The Nevada Gaming Control Board has fined a horse trainer $100,000 and banned him from racing for 15 years after four of his winning horses tested positive for methamphetamine at the Elko County Fairgrounds last summer.
This latest case against Ricardo Castillo comes after Nevada Gaming Commission in April revoked the license of trainer Alvaro Torres and prevented him from seeking another license for five years after his horse tested positive for cocaine last summer when winning a race at the Elko County Fairgrounds. He was fined $5,000.
The latest case came before the Board Wednesday, only because Castillo appealed a ruling by the Board of Stewards that he be barred from reapplying for his license for four years and fined $4,000, the maximum punishment allowed. Castillo was provided a Zoom link to the meeting and was connected at one point earlier in the day, but didn’t conference in by the time of the hearing.
State Horse Racing Steward Doug Ray said he’s been in racing more for more than 35 years and has never seen such violations that occurred last summer with cocaine and methamphetamine found in horses. Ray urged the Board to do more than the punishment stewards could hand out.
“I was quite frankly shocked when I saw the results. There’s no place in horse racing for those types of illegal (drugs). It blows my mind,” Ray said.
During Castillo’s hearing in April, Ray asked him for and explanation as to how the drugs got into the systems of the four horses, but he had none, only saying he’s never been fined during his career.
“This happened over different race days with different horses and to me, that rules out any accidental cross contamination,” Ray said. “It’s pretty damning.”
The four horses involved, Bnb Hasta La Luna, Famous Prizes, Dr. B, and Bnb Lightning McQueen, were combined in $17,700 in purses and were disqualified from the winnings. In one case, the purse was paid to the owner of one horse and race officials have been unsuccessful in getting that returned.
Board members expressed their disdain over the violations that put horses and jockeys at risk during the four separate races. None of the horses were injured.
Board members also raised the question that since purses are small by horse racing standards, was it a scheme to cash at the betting windows? State officials said they weren’t aware of any irregular betting patterns, but were urged by Board Chair Kirk Hendrick to monitor racing at Elko County Fairgrounds and in Ely in August.
Hendrick said Castillo is culpable, because the half-life of methamphetamine in a horse’s system is short and had to be given at the track.
“This is a very dangerous activity,” Hendrick said. “It endangered the animals, riders, and other horses. It endangered those who want to wager on the races and believe Nevada is providing a fair and open competition out in Elko.”
Board member George Assad initially called for a $400,000 fine, $100,000 for each violation, but was talked out of that high an amount by Hendrick, who said he wanted it to be something they could collect, since the trainer resides outside of Nevada.
“This is animal cruelty and potentially extremely hazardous to the jockey,” Assad said. “You shoot them up with a stimulant like amphetamines and they can easily have a heart attack on the track and send the jockey flying and break his neck. The horse can break a leg in the middle of the track running faster than the body and mind will let him. We need to send a strong message to the country and gaming industry that we won’t tolerate cheating. Someone was trying to drug the horse to gain the advantage at the betting window or the purse.”
Nevada officials said other states typically recognize penalties handed down by other racing jurisdictions.
Board member Chandeni Sendall expressed concerns that the penalties are much higher than national minimum standards recommended. She worried about being excessive, especially since they essentially curtailed or ended Castillo’s career, but voted with her colleagues in the end.
Hendrick said Sendall made valid points but that he believes the punishment is “fair” and that Castillo has a chance to make a comeback to racing at some point.
“Thank God nobody got hurt or killed,” Assad said as the hearing came to an end. “This could have turned out differently, second-degree murder or manslaughter, if a jockey fell off the horse and broke his neck. We should have zero tolerance for this type of activity.”
