A field of 14 has been entered for the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – the world’s richest horse race. usracing.com is posting profiles of the starters.
USHBA TESORO (JPN)
Japan’s Ushba Tesoro put his name on the international racing map with his win in the 2023 Dubai World Cup
A consummate professional, he settled into his surroundings at King Abdulaziz Racetrack and hasn’t turned a hair, according to his connections.
“He has been relaxed and getting used to the new surroundings since he has arrived. He has a great balance with his conformation and he looks great,” assistant trainer Masakazu Fukami said.
2024 Saudi Cup Contender Odds and Post Position: Ushba Tesoro
Post position: 11
Odds: 10-1 (unofficial US Racing Team odds)
Jockey: Yuga Kawada
Trainer: Noboru Takagi
Owner: Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Company Ltd.
Age: 6
Career record: 32-11-1-5
Career earnings: $10,427,477
Last race: Tokyo Daishoten (G1), 1st
Top Equibase speed figure: 112
Pedigree: Orfevre (Jpn)—Millefeui Attach (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
Color: Bay
Running Style: mid-pack/closer
Notes: He’s won a third of his career races, most of which came in non-group stakes in his native Japan. He burst onto the international racing scene with his Dubai World Cup (G1) win and garnered a ton of support for the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year, where he was fifth as the 7-2 third choice in a talented international field… he was initially a turf horse with only moderate success… has a tail-female that includes four mares from the powerful Phipps family, all of which were foaled and raised at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky… his owner, Kenji Ryotokugi, founded a university in Japan in 2006…
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Abarrio | Irad Ortiz, Jr | Rick Dutrow, Jr. | C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable, LLC | 3-1 |
| 2 | Isolate | Joel Rosario | Doug Watson | RRR Racing | 15-1 |
| 3 | Lemon Pop | Ryusei Sakai | Hiroyasu Tanaka | Godolphin | 15-1 |
| 4 | Senor Buscador | Junior Alvarado | Todd Fincher | Joe R. Peacock, Jr | 10-1 |
| 5 | Saudi Crown | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox | SFMQ Stables | 8-1 |
| 6 | Crown Pride | Joao Moreira | Koichi Shintani | Teruya Yoshida | 20-1 |
| 7 | National Treasure | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | F Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine | 9-2 |
| 8 | Hoist the Gold | John Velazquez | Dallas Stewart | Dream Team One Racing Stable | 30-1 |
| 9 | Defunded | Luis Saez | Abdulaziz K Mishref | Pegram, Michael E., Watson, Karl and Weitman, Paul | 25-1 |
| 10 | Power in Numbers | Adel Alfouraidi | Ahmed Mohamoud | Klaravich Stables, Inc. | 30-1 |
| 11 | Ushba Tesoro | Yuga Kawada | Noboru Takagi | Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd. | 10-1 |
| 12 | Meisho Hario | Suguru Hamanaka | Inao Okada | Yoshio Matsumoto | 20-1 |
| 13 | Derma Sotogake | Christophe Lemaire | Hidetaka Otonashi | Hiroyuki Asanuma | 6-1 |
| 14 | Carmel Road | Camillo Ospina | Abdullah Albadah | SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherinetd> | 25-1 |