(a) The Virgin Islands Horse Racing Commission, after notice to and with appropriate opportunity for comment from thoroughbred industry representatives and the public, shall establish uniform regulations imposing sanctions against covered persons or covered horses for anti-doping rule violations. The sanctioning regulations must consider the unique aspects of thoroughbred horseracing, and must be designed to ensure fair and transparent thoroughbred horse races and deter the commission of anti-doping rule violations. The regulations that govern treatment of Thoroughbreds must apply to the treatment of non-Thoroughbreds that are a part of the race card. The regulations must impose sanctions up to and including a lifetime ban from horseracing and must include opportunities for anti-doping rule violators to reduce the otherwise applicable sanctions generally comparable to those opportunities afforded by the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s Protocol for Olympic Movement Testing.
(b) In addition to other sanctions established by the Commission, any person who violates any provision of this subchapter or any rule or regulation promulgated under this subchapter is subject to:
(1)
(A) disqualification of the horse from the race and from any share of the purse in the race, and such share must be redistributed among the remaining horses in the race entitled to the share.
(B) Nothing contained in this paragraph may in any way affect the pari-mutuel distribution, which must be deemed final and upon the declaring of the race “official” by the judges at the conclusion of the race.
(2) for the first violation, a fine not less than $300 nor more than $600 and suspension of license up to fifteen days;
(3) for the second violation, a fine of not less than $600 nor more than $1500 and suspension of license up to 60 days; and
(4) for the third violation, a fine of not less than $1500 nor more than $5000 and suspension of license up to 180 days or revocation of license.