Breeders' Cup Classic: Ushba Tesoro brings strong credentials and more
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ARCADIA, Calif. - With six consecutive victories including a victory in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March on his resume, the Japanese-based and bred Ushba Tesoro comes into Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita with strong credentials.
Those credentials aren’t limited to just paper.
Ushba Tesoro has caught the eye of onlookers since arriving here last week and on Sunday he had perhaps his most rigorous training exercise yet. In what was akin to a two-minute lick, which is a mile in 15 seconds per furlong, Ushba Tesoro went a mile in 1:50.72 as timed by Daily Racing Form. From the quarter pole to a quarter-mile past the wire, he went a half-mile in 49.50 seconds.
Exercise rider Masa Fukami is in California with Usbha Tesoro, who is trained by Noboru Takagi.
“The trainer said don’t go too fast today,” Fukami said through an interpreter. “Go last 400 meters [approximately quarter-mile] in 24 or 25 seconds, nice and smooth. He’s able to handle this surface well.”
Ushba Tesora went from the quarter pole to the wire in 24.35 seconds.
Ushba Tesoro, a 6-year-old son of Orfevre, made the first 22 starts of his career on turf. Switched to the dirt in April 2022, he has won seven of eight starts including a 3 3/4-length victory in the Dubai World Cup in March. He didn’t race again until September, when he was an easy winner of the Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi.
Fukama said that race has put him “close to where he was in the Dubai World Cup.”
Fukama said Ushba Tesoro will likely have a faster workout on Wednesday. He will be ridden by Yuga Kawada in the Classic.
The Classic field appears to be finalizing at 13 from the 18 that were pre-entered. Final entries were to be made Monday.
The known defections are Geaux Rocket Ride [injury], Mage [temperature], and King of Steel [Turf]. Dreamlike and Skippylongstocking are both expected to be entered in the Dirt Mile.
If that holds, the last horse to make it into the Classic will be Missed the Cut, a son of Quality Road who won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Stakes against three horses here on Oct. 1.
John Sadler, who trained last year’s Classic winner, Flightline, received Missed the Cut in the spring. The horse has run four times, with a second in an allowance and a win in the Tokyo City both at Santa Anita, wrapped around a seventh in the San Diego Handicap and a fourth in the Del Mar Handicap, the latter on turf.
“Kind of all year we were hoping we could be in this race,” Sadler said Sunday. “It’s been an uneven road a little bit. … We’re going to take a shot. I know he likes this track, distance no problem. It looks a little aggressive.”
While Flightline last year was the shortest-priced favorite in Classic history at 2-5, Missed the Cut could very well be the longest shot on the board next Saturday.
“Anybody that’s come around and said, ‘Well isn’t this more relaxing?’ I said no, I would trade for last year,” Sadler said.
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