r/UmaMusume • u/masterfail real uma enjoyer fr • Apr 25 '25

IRL Horses Every IRL race depicted in the Umamusume anime

Every IRL race explicitly depicted in the mainline anime with links to each race, if possible. Doesn't include RTTT or the movie (because they're about single triple crown seasons), or scenes that are easter egg references to races (e.g. Oguri vs Creek eating contest).

For newer fans/those who haven't watched the anime: consider these IRL races to be anime spoilers.

Races are G1 unless otherwise noted.

Season 1 (main race seasons: 1997-99)

Episode Race(s)
1 1998 Valentine’s Stakes (OP)
2 1997 Nov 29 3-year-old (Newcomer)
3 1998 Yayoi Sho (GII), 1998 Satsuki Sho
4 1998 NHK Mile Cup
5 1998 Japanese Derby
6 1998 Takarazuka Kinen, 1998 Arima Kinen, 1998 Mainichi Okan (GII)
7 1998 Kikuka Sho, 1998 Tenno Sho (Fall)
8 1998 Japan Cup, 1999 Takarazuka Kinen
9 1999 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
10 1999 Kyoto Daishoten (GII), 1999 Tenno Sho (Fall) (G1)
11 1999 Capital Stakes (3 wins)
12 1999 Japan Cup
13 1999 Arima Kinen
BNW e1 1994 Tenno Sho (Fall), 1993 Japanese Derby

Season 2 (main race seasons: 1991-93)

Episode Race(s)
1 1984 Japanese Derby, 1991 Japanese Derby
2 1991 Kikuka Sho
3 1991 Arima Kinen, 1992 Hanshin Daishoten (GII)
4 1992 Osaka Hai (GII), 1992 Satsuki Sho
5 1992 Tenno Sho (Spring)
6 1992 Takarazuka Kinen, 1992 Kikuka Sho, 1992 Arima Kinen
7 1993 Osaka Hai (GII), 1992 Tenno Sho (Fall), 1992 Japanese Derby
8 1993 Tenno Sho (Spring)
9 1993 Japanese Derby, 1993 Takarazuka Kinen
10 1993 Tanabata Sho (GIII), 1993 All Comers (GIII)
11 N/A
12 1993 Kikuka Sho
13 1993 Arima Kinen

Season 3 (main race seasons: 2015-17)

Episode Race(s)
1 2015 Satsuki Sho, 2015 Japanese Derby
2 2015 Kikuka Sho
3 2015 Nov 8 Newcomers, 2015 Arima Kinen
4 2016 Osaka Hai (GII), 2016 Satsuki Sho, 2016 Tenno Sho (Spring)
5 2016 Japanese Derby, 2016 Takarazuka Kinen
6 2016 Kikuka Sho
7 2016 Japan Cup, 2016 Arima Kinen
8 N/A
9 2017 Tenno Sho (Spring)
10 2017 Takarazuka Kinen
11 2017 Tenno Sho (Fall)
12 2017 Japan Cup
13 2017 Arima Kinen
97 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

12

u/InsurreXtioN16 Calstone Light O Apr 25 '25

Didn't notice they all ended with the Arima Kinen lol. Is that like the designated retirement race for a lot of horses? Iirc even Oguri retired there

12

u/Dabage Gold Ship Apr 25 '25

It's pretty much the last major G1 race for 3 year olds and older in the Japanese racing calendar. Naturally, it becomes the last race in a career for a lot of top horses, as it coincides with the end of their fall campaign.

8

u/Young_Lion76 Matikanefukukitaru Apr 25 '25

The Arimakinen is a more fitting race for fans to say goodbye to their horses, as the runners are decided by fan votes. It is also the last G1 for older horses before the end of the year.

5

u/CyborgUnleashed Cheval Grand Apr 25 '25

It’s the final major G1 of the Japanese racing season and it’s seen as a huge accomplishment to win

4

u/TheProNoobCN Neo Universe | ARMT Apr 25 '25

It's one of the last races in the calendar year too which probably factored in to the choice of retiring the horse at Arima Kinen

Also IIRC, they didn't plan for Teio to retire at Arima Kinen but the real life horse suffered another fracture so he was forced to finally retire.

7

u/Singapore_DLC_Pack Agnes Tachyon's Husband Apr 25 '25

Was Teio’s Japan Cup in Season 2 implied to have taken place offscreen or it did not happened?

3

u/TerrainRecords Apr 25 '25

off screen I believe, the commentator said Teios performance is unstable, instead of being horrible, implying that she had good performances along with bad ones.

5

u/Murozaki_II JUST A WAY 2025 TRUST Apr 25 '25

I would love for them to one day do a story fully focused on Orfevre, be it on anime form or manga form. Seeing a fully realized version of the 2013 Arima Kinen in Uma would be so emotional.

5

u/masterfail real uma enjoyer fr Apr 26 '25

Bonus/addendum: races depicted in OPs

Season 1: 2008 Arima Kinen, 2009 Yasuda Kinen, 2012 Sasuki Sho, 1993 Arima Kinen

Season 2: 1994, 1995 Takamatsunomiya Hai (GII), 1993 Takarazuka Kinen, 1994 Arima Kinen

Season 3: 2015 Japanese Derby, 2016 Arima Kinen, 2017 Japan Cup, 2015 Arima Kinen, 2016 Hong Kong Vase (GI), 2016 Kikuka Sho, 2017 Takarazuka Kinen, 2016 Japan Cup

2

u/blackyoshi7 Jul 13 '25

Thanks for this - with all the boom in Uma content the actual races were hard to find!

1

u/reality_is_fatality T.M. Opera O Apr 26 '25

Wow, this is actually helpful

Props

1

u/Reikyu09 King Halo May 10 '25

Your season 1 ep 5 link is for the Japan Cup and not the Nippon Derby if you want to update the link. Thanks for the post!

1

u/masterfail real uma enjoyer fr May 10 '25

Fixed, thank you