Wilson Tesoro (Japanese: ウィルソンテソーロ, Hepburn: Uiruson Tesōro; foaled 25 February 2019) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He has competed since 2021, recording ten wins in thirty starts, including the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) in 2024, the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (JpnI) in 2025, and the Kashiwa Kinen (JpnI) in 2026. He also finished second in the Champions Cup (GI) three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025, becoming only the fifth horse in JRA history to achieve this feat. His racing name combines "Wilson," a personal name, with "Tesoro," the Italian word for "treasure."
Background Wilson Tesoro is a bay colt bred in Hidaka, Hokkaido, by Ryoken Farm. He was sired by Kitasan Black, a son of Black Tide, and his dam was Chest Keros, an American-bred mare by Uncle Mo. His dam died of laminitis shortly after giving birth to him, making Wilson Tesoro her only foal. He was owned by Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings and initially sent into training with Noboru Takagi at the JRA's Miho Training Center.
Racing career
2021–2022: early career Wilson Tesoro debuted on August 28, 2021, in a maiden race on the turf at Niigata Racecourse, finishing sixth behind Equinox. He was subsequently diagnosed with a fracture in his left foreleg and was sidelined for an extended period. He returned in June 2022 but finished unplaced in two turf races before switching to dirt, where he won three consecutive races at Tokyo Racecourse.
2023: four-year-old season Wilson Tesoro won the Shofuku Stakes (Allowance) at Nakayama Racecourse in January, completing a four-race winning streak. He won the Kakitsubata Kinen (JpnIII) at Nagoya Racecourse in May in a race record time, the Mercury Cup (JpnIII) at Morioka Racecourse in July, and the Hakusan Daishoten (JpnIII) at Kanazawa Racecourse in September, achieving three consecutive graded stakes victories. He finished fifth in the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) at Oi Racecourse in November. He finished second in the Champions Cup (GI) at Chukyo Racecourse in December at 92-to-1 odds, and second in the Tokyo Daishoten (GI) at Oi in December.
2024: five-year-old season Wilson Tesoro finished eighth in the February Stakes (GI) at Tokyo in February and fourth in the Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan Racecourse in March. He finished second in the Teio Sho (JpnI) at Oi in June and second in the Korea Cup (G3) at Seoul Racecourse in September. On November 4, he won the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) at Saga Racecourse by four lengths, recording his first Grade 1-level victory and the first dirt Grade 1 victory for his sire Kitasan Black. He finished second in the Champions Cup (GI) at Chukyo in December and second in the Tokyo Daishoten (GI) at Oi in December.
2025: six-year-old season Wilson Tesoro finished fourth in the Saudi Cup (G1) at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in February and seventh in the Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan in April. He finished fifth in the Teio Sho (JpnI) at Oi in July. On October 13, he won the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (JpnI) at Morioka by four lengths, recording his second JpnI victory. He finished fifth in the JBC Classic (JpnI) at Funabashi Racecourse in November and second in the Champions Cup (GI) at Chukyo in December, becoming only the fifth horse in JRA history to finish second in the same GI race three consecutive years.
2026: seven-year-old season Wilson Tesoro finished second in the February Stakes (GI) at Tokyo in February. He was scheduled to contest the Dubai World Cup but the plans were cancelled due to the 2026 Iran war occurring several weeks before the race. He was instead sent to contest the Kashiwa Kinen (JpnI) on May 5 at Funabashi, where he won his third JpnI victory. He finished second in the Sakitama Hai (JpnI) at Urawa Racecourse in June.
Statistics The following table details all 30 starts of Wilson Tesoro's racing career based on official netkeiba, JBIS, and Racing Post records. Record current as of 24 June 2026.
Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref2021 – two-year-old season Turf 1800 m (Firm) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Niigata 27.0 (6th) 15 6th 1:49.3 Kosei Miura 1.9 Equinox2022 – three-year-old season Turf 2400 m (Firm) 3-Y-O Maiden Maiden Tokyo 4.2 (3rd) 12 7th 2:27.9 Keita Tosaki 0.5 Oceans Yori Turf 1800 m (Firm) 3-Y-O Maiden Maiden Fukushima 4.5 (2nd) 15 13th 1:51.3 Keita Tosaki 1.4 Cosmo Express Dirt 1800 m (Good) 3-Y-O Maiden Maiden Niigata 5.3 (4th) 14 1:51.8 Keita Tosaki –1.8 (Satono Gibeon) Dirt 1600 m (Good) 3-Y-O 1-Win Class Allowance Tokyo 1.3 (1st) 12 1:36.5 Keita Tosaki –0.8 (Gruss Gott) Dirt 1600 m (Firm) 3-Y-O 2-Win Class Allowance Tokyo 1.4 (1st) 16 1:36.6 Keita Tosaki –0.2 (Daishin Pisces)2023 – four-year-old season Dirt 1800 m (Firm) Shofuku Stakes Allowance Nakayama 1.5 (1st) 12 1:52.3 Keita Tosaki –0.3 (Best Regard) Dirt 1800 m (Good) Nagoyajo Stakes Open Chukyo 2.0 (1st) 16 5th 1:51.1 Katsuma Sameshima 0.9 Le Coeur Sale Dirt 1500 m (Firm) Kakitsubata Kinen JpnIII Nagoya 3.0 (2nd) 12 Yuga Kawada 0.0 (Dry Stout) Dirt 2000 m (Heavy) Mercury Cup JpnIII Morioka 2.2 (1st) 13 Yuga Kawada –0.6 (Terios Bell) Dirt 2100 m (Firm) Hakusan Daishoten JpnIII Kanazawa 1.2 (1st) 12 2:11.0 Yuga Kawada –0.1 (Meisho Funjin) Dirt 2000 m (Firm) JBC Classic JpnI Oi 4.7 (3rd) 10 5th 2:06.9 Akira Sugawara 1.8 King's Sword Dirt 1800 m (Firm) Champions Cup GI Chukyo 92.0 (12th) 15 1:50.8 Yusuke Hara 0.2 Lemon Pop Dirt 2000 m (Firm) Tokyo Daishoten GI Oi 14.2 (6th) 9 2:07.4 Yusuke Hara 0.1 Ushba Tesoro2024 – five-year-old season Dirt 1600 m (Firm) February Stakes GI Tokyo 3.9 (2nd) 16 8th 1:36.6 Kohei Matsuyama 0.9 Peptide Nile Dirt 2000 m (Firm) Dubai World Cup G1 Meydan – 12 4th 2:04.7 Yusuke Hara 2.4 Laurel River Dirt 2000 m (Good) Teio Sho JpnI Oi 3.2 (1st) 13 2:07.2 Yuga Kawada 0.3 King's Sword Dirt 1800 m (Good) Korea Cup G3 Seoul 1.5 (1st) 11 1:52.7 Yuga Kawada 0.9 Crown Pride Dirt 2000 m (Firm) JBC Classic JpnI Saga 2.1 (1st) 11 2:08.0 Yuga Kawada –0.8 (Meisho Hario) Dirt 1800 m (Firm) Champions Cup GI Chukyo 5.5 (2nd) 16 1:50.1 Yuga Kawada 0.0 Lemon Pop Dirt 2000 m (Firm) Tokyo Daishoten GI Oi 5.0 (2nd) 10 2:05.3 Yuga Kawada 0.3 Forever Young2025 – six-year-old season Dirt 1800 m (Fast) Saudi Cup G1 KAA 16.0 (5th) 14 4th 1:51.54 Yuga Kawada 2.45 Forever Young Dirt 2000 m (Fast) Dubai World Cup G1 Meydan 33.0 (7th) 11 7th 2:04.83 Yuga Kawada 1.33 Hit Show Dirt 2000 m (Firm) Teio Sho JpnI Oi 4.4 (2nd) 13 5th 2:04.1 Yuga Kawada 1.0 Mikki Fight Dirt 1600 m (Firm) Mile Championship Nambu Hai JpnI Morioka 5.1 (4th) 16 1:34.3 Yuga Kawada –0.6 (Sixpence) Dirt 1800 m (Good) JBC Classic JpnI Funabashi 3.9 (2nd) 14 5th 1:54.2 Yuga Kawada 2.2 Mikki Fight Dirt 1800 m (Firm) Champions Cup GI Chukyo 7.3 (2nd) 16 1:50.2 Yuga Kawada 0.0 W Heart Bond2026 – seven-year-old season Dirt 1600 m (Firm) February Stakes GI Tokyo 5.4 (3rd) 16 1:35.5 Yuga Kawada 0.1 Costa Nova Dirt 1600 m (Firm) Kashiwa Kinen JpnI Funabashi 5.0 (3rd) 13 1:38.6 Yuga Kawada –0.1 (Mikki Fight) Dirt 1400 m (Good) Sakitama Hai JpnI Urawa 1.8 (1st) 11 1:25.6 Yuga Kawada 0.3 Lord Fons
Pedigree
Wilson Tesoro is inbred 5 × 5 to Lyphard (sire side). His sire Kitasan Black won the 2016 Kikuka Shō (GI) and 2017 Tennō Shō (Spring, GI). His dam Chest Keros died of laminitis shortly after giving birth to him, making Wilson Tesoro her only foal.
See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic Kitasan Black
References