Following the second leg of the VI Triple Crown at the Randall “Doc” James racetrack in St. Croix, USVI on February 19, 2012, Slevin’s owner James Bates told Virgin Islands News Online that he was not entering Slevin in the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. “He’s a horse, not a machine. He was to rest before the Triple Crown,” Bates had explained when asked the reason behind his decision.

Many horse racing fans, which have since grown in numbers with the birth of the historic VI Triple Crown, had expressed their disappointment with the decision since Slevin was one of the big attractions in the feature race despite losing to controversial entry Bud White. Slevin had won the first leg in Tortola handsomely.

Many had felt that Bates’ decision was due to Bud White being allowed to run despite him not competing in the first leg and thus having no points. Bates had even lodged a protest with the St. Croix Horse Racing Commission after the race. A hearing is scheduled for today Wednesday March 7, 2012.

Nevertheless, the buzz has already restarted with the news of Slevin’s inclusion in the 3rd leg and horse racing pundits in particular are excited about the race with many believing that Slevin or East End Tap could be in for the big money although the official race card is not yet out.

Race Secretary of the St. Thomas Horse Racing Association, Kareem Thompson, confirmed Slevin’s entry to this news site. He said the horses that entry fees are already paid for are East End Tap and Good Prospecting of Tortola, Slevin and Political Reporter of St. Croix and Bud White, Diablo’s Fire and Voice of Faith of St. Thomas.

Mr. Bates could not be reached for a comment.

President of the St. Thomas Horse Racing Association, Winston Benjamin, had previously said he had been interacting with Mr. Bates on an almost daily basis to convince him to enter Slevin in the final leg of the Triple Crown and had added he wished Mr. Bates would reconsider but, “At the end of the day he is exercising his right to not compete and we have to respect that but the Triple Crown will go on”.

According to Benjamin, the issue was more about the misinterpretation of the rules rather than an error by the Triple Crown committee.

But Mr. Bates was not the only one that was against the inclusion of Bud White in the second leg as the VI Horse Owners’ Association as well as L&B Stables were also against it.

President of the VI Horse Owners’ Association Mr. Lesmore Smith had said it was not a case that there were any fears about the horse entering that the Association objected but that at this stage ( 2nd leg) no new horse should have been allowed to enter. He said it was something that was discussed previously among the Associations but was not put in the guidelines for the Triple Crown.

Meanwhile, Mr. Benjamin had stated there were six horses pencilled in to run in St. Croix but there was space for two other horses in the feature race and the other horses with points either declined to participate or could not run for whatever reason hence Bud White, which Virgin Islands News Online understands was brought in specifically to challenge Slevin, was allowed.