Quarter Horse trainer Ramiro Castillo has been banned from operating a stable at Los Alamitos after five of his horses died as a result of injuries sustained in races or because of illness since March, the track announced on Monday.
The decision comes days before Castillo was scheduled to start two leading contenders in Saturday’s $700,000 Champion of Champions – the multiple stakes winners Stanley Cartel and Scoops Dynasty. They have been transferred to trainer Luke Lindsey, according to a track spokesman.
In a two-paragraph statement, Los Alamitos officials cited a clause in the track’s stall applications and rules and conditions of racing and training to ban Castillo, effective immediately.
“Los Alamitos came to this decision after investigating facts, meeting with him, discussing the concerns, and deliberating as to all information, before informing Mr. Castillo as such in a manner consistent with legal and fair procedure requirements,” the statement read.
The statement cited five fatalities of Castillo-trained horses since late May.
According to the California Horse Racing Board’s website, the Castillo-trained Champions Run was euthanized after suffering an injury in a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials on Nov. 23. Warm Springs collapsed and died shortly after winning a division of the Golden State Million Futurity trials on Oct. 4, according to the website. The cause is listed as “sudden death.”
Three other Castillo-trained runners were listed on the website as having died from non-musculoskeletal ailments – El Vigilante on May 22 and Dr Hes Southern on Aug. 19 because of gastrointestinal issues, and Apollitical Maverick on Nov. 27. A cause of Apollitical Maverick’s death has not been finalized, according to the racing board.
Castillo was not immediately available for comment.
Castillo began training in March, taking control of a stable previously operated by Monty Arrossa, one of the nation’s most prominent Quarter Horse trainers. Arrossa was banned from racing or training at Los Alamitos after his stable had positive tests for banned medications in major futurities and time trials at Los Alamitos in 2024. Castillo worked for Arrossa at the time.
Castillo has won 30 races from 180 starters through Sunday. He won an allowance race on Saturday with One Sweet Duck.
Since the summer, Castillo has won three of the track’s leading races for older horses – the Vessels Maturity in July and Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship in October with Stanley Cartel; and the Go Man Go Handicap in August with Scoops Dynasty.
On Oct. 19, Scoops Dynasty won the AQHA Challenge Championship in Albuquerque when listed as trained by Diego Cervantes. Scoops Dynasty returned to Castillo’s California stable after that race.
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