BLOCK: Selection Sunday is the following day, and university basketball fanatics, like BJ Leiderman, who writes our theme music, will discover who’s playing whom inside the mad month of March. But first, we visit Southern California and horse racing, where nearly two dozen horses have died on a race track in recent months. NPR’s Tom Goldman joins us now. Tom, proper morning.
TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Melissa.
BLOCK: Twenty horses have died at Santa Anita Park since the start of December, which is simply a shocking number. The latest death came on Thursday. What is in the back of this? GOLDMAN: Investigators do not know at this point why this many catastrophic breakdowns – in different phases, injuries the horses suffered even as going for walks, forcing them to be euthanized. Sadly, this takes place in racing. But simply, what has happened at Santa Anita in much less than three months is an outlier. Investigators are looking at several things, including the song’s condition. People there on a day-by-day basis say it’s in incredible form. But there has been a whole lot of rain and cooler temperatures, potentially affecting the tune.
BLOCK: This week, on Thursday, Santa Anita did announce that it’d be making some modifications. What did they are saying?
GOLDMAN: Yeah.
The business enterprise that owns the song issued brilliant modifications for a piece of American race music, banning the controversial diuretic Lasix from being given to horses on the day they run. Now, most international locations do not allow it on race days. The U.S. Does. So this places Santa Anita in keeping with most of the arenas. Other new changes restrict the usage of whips on horses and the use of different drugs, like anti-inflammatories, joint injections, that could mask pain and allow horses to run when they shouldn’t. And ultimately, Melissa, the LA district legal professional’s office, introduced the day before it might check out. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been pushing for this once running shoes and veterinarians investigated, and that brought on this response from a legit with the California Thoroughbred Trainers – quote, “we welcome research. It’s long beyond the time that those unfounded accusations are proven wrong and that everybody understands our running shoes’ first subject usually is for their horses.”
BLOCK: OK. Let’s move on to March Madness and… GOLDMAN: OK. BLOCK: Brackets that lovers are so eagerly watching for. What ought we to expect? GOLDMAN: Hoping for insanity. N both the men’s and ladies tournaments, no clear favorites. Although in the men’s, Duke’s Zion Williamson – the subsequent LeBron James, in case you hadn’t heard, Melissa – is… BLOCK: I think I’ve heard something about that guy. GOLDMAN: Yeah. His a lower back injury from a knee sprain as a result of his exploding Nike. And he led the Blue Devils beyond archrival North Carolina, remaining night within the ACC match. He makes Duke very good. Others to watch – North Carolina, Gonzaga, Virginia, Tennessee. On the ladies ‘ side, UConn has gotten through a rocky season, losing entire games. But as soon as they’re no longer the overpowering favorite stepping into. Baylor, which beat the Huskies this season, is ranked first inside the U. S. All five pinnacle teams have lost games. So Notre Dame, Mississippi State, and Louisville – they may be all contenders, too.
BLOCK: Well, ultimately, May, the Supreme Court legalized sports having a bet. How’s that going to play out? GOLDMAN: Hold on in your hat, Melissa. BLOCK: I’m keeping on. GOLDMAN: For the first time ever, humans will virtually bet money at the tournament. BLOCK: Shocked. I’m taken aback. GOLDMAN: No, now not true. Actually, it just manner greater human beings can bet legally across u. S . A Without flying to Las Vegas. It’ll mean the billions already wagered need to boom and boom the overall amount of money – billions surrounding the event, none of it, of the route, going to the athletes, who generate the product. BLOCK: All right. NPR’s Tom Goldman. Tom, thank you so much.
