28 horses killed in Meadows fire

Four trainers lost 28 Standardbred race horses in a fire that destroyed a barn early Friday morning at The Meadows racetrack near Pittsburgh.

The hardest hit stable belonged to Robbie Roberts, who trains for the Bob Key Stable. Roberts lost 17 horses in the blaze, including American Belle K, a 2-year-old filly trotter who was scheduled to race in a stakes at Northfield Park on Monday night.

Another stakes horse, the 2-year-old filly trotter Trot the Air, died in the fire. Trained by Greg Wasiluk, Trot the Air was housed in the ill-fated barn after being scratched from the Gladys division of a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows on Thursday night.

Trainer Mario LaBrasca lost eight horses and Joe Antonelli's entire four-horse stable perished in the fire.

Fire investigators have yet to determine the cause of the blaze, which caused an estimated $2 million in damage.