Castillo set to return to Monmouth after holiday stakes

Jockey Isaac Castillo, who is shipping in to ride the Lone Star Million Day card Monday at Lone Star Park, will be returning to his former base of Monmouth Park for the remainder of New Jersey meet, agent Dylan Fazio said Saturday.

Fazio said following stakes mounts Monday at Lone Star, Castillo is scheduled to ride in the $150,000 Penn Oaks on Friday night at Penn National. Castillo will then begin riding at Monmouth on a regular basis the next day, June 3.

Castillo wintered this past meet at Oaklawn, where he finished fourth in the standings. Following the meet, he tested the waters at Churchill Downs.

“We’ve made a ton of great connections here,” Fazio said Saturday from Churchill. “We love Kentucky. I think that it was a great learning experience for both us. At this moment, the business we have is not sustainable. But we’re keeping the door open for a possible return in the future.”

Castillo was second in the Monmouth standings in 2021. He again plans to winter at Oaklawn, said Fazio. The meet at Oaklawn opens in December.