Ushba Tesoro, the current dirt division leader on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, will ship to California this fall with the Breeders Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita as his ultimate goal for 2023. A banquet to celebrate Ushba Tesoro's historic victory in the Dubai World Cup (G1) took place in Chiba April 17. Towards the end of the evening, the grandiose plan was announced by owner Kenji Ryotokuji and trainer Noboru Takagi for the 6-year-old horse by Orfevre.
Purchased during the 2017 JRHA Select Sale Foal Session for ¥25,000,000 (US$219,250), Ushba Tesoro debuted in August of his juvenile year. After winning three races from 22 starts on turf, Takagi sent the colt to try the dirt for the first time in April 2022 and found he was an even better horse on that surface.
He captured his first graded stakes at Oi Dec. 29, winning the Tokyo Daishoten (G1). He then won the domestic Kawasaki Kinen at Kawasaki Feb. 1. His subsequent victory came in a last-to-first effort in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan March 25.
Ushba Tesoro is now having some downtime at Chestnut Farm near Miho Training Center, where Noboru Takagi is based. He will prep in the listed Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Sept. 27 before shipping to California.
