Tastiera（Japanese: タスティエーラ, Foaled March 22, 2020）is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. His major wins include the Tōkyō Yūshun and the international Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
His name was derived from an Italian word which means "Keyboard", which is related to his Dam's name. He was awarded the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt for 2023.
Racing career 2022: two-year-old season
Tastiera made his debut at the Tokyo Racecourse on November 27, 2022, in a two-year-old newcomer race on turf over 1800m. He was ridden by Ryan Moore and won the race.
2023: three-year-old season In Tastiera's first race of his three-year-old season, he was entered in the Kyodo Tsushin Hai on February 12 for his first Graded stakes race challenge. He was ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga and was the second most popular horse behind Danon the Tiger. He got off to a good start, and although he seemed to slow down a bit on the way, he pursued the middle group from a good position. In the straight line, he ran from the middle of the field with his quick turn of foot, closing in on the group up front, but he fell just short and placed 4th behind the winner Phantom Thief. He was entered in the Yayoi Sho for his next race, held at the Nakayama Racecourse on March 5. Kohei Matsuyama was in the saddle this time following Yuichi's retirement. He maintained a good position throughout the race, and in the final straight he took the lead early and pushed through, gaining a one-length lead over Top Knife, who pushed through the inside, and winning his first graded stakes race. This was the first graded stakes race won by a Satono Crown offspring.
His next race was the Satsuki Shō (Japanese 2000 Guineas) on April 16, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, at the same racecourse as his previous race. He drew gate number 14 and was the 5th most favorite horse behind the Kyodo Tsushin Hai winner Phantom Thief, Keisei Hai winner Sol Oriens, Spring Stakes winner Bellagio Opera, and Kisaragi Sho winner Hrimfaxi. He maintained a good position near the front in the race and approached from the outside at the final corner, and at one point completely broke through and took the lead by two lengths, but Sol Oriens caught him late from the outside, leaving him in 2nd place. After the race, his jockey Kohei said,"I was able to place him in a good position and with a good rhythm. He traveled well throughout the track. It was frustrating because it was just a few strides away, but he did a good job. There's a lot to look forward to.''
On May 7th, it was announced that he would run the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby) as his next race. Since Kohei Matsuyama had a prior commitment with Aoba Sho runner-up Hearts Concerto, he was to be ridden by Damian Lane instead.On May 28th, the day of Tōkyō Yūshun, he was the 4th most favorite behind Satsuki Sho winner Sol Oriens, Aoba Sho winner Skilfing, and Phantom Thief. He also drew gate number 12 prior and will run from that position. He maintained a good position from the start, moved upfront after the final corner into the straight, and broke away with the lead around 200m left, entering the finish line winning the race before the late charges of Sol Oriens, Hearts Concierto, and Bellagio Opera. This marked his first GI victory, and he topped all the 7,708 thoroughbreds produced or imported to Japan in 2020. With this, Satono Crown has produced his first Derby horse in his first year as a stallion. This is the first time in 69 years since Golden Wave in 1954 that a jockey who has never ridden the winning horse prior has won the Derby. This marks Damian Lane's first Japanese Derby victory, while for the horse's owner, Carrot Farm, it is their second victory, following Rey de Oro in 2017. This is the third consecutive Japanese derby victory for a horse bred by Northern Farm, following Shahryar and Do Deuce, and also their third consecutive G1 victory in 2023 following Victoria Mile (Songline) and Yushun Himba (Liberty Island).
In July, it was announced that Tastiera would race in the final leg of the classic, the Kikuka Sho in October. This race would pit him against Sol Oriens for the third time after the previous two legs. He would be partnered with Joao Moreira this time around. This news meant that he would be jockeyed by three different jockeys for all three classic races (Matsuyama in the Satsuki Sho and Lane in the Tokyo Yushun). As a preparation for the race, Hori did not pushed him so much from summer to the training camp. Since he skipped all the prep races for this third leg, he was fresh and ran excellently in the drills. When the race started, Tastiera settled in the ninth position inside the pack before turning wide into the backstretch. At the final corner, he turned side-by-side alongside Sol Oriens into the homestretch to catch up to the leaders. He unleashed the second-fastest late kick but failed to threaten the winner in a three-and-a-half-length runner-up effort behind the winner, Durezza. Moreira reflected on that race by saying the horse was calm, the strategy was followed and the spaces to run was open. It was just the winning horse is too strong to catch on that day. One week after this race, Carrot Club decided that Tastiera would focus his winter campaign domestically and would not accept any foreign race invitation. This was aligned with the future announcement that Tastiera would run in the Arima Kinen in December, with his debut jockey, Ryan Moore. In the final workout, Hori said that the horse was eating better, gaining more strength, and showing excellent form in training, which was applauded by the rest of the teams. Like the previous race, Moore positioned the horse in ninth position in the early part. Reaching the third corner, Moore urged the horse to drive forward but met traffic at 200 metres mark before the line. The horse lost momentum and ended up in sixth place. Moore noted that the conditions were great for both track and horse; the pace was slightly slow in the middle, which affected his rhythm; and the horse did not performed well in the final straight because he was gassed and used all his legs beforehand. At the end of the year, Tastiera was awarded the best three-year-old colt of the year by JRA.
