Ushba Tesoro Runs Downs Algiers in Dubai World Cup

Ushba Tesoro  took flight in deep stretch in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan Racecourse March 25, blew by his only remaining rival nearing the finish, and capped another big international night for Japan with a 2 3/4-length victory.

The last-to-first winning effort was visually stunning.

Locally trained Algiers  appeared to have the race in the bag, holding a big lead after surging to the front in the stretch. Then, jockey Yuga Kawada got to work energetically on Ushba Tessoro. The 6-year-old, who was dead last on the stretch turn, responded with a devastating turn of foot to pass them all. Algiers held second and Emblem Road , the 2022 Saudi Cup (G1) winner, finished third.

Last year's winner, Country Grammer , finished seventh.

"He jumped quite well," Kawada said of Ushba Tesoro, though an interpreter. "I was able to concentrate on maintaining the horse's rhythm.

"It was his first time overseas, first time on a different surface (from Japan's). He traveled quite well. It was just a matter of how much he could take into the race.

I was on the horse for the first time today but it was a tremendous honor to ride him and there was a lot of pressure as the leading Japanese jockey heading into the race." 

Winning trainer Noboru Takagi said the World Cup win was "by far the greatest honor of my career."

Takagi gave no indication of plans for Ushba Tesoro. The only remaining grade I dirt race in Japan is the Champions Cup Dec. 3 at Chukyo Racecourse.

"We will go back to Japan as he's a bit vulnerable in hot weather and heat," the trainer said. "We'll see how he is over the summer and come up with a plan for him."

Ushba Tesoro, by 2013 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Orfevre out of the King Kamehameha  mare Millefeui, completed the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on a fast track in 2:03.25.

He went to the post as a mild long shot on the international markets despite posting four straight wins at home in Japan, including the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) at Oi Racecourse. 

Ushba Tesoro spent most of his early career on the turf, with mildly respectable results. He blossomed when, last April, trainer Noboru Takagi switched him to dirt courses, where he now has five wins from six starts.

With dirt racing still an afterthought in Japan, the international scene was a logical spot for the horse, bred by Chioda Farm Shizunani. He carries the green and yellow colors of Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co Ltd.

The Japanese victory came at the expense of some global stars, as did that country's 1-2-3-4 finish earlier in the program in the UAE Derby (G2).

Country Grammer, last year's Dubai World Cup winner and twice second in the $20 million Saudi Cup or trainer Bob Baffert, was caught wide from an outside gate and raced mid-field under Frankie Dettori but had no punch in the stretch, finishing seventh, beaten more than 13 lengths. That completed a disappointing night for Baffert, who also saw Worcester  finish 11th in the UAE Derby and Hopkins  report fourth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1).

"He ran so big in Saudi Arabia and I was never going today," said Dettori, riding in his final World Cup before retirement. "I pushed him but he felt lethargic. When they run so big, sometimes they take longer to recover than you think."

For Algiers' connections, the defeat came as a rude awakening. Bred by Godolphin but racing for Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi, the 6-year-old Shamardal  gelding was an easy winner in his two local prep races during the Dubai World Cup Carnival season. With James Doyle up, he came from behind the early pace to take the lead but had no response to Ushba Tessoro's surge.

"He jumped well and turning in I thought we had it in the bag," said Algiers' co-trainer Ed Crisford. "But the last furlong he was just treading water a bit. Probably just got outstayed with the tempo of the race."

Japanese connections sent 27 horses to compete on the World Cup program, eight of them entered in the World Cup itself. Despite hoisting the Cup, their overall performance in that featured race was not overwhelming.

A chief disappointment was Panthalassa , winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in his previous start. In that race, he was away to a clean lead and held it throughout, just holding off Country Grammer at the end. In Dubai, he drew the outside gate, was hustled up to contest the lead and had nothing left in the stretch run, finishing 10th.

The other Japanese runners: T O Keynes  was fourth, 2022 UAE Derby Winner Crown Pride  was fifth and Geoglyph, Café Pharoah, and Vela Azul were 11th, 12th, and 13th past the judge.