The field is almost set for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Saturday (Nov. 4). The 1¼-mile Classic is the centerpiece of racing’s two-day, 14-race, $31 million championships. In the days leading up to the race, usracing.com will publish snapshots of the entries. Updates with odds and post positions will be published following the draw on Monday, Oct. 30.
Ushba Tesoro, trained by Noboru Takagi , during morning workouts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on October 28, 2023 as horses prepare for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Carlos J. Calo/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup
Breeder’s Cup Contenders: USHBA TESORO
This Japanese-bred 6-year-old made a dramatic turnaround after switching from turf (3-for-22) to dirt in April 2022, winning seven of eight and his last six in a row, including the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1). He went from last to first March 25 at Meydan, surging wide in the stretch to cruise clear by 2¾ lengths. He showed his versatility Sept. 27 in his prep for the Classic, sitting the pocket trip in third before using a quick burst on the turn to draw off by 2½ lengths.
Watch those replays and you’ll have no problem betting on Ushba Tesoro, who looks primed to peak in his North American debut.
Former trainer and FanDuel TV analyst Simon Bray touted him on the “Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup” show Oct. 27. As the horse jogged on screen, his comment was “looks tremendous, in great condition, moving very well.”
Ushba Tesoro is 3-for-3 at the Classic distance of the 1¼ miles, and he’s proved he can adapt to any pace scenario.
“I was always looking for a horse that was good enough to compete at the world level,” trainer Noboru Takagi told Khaleej Times after the Dubai World Cup. “When Ushba Tesoro won the Kawasaki Kinen Feb. 1, we realized he was the horse to go to Dubai with.”
Horses from Japan have won many major important international races in recent years, including two in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Don’t be surprised if this guy runs well in America’s most lucrative race.
Breeders’ Cup Classic Odds and Post Positions
Betting advice: Ushba Tesoro should offer good value, most likely in the 5-1 to 10-1 range. If so, it’s a good idea for win and place plays on a 10-furlong specialist in sharp form.
Post position: 8
Odds: 4-1
Jockey: Yuga Kawada
Trainer: Noboru Takagi
Owner: Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings
Biggest Win: Dubai World Cup (G1), Meydan, March 25
Age: 6
Career record: 30-10-1-5
Career earnings: $9,340,945
Top Equibase speed figure: N/A
Pedigree: Orfevre-Millefeui Attach, by King Kamehameha
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notes: It’s the first trip to the United States for Takagi. His first Breeders’ Cup runner will be making only his second start outside Japan … Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum of Dubai, founder of racing and breeding superpower Godolphin, helped jump-start Takagi’s career. In 1994, he sponsored the 27-year-old during a three-month program that helped him earn his trainer’s license. Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Takagi in the Dubai World Cup winner’s circle … Japanese horsemen have been chasing the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s biggest race, in vain since the 1990s. In the 2012 Arc, Orfevre, sire of Ushba Tesoro, had a big lead in mid-stretch but lost a photo finish.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
