A 2-year-old colt has died at Los Alamitos Race Course, an animal welfare group announced Wednesday.
Quarter horse Dr Hes Southern died on Tuesday, according to the California Horse Racing Board.
The death was the 40th in California in 2025 and 17th this year at Los Alamitos, according to an activist group called Kill Racing Not Horses.
“Dr Hes Southern is the second horse to die this year in trainer (Ramiro) Castillo’s care. Another 2-year-old quarter horse colt, El Vigilante, is listed as an `other’ (gastrointestinal) death on May 22 at Los Alamitos, after he was raced there (one time), on April 26.”
Quarter horse colt Wynners Favorite, an unraced 2-year-old, was listed as an `other’ death on July 13 at Los Alamitos.
“Dr Hes Southern was raced three times, in May and June, the last time at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico for a different trainer, Marco Adair Chavez-Gutierrez, than the first two times he was raced at Los Alamitos with trainer Ramiro Castillo. All three races were for the same owner, Dunn Ranch, also Dr Hes Southern’s breeder.”
According to Kill Racing Not Horses, research shows changing trainers increases the risk of fatal injury in thoroughbred racehorses.
“No legitimate sport would tolerate the deaths of 40 of its athletes in 33 weeks of competition in just one state, California, not to mention 17 in only one venue, Los Alamitos Race Course,” according to a statement from the group.
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