Here are the racehorses of the ‘90s that you can train in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, part 2!

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, as well as the first batch of 1990s racehorses. In this article, we’re continuing our deep dive into the current list of active trainees in the global server:

Biwa Hayahide

Biwa Hayahide in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, NetKeiba).

Biwa Hayahide was a remarkable stallion who ran from 1992 to 1994, and ran 16 total races, 10 of which were wins. Out of those 10, three were major G1 wins.

Biwa Hayahide was the younger brother of Narita Bryan, whose uma is yet to debut in-game, and was remembered for his big face and poofy mane. According to some sources online, race commentators would even joke that his face would help him win races, earning him the nickname “Big Face”. 

Biwa Hayahide retired to become a stallion stud, siring a number of award-winning progeny. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 30 years old. 

Nice Nature

Nice Nature in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, TRJN).

Nice Nature had a remarkedly long career as a racehorse, spanning from 1990 to 1996. He logged a total of 41 races with seven wins, including four major titles. He earned the moniker of being a “Bronze Collector” as he consecutively placed third in the 1991, 1992, and 1993 G1 Arima Kinen. 

Nice Nature retired to become a breeding stallion, siring a total of 17 registered horses, and went on to live an incredibly long life for a horse, passing away at the ripe old age of 35. Before his death, Nice Nature was the oldest living stallion to have a JRA major win. 

Rice Shower

Rice Shower in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, TRJN).

Rice Shower was a horse with probably one of the most heartbreaking stories ever. Despite being a decorated runner with multiple G1 wins, the stallion held an unfavourable reputation within the horseracing community at the time, by defeating the favoured Mihono Bourbon in the 1992 Kikuka Sho. In the 1993 Tenno Sho, he also overtook Mejiro McQueen to take first place–effectively dashing McQueen’s hopes of winning for the third time. Because of this, he was nicknamed the “Black Assassin”.

Rice Shower’s story also ended in tragedy. In the 1995 Takarazuka Kinen, the horse fell and suffered a fatal front leg fracture, leading him to be euthanised at the track, as it was impossible for him to be transported to a clinic. His jockey, Hitoshi Matoba, who also suffered injuries during the fall, insisted on staying with Rice Shower as he passed on. He was only six years old.

After his passing, public opinion of Rice Shower softened to remember his impressive feats. His career lasted from 1991 to 1995, recording a total of 25 races and six wins. 

Sakura Bakushin O

Sakura Bakushin O in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, NamuWiki).

Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushin, Bakushinshin!

In other words, Sakura Bakushin O is a stallion with a pretty great track record. He had an active career from 1992 to 1994, and ran a total of 21 races, 11 of which were wins. He is a successful specialised sprinter, having taken home the gold in the Sprinter’s Stakes twice. 

He retired as a stallion stud and produced a progeny of successful foals. He is also the grandfather of Kitasan Black, who is yet to debut in-game. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 22 years old. 

Silence Suzuka

Silence Suzuka in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, NamuWiki).

How do you describe a horse like Silence Suzuka? This stallion had an impressive record dashed by a tragic track accident, leaving only questions about what could have been.

But before that, Silence Suzuka was nigh unbeatable on the turf, and ran a total of 16 races, nine of which he placed first. His career only lasted two years. 

The heartbreaking incident, which occurred in the 1998 Autumn Tenno Sho, has cemented itself as one of the most unfortunate accidents in Japanese horseracing history. Silence Suzuka was running at first place at the start of the match, keeping peak form until the middle of the race. However, he began to visibly stagger and slow down. He broke away from the pack to stop at the edge of the track before coming to a stop, ensuring the safety of his jockey Yutaka Take, as if he didn’t want to tumble and cause him harm. The race carried on while Take tried to comfort Silence Suzuka.

It was then discovered that Silence Suzuka suffered a fatal leg fracture, with no other choice but euthanasia to ease the horse of his suffering. He was only four years old. 

