Race day drugs banned at GGF
In response to a baffling surge of horse deaths at Santa Anita that has roiled the sport, the track’s owners Thursday banned all race day medication and limited the use of whips.
The rule also applies at Golden Gate Fields, which is owned by the same company as Santa Anita. The move, believed to be without precedent in North American racing, came hours after the 22nd horse died at Santa Anita since Dec. 26.
“We have arrived at a watershed moment,” Belinda Stronach, chairman and president of track owner The Stronach Group, wrote in an open letter.
Princess Lili B broke both front legs at the conclusion of a half-mile workout and was euthanized. Santa Anita suspended racing last week in response to the previous deaths. Training resumed Wednesday and the track hoped to start racing again next week.
“There are some who will take a stand and tell you that it cannot be done,” Stronach wrote. “To them we say ‘ the health and welfare of the horses will always come first.’ The time to discuss ‘ why’ these advancements must take place is over. The only thing left to discuss is ‘ how.’ ”
Virtually every country outside North America bans the use of medication on race day. That includes furosemide, more commonly known as Lasix, that is supposed to lessen the risk of exercise- induced pulmonary hemorrhage. The drug is so common at U.S. tracks that results sheets note which horses were injected.
College basketball
PAC-12 TOURNAMENT » Pac12 Player of the Year Jaylen Nowell scored 24 points and had eight rebounds as top-seeded Washington (25-7) fought off eighthseeded USC 78-75 in a Pac12 quarterfinal in Las Vegas. Nowell made all four of his 3-point attempts and hit one of two free throws with 7.9 seconds left for a three-point lead.
USC’s (16-17) Nick Rakocevic, looking to find a teammate along the sideline for a 3-point shot, then threw the ball out of bounds on the ensuing possession. Washington advances to play Colorado (21-11) in the semifinals.
• Colorado point guard McKinley Wright IV scored 17 points, and the Buffaloes hit 21 of 23 free-throw attempts in the second half to hold off Oregon State 73-58.
• Second-seeded Arizona State (22-9) advanced to the second semifinal with a 8372win over UCLA. The Sun Devils will face the winner of the Oregon- Utah matchup. ZION IS FINE IN RETURN » Zion Williamson returned in fine form, scoring 29 points on 13-for-13 shooting as fifth-ranked Duke defeated Syracuse 84-72 in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Duke (27-5) willmeet second-seeded North Carolina tonight in a semifinal.
Football
BRIDGEWATER STAYS WITH SAINTS » Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has agreed to re-sign with the New Orleans Saints rather than join the Miami Dolphins, according to multiple reports. Bridgewater will sign a one-year deal worth $7.25 million. SEAHAWKS KEEP WRIGHT » The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed linebacker K. J. Wright and added guard Mike Iupati, according to reports. Wright’s deal is for two years and $15.5 million, according to NFL Network. Iupati’s deal is for one year. Wright, 29, has spent all eight years with Seattle. GIANTS ADD TATE » The New York Giants found some wide receiver help when they agreed to a four-year, $ 37.5 million deal with Golden Tate, $23 million of which is fully guaranteed, according to multiple reports.
Golf
BRADLEY, FLEETWOOD OFF TO HOT STARTS » Keegan Bradley and Tommy Fleetwood shot 7-under-par 65s to share the lead after the first round of The Players Championship in Ponte Verde Beach, Florida. While the scores were uncommonly lowat TPC Sawgrass as the winds stayed fairly calm, Fleetwood turned in one of only six bogeyfree rounds on the day. The majority of the low scores came during the morning wave.
Brian Harman and former Cal golfer Byeong Hun An are tied for second at 6 under with Rory McIlroy another shot back at 5 under along with Vaughn Taylor and Ryan Moore. Moore’s round included a hole-in- one on the famed par-3 17th hole.
Tiger Woods battled to a 2-under 70.
Tennis
RAONIC ACES QUARTERFINAL TEST » Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic fired 13 aces to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6- 4 to reach the B NP Pa rib as Open semifinals in Indian Wells for a second consecutive year. He next will face No. 7 Dominic Thiem, who walked over when No. 18 Gael Monfils retired before their match began.
Belinda Bencic slayed another giant by outlasting fifth-ranked Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4- 6, 6-3 to reach the semifinals on the women’s side. The 22-year- old Swiss also beat world No. 1 and defending champion Naomi Osaka on Tuesday. She’ll look to extend her run today, when she faces No. 8 Angelique Kerber in the semifinals.
Baseball
BONUSES COMING FOR HOME RUNDERBY » The winner of the 2019 Home Run Derby will earn a $1million bonus, and there is a boost coming for this year’s All- Star selections, MLB announced Thursday in a rules update for the upcoming season. The proposed changesmust be ratified by baseball’s 30 owners to become official.