Jockey to Face Hearing Board for Illegal Bush Track Racing Following PETA Investigation
For Immediate Release:
July 14, 2025
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has filed a complaint against jockey Jose Nicasio for apparently violating a CHRB rule prohibiting racing licensees from participating in or being present at any unsanctioned, or “bush track,” race. The complaint follows a year-long PETA investigation into Nicasio’s activities at bush tracks, which documented the jockey racing in dozens of bush races and repeatedly using an electric shock device on horses. A hearing to review the complaint is scheduled for September 4, and—if the Board finds violations—it could suspend or revoke Nicasio’s license, issue a fine, and ban him from all racing tracks under the CHRB’s jurisdiction.
PETA first submitted evidence of Nicasio racing at unsanctioned tracks in January 2024. The CHRB filed a complaint at that time, but the board’s stewards acquitted Nicasio after he lied during the subsequent hearing—falsely claiming he was only “working out” horses at the track—even though the rule bans jockeys from being present at bush tracks on a race day. PETA continued to investigate Nicasio and presented evidence to the CHRB again in November, leading the board to conduct its own investigation, which corroborated PETA’s findings.
“Jose Nicasio has openly flouted the CHRB’s ban on racing at cruel and deadly bush tracks since the board gave him a free pass to do so after his last hearing,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “PETA is grateful to the CHRB for enforcing its rule and hopes it will yank Nicasio’s license, sending a message that the doping and abuse of horses at unregulated races won’t be tolerated.”
The CHRB banned horse racing licensees—including owners, trainers, and jockeys—from participating in or attending bush track races starting in 2024 following a major PETA investigation, which documented rampant doping with methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs, the use of prohibited electric shock devices, fatal horse breakdowns, jockey injuries and deaths, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal gambling.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
