Here are the racehorses of the ‘00s and the ‘10s that you can train in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby took the world by a storm when it became available for global players on 26 June. And although the game has been a staple gacha for Japan since 2021, its characters, aptly called umamusume (literally meaning “horse girl”), has won the hearts of many players since then.
Besides giving us adorable anthropomorphised horse girls to train and get to know, Umamusume: Pretty Derby has opened the gates (pun intended) for younger generations to learn about the fast-paced and competitive world of professional racehorsing (or keiba), a sport that has cemented itself in the Japanese psyche since its boom in popularity in the 1860s.
Given its enduring legacy, many legendary racehorses have etched themselves into history. Seeing this untapped market of potential, game developer Cygames conceptualised the cute and addictive gacha game we know today.
So, which legendary racehorses got into Umamusume: Pretty Derby, what happened during their careers, and where are they now?Previously, we explored the 1970s and 1980s racehorses featured in the game, the first batch of 1990s racehorses, and the second batch of 1990s racehorses. In this article, we’re finally in the homestretch of our deep dive of the current list of active trainees in the global server:
Agnes Tachyon
Agnes Tachyon was a legendary horse with an undefeated record, and was also recognised as the Leading sire in Japan in 2008. He had two major wins: the Yayoi Sho and Satsuki Sho in 2001, and had an incredibly short career that ended due to injury. He ran from 2000 to 20001.
Fans of Agnes Tachyon also call him the “phantom triple crown”, as they believe that he would have won the Japan Derby and the Kikuka Sho, had he not suffered a career-ending bowed tendon injury.
Although Agnes Tachyon’s racing dreams were cut short, his legacy was built upon by the foals he sired. A lot of his descendants went on to become award-winning racehorses, one of those being Daiwa Scarlet.
Agnes Tachyon passed away in 2009 at the age of 11 years old, due to heart failure.
Curren Chan
Curren Chan is a mare with a decorated track record, she raced from 2009 to 2012 with five major wins, and two awards: the JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler in 2011, and the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare in 2011. Curren Chan ran a total of 18 races, nine of which she placed first.
There’s not much information regarding Curren Chan after her retirement, but as of 2025, she is now 18 years old.
Daiwa Scarlet
Daiwa Scarlet raced with five major wins and one award in her record, and is also titled as a double crown mare. She raced from 2004 to 2009, and later on retired to be a brood mare. Out of 12 races, she placed first eight times. She is now 21 years old.
Daiwa Scarlet is famous for her intense rivalry with fellow mare Vodka, as they often raced together. A popular, unconfirmed tale within the Umamusume community is that the owner of Daiwa Scarlet, Keizo Oshiro, only agreed for her likeness to be used in the game if she had a bigger bust than Vodka.
Gold Ship
Perhaps the most iconic horse in recent memory, Gold Ship is more than the meme-maker and chaos-causer, he’s also a decorated stallion with a commendable race record. With a career spanning from 2011 to 2015, Gold Ship has eight major wins, and one award for Best Three-Year-Old-Colt in 2012. Out of the 28 races he joined, he placed first 13 times.
Although Gold Ship had an amazing career, it was often fraught with issues because of his temperamental, mischievous nature. Gold Ship is most remembered for the infamous “12 Billion Yen Incident” of 2015 at the G1 Takarazuka Kinen race, where he reared up twice as the race began, causing him to have a disastrously late start. The incident caused a loss for an estimated 12 billion yen in betting tickets.
It doesn’t stop there. After Gold Ship’s retirement, it was discovered that his body had not suffered the usual wear and tear caused by horseracing, and was remarkably still in peak condition. This discovery led his caretakers, jockey, and trainer to believe that Gold Ship didn’t really take his career seriously.
Gold Ship is now enjoying a healthy, fruitful retirement as a stud with a whopping 99% success rate. He is now 16 years old.
Vodka
Vodka was a mare known as Daiwa Scarlet’s biggest rival. But besides that, Vodka was also an amazing racehorse known for becoming the first filly in over 60 years to win the Japan Cup in 2009. She was also the highest earning racemare in Thoroughbred history at the time, with her winning record equalling those of Triple Crown Winners Symboli Rudolf and Deep Impact.
In a career that lasted from 2006 to 2010, Vodka took part in a total of 26 races, 10 of which she landed first place in, and seven were major wins. She was multi-awarded and inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame.
A little fun fact to know: in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Vodka’s starting speed stat is two points ahead of Daiwa Scarlet. It’s because in real life, Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet went head to head in Daiwa Scarlet’s final race at the 2008 Autumn Tenno Sho. It was a close race that needed a photo-finish evaluation, where it was revealed that Vodka won by only two centimetres.
Vodka retired to become a broodmare to a number of successful foals. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 14.
Information used in this article was sourced from NetKeiba and NamuWiki.
