Regulators who oversee New Mexico’s horse racing industry said Tuesday they are grappling with a significant enforcement backlog after adopting tougher sanctions and boosting testing for illicit drugs.

Racing Commission Director Vince Mares told members of the Legislative Finance Committee it could take until mid-2016 to clear its backlog of cases against owners and trainers accused of violating state racing and doping rules.

The bottleneck comes when cases are challenged in court, a process that can take a year, Mares said. Defendants often are granted the right to keep racing while the findings are appealed and he said that has created the perception that the state isn’t doing anything to crack down on cheaters.

“The perception that nothing is being done is a valid perception, but it’s beyond the commission’s control,” he said.

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