Gentildonna is the fourth mare in Japanese horse racing history to win the Triple Tiara, and was added to Umamusume: Pretty Derby in 2024.
Gentildonna, the legendary Japanese racehorse that inspired the Umamusume: Pretty Derby character of the same name, has died. She was 16-years-old.
Gentildonna, who raced from 2011 to 2014, is one of the greatest mares to have ever raced in Japan. She became the fourth horse to win the fillies' Triple Tiara in 2012, won seven G1 races in total, and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year twice in 2012 and 2014.
Gentildonna's death was first reported by the Sunday Thoroughbred Club on Wednesday (26 November). While the cause of her death has not been revealed, the announcement said that Gentildonna “passed away peacefully”. She resided in Northern Farm, a major Japanese horse breeding farm in Hokkaido, since her retirement from racing in 2014 to become a broodmare. Gentildonna then retired from broodmare duty back in July this year.
The official Umamusume: Pretty Derby social media accounts also released a statement, where developer Cygames' shared their condolences over Gentildonna's passing.
Gentildonna's life and career
Gentildonna was born on 20 February, 2009 in Northern Farm, having been sired by another legendary Japanese racehorse in Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, out of British mare Donna Blini.
Despite her prestigious pedigree, Gentildonna's racing career did not have the strongest of starts. In her first year of racing in 2011, she finished second in a newcomers race before winning a maiden race heading into her three-year-old season in 2012.
As a three-year-old, Gentildonna won the G3 Shinzan Kinen and finished fourth in the Tulip Sho before challenging the Triple Tiara. She defeated Verxina, another legendary mare that also inspired an Umamusume character, in the Oka Sho, Japanese Oaks, and Shuka Sho to become only the fourth mare in the history of Japanese horse racing to win the Triple Tiara. Gentildonna also added a fourth victory over Verxina in the Rose Stakes during her Triple Tiara campaign.
In November 2012, Gentildonna also became the first three-year-old filly to win the prestigious Japan Cup, after defeating the likes of Triple Crown winner Orfevre and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Solemia.
Following her domestic dominance in 2012, Gentildonna competed in her first international race in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March 2013. However, she suffered her first defeat since her debut race after finishing second. She suffered two more losses in the Takarazuka Kinen, finishing third behind Gold Ship and Danon Ballade, and the Autumn Tenno Sho, placing second behind Just A Way.
Despite starting the year with three straight losses, Gentildonna closed 2013 on a high by claiming back-to-back Japan Cup victories, notably finishing ahead of Denim And Ruby by a nose.
In 2014, Gentildonna suffered another loss to start her season, by only finishing sixth in the G2 Kyoto Kinen. She then challenged the Dubai Sheema Classic once again, this time claiming victory by a comfortable margin. However, her next race in that year's Takarazuka Kinen saw her finish seventh, over seven lengths behind the winner Gold Ship.
After back-to-back races without a podium finish, Gentildonna bounced back in the Autumn Tenno Sho by finishing second. She then failed to win a historic third straight Japan Cup, losing the title to Epiphaneia and only finishing fourth. However, Gentildonna's last race at the 2014 Arima Kinen saw her claim her seventh G1 victory by overcoming a stacked field that included the likes of Gold Ship, Just A Way, and Epiphaneia. Gentildonna's retirement ceremony was then held right after her win at the Arima Kinen.
Following her retirement from racing, Gentildonna returned to Northern Farm to become a broodmare, until her retirement from breeding duties and eventual death in 2025.
As one of the most legendary mares in Japanese horse racing history, Gentildonna was a highly-anticipated character to be added in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. She was announced as a trainee during the game's third anniversary stream for its original Japanese version and was added on 23 August, 2024. She has yet to appear in Umamusume: Pretty Derby's global version, which released over four years after the Japanese version was first launched.
Gentildonna is now the third Japanese racehorse used as a basis for an Umamusume character to pass away this year, following Grass Wonder in August and Haru Urara in September.
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.
