November 20, 2021,
by Kimberly Rinker, Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund
Altissimo picked up his second straight stakes triumph by posting a decisive victory in the $75,000 Cardinal Handicap at Mahoning Valley on Saturday, Nov. 20, in the first of two Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund (OTRF) stakes.
Altissimo, an 8-year-old son of Noble Causeway-Great Goin Rose, by Albert The Great, captured his second straight stake, the six-furlong test for Ohio-registered 3-year-olds and up.
Trained by Ronald Zielinski for Nancy Lavrich and Ronald Zielinski, Altissimo is Ohio’s undisputed Ohio Sprint Champion. He was clocked in 1:11.22 for this victory as the 1-1 favorite with Erik Barbaran in the irons.
Content to sit mid-pack until the field turned for home, Altissimo then unleashed a powerful late rush to take over the leading 3-1 Morestride (Luis Rivera) in mid-stretch to secure the victory by 1¼ lengths. Little Blaker, a 30-1 longshot, raced well for rider Angel Diaz to nail down third-place honors, while 5-1 Liberate (Malcom Franklin) got up for third.
Altissimo now has $1,059,204 in his career coffers from 23 wins, nine seconds, and six thirds in 52 career starts. He was bred by Nancy Lavrich and Niknar Farm, LLC.Altiss
