Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following details on some of that state’s kills in 2025 (previous ones here).
Dougs Moonshine, Mar 24, Cal Expo S
“Persistently painful colic, marked large colon impaction/displacement, necrotizing typhlocolitis.” Dougs was two and had been raced three days prior.
El Vigilante, May 22, Los Alamitos S
“Found deceased early this morning, stall gate damaged, hindlimb abrasions, marked hemorrhage in the nasal passages. Cause of death, acute septicemia/toxemia secondary to gastric rupture and peritonitis.” El Vigilante was two and coming off his first race.
Dr Hes Southern, Aug 19, Los Alamitos S
“Horse with history of being found dead – small intestinal incarceration.” Dr Hes was two.
Warm Springs, Oct 4, Los Alamitos R
“Collapsed and died shortly after race. Histology consistent with exercise-associated fatal pulmonary hemorrhage.” Warm Springs was two.
Note: The last three – El Vigilante, Dr Hes Southern, Warm Springs – were under the yoke of trainer Ramiro Castillo. To remind, all three were mere babies (two years old) – two of them found dead, one collapsed and died.
This person has to be the example that the public will no longer accept felonious abuse of animals resulting in death or injury. I don’t live in California, but perhaps someone in the Horse Racing Wrongs fraternity might be able to proceed to a citizen’s complaint and file charges against this killer trainer? Perhaps Stanford Law University might consider sending some students into field work resulting in filing a winning a court case. The local Humane Society or compassionate groups in the vicinity of the track might be receptive to helping out in achieving justice for the horses?
Complaint should be registered against the track operators, track stewards and especially Ramiro Castillo. Moreover the groom(s) and the exercise rider(s) should be questioned as to why they did not intervene and protect these horses from an individual that has no right to be licensed in any jurisdiction in North America.
A Facebook Posting requesting a retired judge might result in a professional eager to aid and to assist in this pursuit of justice. The racing community wouldn’t like the reality of a citizen or a group from the community going into court to confront horse abusers nor would they want the unfavorable publicity this would generate (perfect timing as the big 3 races are just around the corner).
These stewards are not safeguarding horses from felonious abuse either due to lack of knowledge on state laws or their willful contempt of legal protections that are available to keep horses from deliberate harm and intentional injury. They must be held lawfully responsible for the deaths of these horses….3 deaths caused by the same trainer is unacceptable and must be legally scrutinized and justice honored.
Another possibility is to have advocates phone in local talk shows (tv/radio). Ask the station to introduce this topic and get public review and response? Anything that would make the track operators and the stewards squirm before public scrutiny should be done with speed….they don’t want bad publicity before the the running of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and the timing has to be used to the benefit of achieving justice for the horses that suffered and died because of avarice and coldblooded contempt of horses.
This person has to be the example that the public will no longer accept felonious abuse of animals resulting in death or injury. I don’t live in California, but perhaps someone in the Horse Racing Wrongs fraternity might be able to proceed to a citizen’s complaint and file charges against this killer trainer? Perhaps Stanford Law University might consider sending some students into field work resulting in filing a winning a court case. Perhaps the local Humane Society or compassionate groups in the vicinity of the track might be receptive to helping out in achieving justice for the horses?
Complaint should be registered against the track operators, track stewards and especially Ramiro Castillo. Moreover the groom(s) and the exercise rider(s) should be legally forced to answer why they did not intervene and protect these horses from an individual that has no right to be licensed in any jurisdiction in North America.
Perhaps a retired judge could be located to assist in this pursuit of justice. The racing community wouldn’t like the reality of a citizen or a group from the community going into court to confront horse abusers nor would they want the unfavorable publicity this would generate (perfect timing as the big 3 races are just around the corner).
These stewards are not safeguarding horses from felonious abuse either due to lack of knowledge on state laws or their willful contempt of legal protections that are available to keep horses from deliberate harm and intentional injury.
Another possibility is to have advocates phone in local talk shows (tv/radio). Ask the station to introduce this topic and get public review and response? Anything that would make the track operators and the stewards squirm before public scrutiny should be done with speed….they don’t want bad publicity before the the running of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and the timing has to be used to the benefit of achieving justice for the horses that suffered and died because of avarice and coldblooded contempt of horses.
California Code & Regulations/ Title 4, Section 1902.5 ANIMAL WELFARE:
“NO PERSON under the jurisdiction of the Board shall alone or in concert with another person, permit or cause an animal under his control or care to suffer any form of cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse.
Nor shall such person abandon, injure; maim; kill; administer a noxious or harmful substance to; or deprive an animal of necessary care, sustenance, shelter or veterinary care.”
If the California Horse Racing Board were doing their job of enforcing the laws against the abuse, neglect, and killing of racehorses, any trainer with dead two-year-olds and any other age would be stopped from being licensed as a “trainer”.