Altissimo favored in Edward Babst/Albert Palacios Memorial Handicap

It says something about the depth of the field in an Ohio-bred stakes when a two-time statebred horse of the year is the longest shot on the morning line. That’s the case when Belterra Park cards its first stakes of the season Saturday, the $75,000 Edward Babst/Albert Palacios Memorial Handicap at six furlongs.

The morning-line favorite in the field of six is Altissimo (2-1), who well may pick up statebred honors when the 2018 awards are presented May 18, while the longest shot is multiple champion Mo Dont No (8-1).

Altissimo will have Christian Pilares aboard as he makes his first start of the year. Trained by Richard Zielinski, he won the Babst/Palacios Memorial last year, when he rose to prominence by winning five stakes. The highlight of his year was a victory in the Best of Ohio Sprint last October at Thistledown.

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Mo Dont No, trained by Jeff Radosevich for owner Ron Paolucci, has won eight stakes and placed in six others. He won three consecutive editions of the Best of Ohio Endurance. Scott Spieth is in the irons Saturday.

Mo Dont Know has lost five consecutive outings since last fall’s Endurance while competing against open company over the winter, including graded stakes at Gulfstream and Fair Grounds.

Radosevich and Paolucci also send out Brown Buckeye, who won his first five starts before finishing third in the Honey Jay Stakes last August behind Altissimo and Mo Dont No. This is his first outing since.

Stakes-placed Mannford and Over Icce, along with Magna Man complete the field.