Newsom Appoints Hudnut to CHRB, Re-Appoints Castellanos

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Thomas C. Hudnut and re-appointed Damascus Castellanos to the California Horse Racing Board, according to a Feb. 28 press release from the Governor's office. The positions require Senate confirmation.

Thomas C. Hudnut, 74, of Beverly Hills, Calif., has been an educational consultant with Resource Group 175 since 2013. He was president and CEO of Harvard-Westlake School, which served 1,600 students middle- and high-school students in the Los Angeles area, from 1987 to 2013 and headmaster at the Branson School from 1982 to 1987. He retired as a school head in 2013.

Damascus Castellanos, 55, of Pico Rivera, secretary-treasurer for Teamsters Local 495 since 2012, has served on the CHRB since 2020. He was a business representative for Teamsters Local 630 from 2001 to 2012. Castellanos is a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Both Castellanos and fellow CHRB member Alex Solis had prior terms on the board that expired Jan. 1. Hudnut replaces Solis within the CHRB.

In approving or disapproving motions during CHRB meetings, Solis, a retired jockey and member of the Hall of Fame, typically voted in agreement on contested issues with chairman Dr. Greg Ferraro and members Dennis Alfieri and Castellanos.

Vice-chairman Oscar Gonzales and members Brenda Davis and Wendy Mitchell represent another voting bloc within the CHRB and have often backed asserting more CHRB authority over California racing.