Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Horse Racing Discipline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trainer Ricardo Castillo barred 15 years and fined $100,000 after methamphetamine found in four horses
Summary
After four horses under trainer Ricardo Castillo tested positive for methamphetamine (two also for tramadol), the Nevada Gaming Commission sustained the Gaming Control Board’s discipline: license revocation as a trainer, a $100,000 fine and a 15‑year ban from racing under Nevada jurisdiction.
The Nevada Gaming Commission on Nov. 20 sustained the Gaming Control Board and Board of Stewards’ discipline against trainer Ricardo Castillo, revoking his Nevada horse‑racing license, imposing a $100,000 fine and barring him from participating on any track under Nevada’s jurisdiction for 15 years.
The discipline stems from drug‑testing results collected after four wins at the Elko County Fairgrounds in August and September 2024. Laboratory results in the enforcement record showed methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in the post‑race samples from all four horses; two horses also tested positive for O‑desmethyl tramadol. The Board of Stewards disqualified the horses and recommended fines and suspension; the Gaming Control Board, after reviewing the record, elevated discipline to revocation, the 15‑year bar, and a $100,000 fine.
Castillo and his attorney acknowledged the seriousness of the findings. Castillo told the commission, “I take full responsibility ... It is my responsibility to ensure my horses are cared for and healthy,” and said he asked the commission for mercy. Counsel for the Gaming Control Board emphasized that the case is historically severe in Nevada racing: four horses doped on multiple dates and drug classes normally associated with significant risk to animals and riders.
The commission’s legal counsel referenced precedent in a prior matter (Torres), and the board relied on guidance in the ARCI penalty framework and on what it described as aggravating facts: multiple horses, multiple prohibited substances, and the risk posed to jockeys, other horses, and the integrity of racing. Commissioners noted that the record included stable operating practices, lab chain‑of‑custody documentation, and board deliberations concluding the matter merited a substantial sanction.
On a vote to sustain the board’s decision, the commission found substantial evidence in the record to support the penalty, concluding the discipline was proportionate to the conduct shown in the Hearing Record.
The commission’s action effectively removes Castillo from Nevada racing for the next decade and a half and imposes a significant monetary sanction the trainer said he may be unable to pay.
