The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) came down in a major way on horse trainer Ricardo Castillo after a major drug bust found several horses tested positive for banned substances.
Key takeaways
- Ricardo Castillo, a Nevada horse trainer, faces enormous fines after multiple horses tested positive for illicit substances.
- The fines were initially set to be much lighter, however, after Castillo appealed, the fines and punishments wound up even higher.
- This is the second time in state history Nevada regulators sought to increase punishments, with another recent decision in April.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the NGCB slammed Castillo with an enormous $100,000 fine as well as a 15-year racing ban and revoked his license after finding that four horses tested positive for a litany of illegal narcotics including methamphetamine and amphetamine, as well as Tramadol.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board on Wednesday ruled that horse trainer Ricardo Castillo be fined $100,000, have his Nevada horse racing license revoked and that he be banned from racing in the state for 15 years.https://t.co/05FIN5kSUE
— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) June 12, 2025
“This could have easily been a totally different kind of a case where some type of second-degree murder or manslaughter case if one of these jockeys fell off the horse and broke his neck, " said board member George Assad regarding the potential dangers of unknowingly racing these horses posed. "It's certainly animal cruelty.”
The horses, named Bnb Hasta La Luna, Famous Prizes, Dr. B, and Bnb Lightning McQueen, were tested as normal following their races, with the findings initially set to hit Castillo with a maximum $1,000 fine and 180-day suspension.
Incredibly, however, after Casillo appealed the decision under the grounds he was unsure how the substances were injected into the animals, the NGCB came down hard. Assad even initially suggested a $100,000 fine per race, though the board ultimately opted against the stiff punishment.
Precedent for expanding fines
Notably, this isn't the first time the NGCB made an example of those responsible for illegal activity. Back in April, horse trainer Alvaro Torres was fined $5,000 and banned from racing for five years after a similar violation was found at the Elko County Fair last August.
The board is expected to consider approvals in the coming days, with a final decision on the appeal not yet released.