Silence Suzuka’s story is the biggest “what if?” in the horseracing world. The horse displayed incredible strength and speed, and if things had gone differently, would have had an even bigger legacy left behind. Umamusume: Pretty Derby gave players the chance to answer that question, even if only through pixels on the screen. 

Special Week

Special Week in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, NamuWiki).

Special Week is the poster girl of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a role that is pretty much made for her, as the stallion she is based on boasts a true Cinderella story. Although born from a prestigious pedigree, Special Week had an incredibly rough start to life. A few days after he was foaled, his dam, Campaign Girl, passed away due to complications, and with no other mares available to care for Special Week, stable staff worked together alongside a draft horse to care for and wean him. As such, Special Week lacked the experience to run alongside horses of similar pedigree.

However, as Special Week grew older, his potential as a top tier racehorse began to shine through. In his three-year career, which lasted from 1997 to 1999, he racked up an impressive record of races; he ran a total of 17 and won 10, with nine of those being major wins. 

Special Week and Grass Wonder were known to be intense rivals on the track, with their final race together at the 1999 Arima Kinen having ended in a four-way photo finish. Grass Wonder beat Special Week by only a nose. 

In retirement as a stallion stud, Special Week produced a number of award-winning foals, some of which include his children Deep Impact, Stay Gold (aka Gold Ship’s sire), and his descendants Vodka and Matikanefukukitaru, to name a few. Special Week passed away in 2022 at the age of 22, just a month before his birthday.

Taiki Shuttle

Taiki Shuttle in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, はのい).

Taiki Shuttle was a stallion who brought home race wins both in Japan and abroad, and was known for his aptitude in Mile and Sprint races. Throughout his career from 1997 to 1998, he ran a total of 13 races, 11 of which he topped first place. Six were major wins in Japan, one was a major win in France. He earned three awards during his career: twice for the JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler (1997, 1998), JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse in 1998, and Japanese Horse of the Year in 1998. He was also inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame. 

Taiki Shuttle later on retired to become a stallion stud, with a notable crop of foals in his bloodline. He passed away of old age in 2022, at 28 years old.  

T.M Opera O

T.M Opera O in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, NamuWiki).

T.M Opera O was regarded as a champion stallion during his active years, and even became the world’s all-time leading money earner at the time of his retirement in 2002. As such, you could safely assume (and confirm) that his career, which lasted from 1999 to 2001, was decorated with a number of prestigious wins. He ran 26 races, 14 of which he placed first in. Seven of those are major wins. 

He also received three awards during his career: JRA Award for Best Three-Year-old Colt in 1999, Japanese Horse of the Year in 2000, and JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse in the same year. He was inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame in 2004. 

T.M Opera O’s career as a stallion stud after retirement however, was not nearly as successful as his days as a racehorse. He passed away of a sudden heart attack in 2018 at 22 years old. 

Tokai Teio

Tokai Teio in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and in real life (Images: Cygames, NamuWiki)

Tokai Teio was a stallion keen on creating his own legacy. Being sired by Symboli Rudolf himself, expectations for Tokai Teiko to succeed was immense, and although he did try his best to deliver, he was unable to achieve Triple Crown status due to repeated leg injuries. 

Although Tokai Teio’s racing career was marred with a propensity to be injured, his perseverance and overwhelming racing ability proved him a force to be reckoned with. He successfully healed from three different leg fractures, the last of which made him take leave for nearly a year (to be exact, it was 364 days). 

But Tokai Teio came back with a vengeance. Despite the long layoff and recovery, he ran in the 1993 Arima Kinen, and won in what can only be described as in a dramatic fashion: by taking the lead in the home stretch (meaning only 200 meters left), much to the excitement and cheers of spectators. Even the commentator called it a “miraculous comeback”.

In total, Tokai Teio ran 12 races and placed first in nine, five of which were major wins. He was multi-awarded and honoured by being inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame in 1995, and later on retired to become a stallion stud. He passed away at 25 years old. 

Information used in this article were sourced from NetKeiba and NamuWiki.