlines the stringent $12 million performance bond and private investment requirements of the new Southland Gaming agreement during a press conference on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Governor Bryan emphasized that the deal is designed to end a decade of legal "excuses" and finally restore horse racing to St. Croix. (Photo: Government House)
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Investigative Reporter
ST. CROIX — To understand why Governor Albert Bryan Jr. looked so solemn during today’s announcement, one has to look back at the "debris field" left behind by nearly a decade of failed promises at the Randall "Doc" James Racetrack.
For years, the story of St. Croix horse racing hasn't been about the speed of the horses, but the pace of the grift.
The VIGL Era: A Decade of Stalled Dirt
The previous agreement with VIGL Operations, LLC, became a masterclass in administrative paralysis. While St. Thomas saw its track eventually return to life, St. Croix residents watched as their historic grandstands were torn down, only to be replaced by weeds and litigation.
The VIGL era was defined by:
Complex Subsidies: A reliance on government tax breaks that never seemed to translate into a finished paddock.
Legal Deadlocks: Constant disputes between the government, the developers, and the horsemen’s associations that kept the project tied up in court rather than under construction.
The "Excuse" Cycle: A recurring narrative that "something is coming," while the local racing culture was forced to relocate or wither away.
Why the Southland Gaming Deal is Different
The new legislation transmitted to the 36th Legislature today aims to kill the grift through two primary mechanisms: Private Capital and Performance Bonds.
The $25M Stake: Unlike previous iterations, Southland Gaming (SGVI) is bringing $25 million in private investment to the table. The Government of the Virgin Islands is no longer the primary financier of a project it doesn't control.
The $12M "Teeth": The deal is backed by a $12 million performance bond. If SGVI doesn't hit their eight-month track resurfacing deadline, there are immediate financial consequences—something glaringly absent from previous contracts.
Ownership Transfer: In a strategic shift, once the $25 million in improvements are completed and turned over, they belong to the People of the Virgin Islands, not the private developer.
The Final Hurdle
Governor Bryan was blunt: "I do not have another deal before me". He is essentially calling the bluff of the "grifters" and the skeptics alike. If the 36th Legislature doesn't move on this by the end of May, the Doc James track risks remaining a monument to incompetence for another decade.