2024: four-year-old season Tastiera resumed his career this year at the Osaka Hai in April alongside Matsuyama as his jockey. In training, Hori said that the horse was too relax as he did not fully pushed him in training. Despite that, he claimed that the horse is almost fully fit for the race. In the race, Tastiera mostly hugged the inside lane in fourth position, shifted outward slightly after entering the lane to make bid for the win, but the horse was outpaced and gradually fell back in the last 200 metres to finish 11th. Matsuyama said post-race, "The start was good, and the position during the race was also good. We were able to run a good race, but I'm sorry. This horse doesn't usually lose by this much...", emphasis on his frustration by the way they fell back in the final straight. At the end of April, the horse would run in the Tenno Sho (Spring). Unlike previous training, Hori put in serious workouts for him this time around and felt that there was an improvement in the quality of his movement. Hori also explained that the loss in Osaka Hai previously might have come from his poor appetite post-transport, since 80% of his feed was left uneaten. This situation prompted Hori to be extra careful as he would adjust the horse appropriately for upcoming races. On race day, Moreira, who took the reins this time, placed the horse in ninth position along the way. The horse gradually made headway near the end but lacked the finishing kick to improve and ended up in seventh behind the winner, T O Royal. Moreira confirmed that the race went well for the horse but admitted that they could not extend as much as they thought in the end. The horse was given a break and sent to pasture for the time being, as they waited to see whether he was fit for the Takarazuka Kinen or not when the time came..
Eventually, he skipped that race and continued to rest until the second half started. The next race for him would be at the Tenno Sho (Autumn) in October. The team switched his jockey once more, as he went with Matsuyama in this race. Hori noted about his training, "He took the bit on his own and pulled ahead, showing good responsiveness and extending his stride. His breathing is poor, so hopefully this workout will get him in shape. On race day, Tastiera secured a good start and positioned himself on fourth position. He slightly angled out when taking the last corners and further stamped his position on the outside track in the final straight. He overtook every single front-running horse except one, Do Deuce, and finished half a length behind him in second place. Matsuyama quoted on his comeback performance, "The horse had a good feel and a good start. There was no tension during the race, and it ran at a good rhythm. It stretched out at the end and came very close, but the winning horse's finishing kick got the better of it. I'm disappointed that I couldn't get the result when I was given another chance, but it showed its ability. This horse can do even better." This performance was considered good enough, as the team accepted the international invitation to the Hong Kong Cup race in December. For his first international, he trained alongside fellow compatriot who would join the Hong Kong Sprint, Satono Reve and edged him to the finish line by half a length. His groom, Takahashi, remarked that his movement was flawless and he was in good condition physically and mentally. In the race, he had a fierce duel along the way alongside the local horse, Romantic Warrior and kept changing position between first and second. In the final straight, Romantic Warrior spurted away and another Japanese horse, Liberty Island overtook him before the line as he finished in third place that day. Lane, who rode him this time stated that Tastiera ran great and got up to the speed. It was just a few fresher horses that beat him in the end.
2025: five-year-old season
In April, Tastiera started his campaign with another Hong Kong race. This time, He would join the Queen Elizabeth II Cup race alongside two fellow compatriots, Prognosis and Liberty Island. Lane would continue his task of jockeying the horse for the race. In the final workout, the horse showed his relaxed demeanour as he recorded a steady time for four furlongs. His groom, Takahashi, confirmed that the horse was calm, that the response and race rhythm were exactly as intended, and that everything was going smoothly. Lane and Tastiera were drawn to start from gate 10 on the day of the race. When the gates opened, he broke swiftly from the gate and settled into fourth position in the back straight as New Zealand star El Vencedor carved out the early tractions under Zac Purton. While Lane maintained a prominent position, fancied runners Goliath, Liberty Island and Prognosis were forced to settle further towards the rear in a steadily run race. The horse travelled up strongly to the quarters of El Vencedor and Cap Ferrat at the head of the home straight and soon skated into a clear lead. He led the race to the home, one-and-three-quarters lengths ahead of Prognosis, who finished second. After the race, Lane praised on how great the horse was and how massive this win for the Carrot Farm, as he also expressed his gratitude and privilege on riding Tastiera that day. This win marked his first overseas G1 win and also repeated his sire's feat in Hong Kong when Satono Crown won the 2016 Hong Kong Vase.