The surprising hit that dashed onto the scene,Umamusume: Pretty Derby,has fans racing to support and train a horse of their anime dreams. Each of its cast is someone’s most beloved thanks to their great stories, designs, and personalities that make you really want to help train them to win and achieve their goals.
While all your Umas (Horses) are Musumes (Girls), each one of them is actually inspired and based on a real-world horse. Just like your career andSparks in-game, these horses have competed in many events and have legacies of their own, and you will find that it’s more than just the names that the Umas have inherited.
All the Trainees are ordered in alphabetical order and this list only includes the Trainees present in the Global version of the game.
Credit for the images of the race horses goes toNetkeibaand their respective photographers.
Status: Died in 2009
Win-to-Race Ratio: 4:4
Sex: Stallion
Agnes Tachyon was a horse who was very much deserving of the name and, just like the Uma who researches speed limits, he pushed speeds beyond what everyone expected.
Despite only having entered four races, Agnes Tachyon blitzed through the competition despite the odds and quickly retired to breed many winning foals as an undefeated legend.
Status: Died in 2013
Win-to-Race Ratio: 9 to 19
Sex: Mare
In the real world of horse racing, mares are often looked down upon as less successful than stallions, but Air Groove was one of the few to prove them all wrong.
The ‘Empress’, as she was lovingly nicknamed, may not have won a ton of races, but no matter what, she would always show a good race and place well against the stallions. She even went on to be the first mare to win the JRA’s horse of the year in 26 years in 1997.
Status: Died in 2020
Win-to-Race Ratio: 10 to 16
This stallion lived a long life and, with big strides on the racetrack, he easily took home prized trophies, such as winning all three Triple Crown races in 1993.
Biwa Hayahide’s main claim to fame was not just his ten wins though, but actually his big face that made him a memorable horse for fans. He won over the hearts of many, much like the Uma’s big poofy hair.
Status: Retired in 2008
Win-to-Race Ratio: 8 to 12
Daiwa Scarlet is the tutorial Uma in the game; however, the actual mare is much more than just your average racer.
Not only is she one of the few mares to ever win the Arima Kinen, but she and her rival Vodka both showed fierce competition, and it was a legendary rivalry that the game showcases perfectly.
Status: Died in 2002
Win-to-Race Ratio: 8 to 11
This masked Uma actually contradicts the Stallion she is based on, as he never wore a mask but still had Western roots tied to his birth. If Uma El Condor Pasa were to apply real horse racing rules, then she would be limited to fewer races as she is one of the few Uma’s that use an American-bred horse as their inspiration.
Many of the races you have been putting her into are restricted to Japanese-only-bred horses in real life, making them only slightly inaccurate.
Status: Retired in 2015
Win-to-Race Ratio: 13 to 28
Gold Ship is one of the moreinteresting Umasin the game with some questionably silly moments that are all inspired by the real stallion himself.
The real Gold Ship is notoriously known for messing up races for no reason, making silly faces, and even trying to kick his trainer, and this eccentric and wild behavior has made him and the Uma both become iconic.
Status: Retired in 1999
Win-to-Race Ratio: 9 to 15
While the Uma Grass Wonder is a kind, friendly Uma with a dedication to coming first, the real stallion is even more of a peaceful, graceful legend.
Grass Wonder in the game is often seen as being very close to Maruzensky and this is also due to the real horse being nicknamed the ‘Second Coming of Maruzensky’ due to his performance.
Status: Retired in 2004
Win-to-Race Ratio: 0 to 113
The story of the poor mare Haru Urara is a tragic one. Having raced in over 113 races with many riders, she may seem like an experienced horse, but she never won a single race during her career.
Even sadder is that, in game, Haru Urara actually has poor base stats to reflect her counterpart andfans have been desperately trying to help her winnot just one race but the entire Ura Finale story.
Status: Died in 2019
Win-to-Race Ratio: 6 to 27
Many horses have one kind of track or mile length they specialize in, but King Halo was one of the few that attempted every G1 race no matter the conditions or competition.
King Halo was originally named Asaka Halo, but to inspire victory and lead, his trainer renamed him before his race debut into the horse that many grew fondly of due to the determination to conquer the G1 races without fear, just like his Uma counterpart.
Born: 1974
Country: Japan
Relatives: Sakura Chiyono O (Child), Rice Shower (Grandchild), Winning Ticket (Grandchild), Mejiro Bright (Grandchild), Special Week (Grandchild), Curren Chan (Great-grandchild), Buena Vista (Great-grandchild), Cesario (Great-grandchild), Daring Tact (Great-great-great-grandchild)
Status: Died in 1997
Win-to-Race Ratio: 8 to 8
One of the oldest horses featured in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Maruzensky is a car-obsessed Uma who reflects heavily on her stallion counterpart. Not only was the real Maruzensky nicknamed the ‘Super Car’, but he also won all eight of his races with his speed prowess.
As you’re able to tell by the massive relatives section in the table, Maruzensky was the father to many of the greatest horses, having a total of over 900 foals and this legend has never been forgotten.
