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| Staff Writer |
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Success can sometimes make people want to stick with what they know. However, trainer Noboru Takagi was inspired by the performance of Ushba Tesoro at the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup last year.
"He won the Kawasaki Kinen (Gr.1 Japanese Local) and then headed to Dubai last year," Takagi said.
"After winning the Dubai World Cup, I knew he could compete overseas, so he joined the Saudi Arabia race this year and then went to Dubai. I made a decision."
That decision may be one that pays many dividends for the entire team. Ushba Tesoro ended up being involved in a race with Senor Buscador in Saudi Arabia in late February.
Senor Buscador edged out the son of Orfevre for first place, and the two horses are set to meet up again at the Dubai World Cup.
"Before the race, I was worried about the course setting, which wasn't an oval, course, so only one turn, and the distance of 1,800 metres, which he had no track record of," Takagi said. "However, in reality, he ran as if he had won. It was a very small margin, so I was really disappointed. I commend him for being able to run that long despite all the uncertainties."
Noboru Takagi and his team now have something to look forward to during the rematch.
Ushba Tesoro ended up in the winner's circle a lot in 2023.
Starting in February, He ran off three straight wins. First, he picked up a win in the Kawasaki Kinen in February. Then he followed that up with a win in the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup and another RS win by taking first in the Nippon TV Hai.
After a brief slide to a fifth-place finish in the Breeder's Cup, the entire closed the year with a first-place finish in the Gr.1 Tokyo Daishoten.
Following a second-place finish in the Gr.1 Saudi Cup, Takagi moved the horse directly to Dubai in preparation for the World Cup. Masakazu Fukami was contacted by Takagi to travel with the horse to Dubai.
"The time was short, and it didn't seem like he was particularly tired during travel," Takagi said.
"He has already been trained well in Dubai, and we have received reports that he is in good condition.''
Throughout his career, Ushba Tesero has been a consistent performer for Takagi. Since the horse has been competing in big races, he has produced 11 wins, two second-place finishes and five third-place finishes, racking up career earnings of US$13.9 million. In 2024, his second-place finish earned US$3.5 million.
What has really stood out about Ushba Tesoro is how consistent he has been since 2021. In both 2023 and 2022, he won four races apiece. During the 2021 season, he picked up two wins in seven starts.
Winning the Dubai World Cup allowed the entire to demonstrate his immense potential. Sired by the Japanese horse Orfevre who had a long history of success himself. Ushba Tesoro's success has come as part of a tidal wave of strong Japanese racehorses.
Orfevre was a Triple Crown Winner and won six Group One races in Japan. Ushba Tesoro's sire earned more than US$19 million during his career. The son of Orfevre is one of more than 200 Japanese horses that have been nominated for the Meydan race. There were 868 horses from 19 countries nominated for the nine races hosted by the Dubai Racing Club.
Out of the mare Millefeui Attach, Ushba Tesoro is set up well to be able to train. He often starts his work at 4 a.m. to avoid the heat. When things are impacted by a heat wave, he has the luxury of an air-conditioned barn to cool off in.
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Senor Buscador overtaking Ushba Tesoro in the Saudi Cup was a surprise. But he wasn't the only horse that was caught watching Senor Buscador run away with the race. Senor Buscador was ten horses out of first place with two furlongs to go.
The jockey decided to pull him wide of the field, and he was able to gain speed to win the race by a nose and grab the US$10 million share of the pot. Ushba Tesoro had to hold off a Brad Cox-trained Saudi Crown to finish in second place. It was a wild race.
The favoured horse, White Abarrio, had a difficult performance. After getting caught in the middle of the pack, White Abarrio ended up falling to 10th place.
There will be plenty of horses and trainers with grand ambitions at the Dubai World Cup. This field and event is stacked with a number of strong participants. As of now, there are 33 individual Thoroughbred Group One winners from 13 different countries who are expected to run at the US$30.5 million Dubai World Cup on 30th March.
In addition to Ushba Tesoro and Senor Buscadro, Breeder's Cup Classic runner-up Derma Sotogake is projected to be among the 13 horses set to race for the US$12 million prize. There will be a number of locally trained horses who are part of the event as well. Group One Kazakhstan-owned horse Kabirkhan is the top local horse involved in the race.
Kabirkhan will be taking a major step up in competition. However, there are signs that the 4YO horse trained by Doug Watson may have some talent to compete at Group One level. Kabirkhan has won two races in Dubai this winter. Senor Buscador is one of four American horses in the field, along with Newgate, Newgrange and Crupi.
Ushba Tesoro has one year of heavy travelling under his belt. That should lead to a more relaxed experience when it comes to going around the world this year. In addition to the Middle East, Ushba Tesoro has also found his way to the United States.
The experience of travelling is something that Takagi believes will help make things easier for the horse and his team. What they hope is that he can produce similar results.
"Of course, I hope that will happen," Takagi said. "Since he has a proven track record, I believe there is a chance."
Ushba Tesoro had a streak of six victories entering his performance at the Breeder's Cup Classic in Santa Anita, California. During training runs before the race, Ushba Tesoro did a mile in 1 minute, 50.72 seconds. There was a lot of excitement for his run there.
While Ushba Tesoro ended up finishing in fifth place, it was a good experience. White Abarrio took the lead at the top of the stretch in the race and ended up winning a US$6 million purse. It was an emotional moment for White Abarrio's team.
Trainer Rick Dutrow picked his first Breeders' Cup Classic win since he won in 2005 with Saint Liam. People didn't think that Ushba Tesoro ran a poor race at Santa Anita, but there was some thought that his schedule was heavy and he had too much to do.
Some observers were worried about how he may handle racing at the Gr.1 Tokyo Daishoten following the fifth-place finish at the Breeder's Cup.
However, Ushba Tesoro broke through and won the race.
Racing against Senor Buscador again will be a fun experience for all involved. To get a look at a future opponent before a big race can be a big advantage. While it's possible that both teams may employ different strategies, Ushba Tesoro's team now knows what they are up against.
"I fully understand that we have a great opponent," Takagi said. "However, the distance will be longer this time, which is a good thing, and I think the course setting, which is not a one-turn only, will be in our favour. There is a good chance of a reversal."
Senor Buscador hasn't had a major breakthrough on the world stage yet. The win over Ushba Tesoro was the first Group One win for the horse. Senor Buscador is trained by Todd Fincher and was sired by Mineshaft.
Before winning in Saudi Arabia, his best wins had included a Group Two win at the San Diego Handicap. Takagi is eager for the race. While he doesn't predict a victory, he believes strongly that Ushba Tesoro can handle the pressure of big races.
Last year, Ushba Tesoro won the Dubai World Cup by 2¾ lengths.
"Will Green and Yellow silk shine in the night sky over the Middle East for the second year in a row?" Takagi said. "I look forward to it."