Altissimo wires Honey Jay Stakes

Altissimo had established himself as a rising threat in the Ohio-bred ranks, and cemented that status with a wire-to-wire victory over a salty field including two statebred champions in the $75,000 Honey Jay Stakes on Saturday at Thistledown.

It was Altissimo's fourth straight win, three coming in stakes.

Altissimo ($5) was sent away as the favorite in the Honey Jay on the strength of back-to-back victories over four-time Honey Jay winner Rivers Run Deep in the Edward Babst/Albert Palacios Memorial Handicap and the Sydney Gendelman Memorial Handicap. The gelding didn't disappoint.

Breaking sharply from post 2 under Christian Pilares, he disputed the pace and had edged to a half-length lead over the previously unbeaten Brown Buckeye through a sharp opening quarter in 21.68 seconds. He extended that advantage to a length coming to the quarter pole, through the half in 44.84 seconds, and continued to widen from there. He hit the wire 3 3/4 lengths in front, stopping the clock in 1:09.40 for six furlongs.

Ohio horse of the year Mo Dont No, who has won just once from five starts this year, rallied in the lane after racing in fourth early and edged Brown Buckeye by a neck for second. After those top three, it was three lengths back to state champion sprinter Rivers Run Deep.

Altissimo, a 5-year-old Noble Causeway gelding, races in partnership for Nancy Lavrich and Elizabeth Rankin, and is trained by Richard Zielinski. He now owns a career park of 29-11-3-3, with earnings of $311,888.