Grass Wonder enjoyed a successful career as a racehorse, which made him the inspiration for a character of the same name from Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
Grass Wonder, the legendary Japanese racehorse that inspired the Umamusume: Pretty Derby character of the same name, has passed away. He was 30-years old.
Grass Wonder's passing was announced on Friday (8 August) by Big Red Farm, the Hokkaido stable that housed him and many other retired Japanese racehorses. According to Big Red Farm's statement, Grass Wonder was diagnosed with “multiple organ failure due to a decline in physical strength associated with aging.” Having lived to 30-years old, Grass Wonder lived a much longer life compared to most racehorses.
“[Grass Wonder] turned 30 this year and was in good health, but his condition worsened yesterday evening and he passed away this evening. He has taken his last breath,” said Big Red Farm.
“We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to this great horse who made such a great contribution to Japanese horse racing. We pray for the repose of Grass Wonder's soul.”
The official Umamusume: Pretty Derby social media accounts also released statements where developer Cygames' shared their condolences over Grass Wonder's passing, noting the racehorse's legacy as an inspiration for the game's version of the now-departed legend.
In the weeks leading up to his passing, Grass Wonder notably became a trending topic among Umamusume: Pretty Derby fans after he was found to have grown fat during his retirement.
A post from Rena Maeda, who voiced Grass Wonder's character in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, that detailed her 2018 visit to the real-life Grass Wonder recently surfaced and became viral. Grass Wonder was noted to have eaten throughout the entire visit and particularly enjoyed munching on dandelions.
Grass Wonder's life and career
Grass Wonder was born on 18 February, 1995, having been bred in the United States before being raised in Japan. He enjoyed a successful racing career from 1997 to 2000 where he won nine of his 15 races, including four Grade I races. He was best known for his juvenile year in 1997, when he was unbeaten in four races and became that year's best juvenile colt in Japan.
Some of Grass Wonder's biggest victories included the 1997 Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes, back-to-back Arima Kinen wins in 1998 and 1997, and the 1999 Takarazuka Kinen.
In 2000, Grass Wonder was retired to stud, where he also enjoyed success as a breeding stallion. His most successful progeny included Sakura Mega Wonder, Screen Wonder, Earnestly, and Seiun Wonder.
During his retirement, Grass Wonder continued to enjoy support from both fans of Japanese horse racing and Umamusume: Pretty Derby. In the ‘Fresh Hay Bank’, a crowdfunding website that allowed fans to gift fresh grass to retired and distinguished horses, Grass Wonder was the recipient of the biggest amount of donated grass at almost 3,900 kilograms. He even surpassed fan-favourite Haru Urara, who recently caused a flood of donations that crashed the site.
Other racehorses that inspired characters from Umamusume: Pretty Derby that are recipients of donations from Fresh Hay Bank include Meisho Doto, Hishi Miracle, Nice Nature, Fine Motion, and Tanino Gimlet, among others.
When Umamusume: Pretty Derby was first launched in Japan in February 2021, Grass Wonder was among the list of characters available at launch alongside the likes of Special Week, Silence Suzuka, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and Gold Ship. While the game was already very successful in Japan, it gained a massive surge in popularity when it released globally on 26 June this year.
Driven by the popularity of Umamusume: Pretty Derby's global launch, the still-living Japanese racehorses that inspired characters from the game enjoyed renewed support and donations through Fresh Hay Bank and other related support systems for retired horses.
If you're interested in finding out more about the real-life racehorses that inspired your favourite Umamusume: Pretty Derby characters, you can check out GosuGamers' series covering the histories of the racehorses that inspired Umamusume: Pretty Derby's characters.
