Tom Law

Sad news shook the racing industry Friday afternoon when it was announced that legendary Lane’s End stallion A.P. Indy had died.

Time for a deep breath. Most need it after a big few days last week and an even bigger weekend up ahead.

Saturday’s Winter Carnival at Laurel Park in Maryland featured five stakes races led by the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie and General George. Oh, and chainsaw ice sculptures, an ice wall full of prizes people could pay money to try to chip out, a rare Laurel appearance of ace photographer Barbara Livingston and a fairly secret visit from baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.

Happy Valentine’s Day. With all that corporate generated holiday celebrating out of the way Friday night it’s time to get back to the serious business at hand and dig into a big day of racing Saturday from coast to coast.

It’s a rare stallion with 3-year-olds on the classic trails on both sides of the Atlantic, but Saturday Karakontie proved he belongs in that category when his first-crop runner Sole Volante won the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.

No, you should not expect any issues of the Las Vegas Special anytime soon. But do expect to see three members of the team behind This Is Horse Racing and The Saratoga Special again among the competitors for the sixth annual Runhappy/NTRA National Horseplayer’s Championship Charity Challenge presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka Saturday.

Old Man Winter finally reared his head in most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Thursday into Friday, so what better way to distract oneself from the elements than another loaded Saturday of racing from coast to coast.