Claudio Gonzalez, who was Maryland’s top horse trainer for six straight years from 2017 to 2022, has been banned from the Laurel Park racetrack for violating Maryland Jockey Club rules, according to a brief announcement from the track’s management. Gonzalez has not participated in any races at Laurel Park or other racetracks since December 14, 2025.
The Maryland Jockey Club chose not to elaborate on the matter, but Bev Strauss, founder of Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue, told The Paulick Report that one of Gonzalez’s former horses ended up at a slaughterhouse in Kansas. Fortunately, the mare was rescued and now lives in a safe home. Strauss also revealed that four additional horses formerly trained by Gonzalez were taken from questionable homes and placed under Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue’s care.
While horse slaughter is no longer legal in the U.S., it still takes place in Canada and Mexico. Even though USDA data shows a significant drop in the number of horses exported for slaughter in the past 15 years, many Facebook pages claim to have horses at risk of being sent to slaughter soon. These horses are often offered to the public on a “bond” basis to remove them from a holding area, referred to as “bail pen” or “kill pen.” However, these pages are sometimes managed by people without official contracts with foreign slaughterhouses and often charge prices higher than what slaughterhouses would pay.
Laurel Park’s Stable Application Statement includes a company-wide policy that promotes humane treatment of racehorses, effective since October 10, 2008. It explicitly prohibits trainers or owners connected to Maryland Jockey Club facilities from directly or indirectly transporting horses to slaughterhouses or auction houses that sell horses for slaughter. This rule applies to any activities leading to horses being sent to slaughter from MJC facilities.
Notably, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority does not have rules addressing horses that end up in slaughterhouses.
Gonzalez told The Paulick Report that he has sales documents for two horses that left his barn but insists he did nothing wrong, saying, “I have my own bill of sale, and I also have the bill of sale for Laurel Park. I didn’t send it. I didn’t do anything wrong.” When asked why he was ordered to remove all horses from Laurel Park’s backstretch by January 1, 2026, Gonzalez responded, “Some people hate me. I don’t know who has that power. I cried for days because they didn’t do the right thing. I don’t understand how they have that power.”
Originally from Santiago, Chile, Gonzalez started his training career in 2012 and secured 18 training titles at Laurel and Pimlico. From 2017 to 2022, he consistently won over 100 races yearly, with a win rate peaking at 25% in 2017 and 2018. However, the number of horses starting races has considerably dropped in recent years, with only 41 winners out of 311 starters in 2025.
Fan Take: This news is significant for horse racing fans as it highlights ongoing concerns about the welfare and treatment of racehorses beyond the track. It serves as a crucial reminder that the sport must continue to enforce strict standards and transparency to protect horses throughout their entire lives, safeguarding the integrity and future of horse racing.
