From an American perspective, horse racing and anime franchises sound like strange bedfellows. Their demographics could hardly be more disparate, with racing featuring a primarily older demographic, while anime generally appeals more to younger generations who usually aren’t into sports, let alone a niche sport like horse racing.

“Umamusume: Pretty Derby” — which translates roughly to “horse girls” in English — seeks to defy expectations and bridge the two worlds. First launched as a television series in 2018, then adapted as a video game in 2021, Umamusume is a phenomenon in the horse-crazy nation of Japan. It’s inspired several spin-off TV shows, a play, and a series of manga (Japanese comic books).

The anime series takes place in a world where — instead of racehorses — horse girls race. These girls have horse ears, tails, and can run 40 miles per hour, just like Thoroughbreds. The girls attend a racing boarding school where they train and race. Most characters share the names and stories of real horses from Japanese racing history, told in a humanized, fantastical way.

The video game series tells the Umamusume story from a trainer’s perspective. Players assume the role of trainer and help train the girls to race. Most of the game is dedicated to preparing for races, giving those not familiar with racing insight into how horses are prepared for competition.

By combining already beloved Japanese horses with appealing characters and intriguing storylines, Umamusume has built up a massive following in Japan, becoming a multi-billion-dollar media franchise.

Learn more about “Umamusume: Pretty Derby” with America’s Best Racing’s Beginner’s Guide

Cygames, the developer and publisher of the “Umamusume” franchise, has a close relationship with the Japan Racing Association, and the JRA credits the series with helping boost the sport’s already-high profile in Japan. The concept may seem bizarre to an American, but anthropomorphization is not uncommon in the world of Japanese anime.

“Anime has a history of very weird and out-there concepts. Especially personifying things that are not human,” said Nathan Klein, a student in the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program and anime fan. “If you thought making racehorses into women was nuts, there are anime where countries in World War II, battleships, and guns are all personified. This includes sports anime; some of the most popular series follow less-mainstream sports like figure skating and volleyball. Introducing people who otherwise have never heard of a subject through cute girls and a bright art style is common in anime.”

In June 2025, the game was released globally. The United States instantly became its biggest international market, accounting for 68% of all overseas spending and 34% of total global revenue. Longtime anime fans such as Baninabear, a Los Angeles-area cosplayer, were already big fans of the series long before its stateside debut.

Tokai Teio (Cygames image)

“I grew up obsessed with horses — I studied horse encyclopedias and drew pictures of horses constantly as a kid — but I was only vaguely familiar with horse racing until I started watching ‘Umamusume: Pretty Derby,’ ” Baninabear said. “One of the draws of the series is how it utilizes elements of horses’ real lives as stylized story beats, whether that’s something like Gold Ship’s starting gate incident at the 2015 Takarazuka Kinen, Meisho Doto’s friendship with a farm cat, or Haru Urara’s losing streak with a loveable disposition. It makes fans of the anime invested in the lives of the real horses who inspired the series, and obviously that can spark an interest in today’s generation of racehorses.”

“I love the way the ‘Umamusume’ anime series turns the two-minute duration of a race into a drama that leaves you on the edge of your seat, even if it’s stretched to a multi-episode arc.” she continued. “Just like watching a race with real horses, you can’t help but be moved by the enormous athletic feat and will of getting to the finish line first.”

Baninabear was particularly inspired by Season 2, which was released in early 2021. The season focuses on the real-life story of Tokai Teio, the 1991 Japanese Horse of the Year and 1992 Japan Cup winner. Towards the end of the 1992 season, he was sidelined by a leg injury that kept him out of action for a year. He returned to the races with a win in the 1993 Arima Kinen, ending his career on a triumphant note. That type of comeback story would be inspiring to most sports fans, but showcasing it through the Umamusume platform brings it to a demographic that might never have known about it otherwise.

“Season 2 of the anime came out during the pandemic lockdown when I was having a rough time, feeling isolated.” Baninabear recalls. “The story of Tokai Teio overcoming so much adversity and setback resonated with me deeply and made me feel like I could also persevere through any difficulties that came my way. Anime Tokai Teio’s basis on the real Tokai Teio makes the story all the more inspiring — there’s a real athlete who was able to achieve these incredible feats. People want to have a reason to connect with and root for horses just like any other public or sporting figure. Understanding the arc of their history and career creates investment.”

Interest in the series has started to spill over to interest in Japanese racing for American anime fans.

“Footage from the Japan Cup where Admire Terra finished the race sans jockey went viral on Umamusume fan pages, and I joined a Discord watch party for the 2025 Arima Kinen with thousands of people watching the stream simultaneously.” Baninabear said. “Fans were very interested in figures like jockey Yutaka Take [who was featured as a cameo character in the anime].”

Slowly but surely, Umamusume has begun to make its way into American racing. Phoenix-area anime fans hosted a meetup at Turf Paradise on Dec. 27. Dozens of anime fans experienced live racing for the first time, generating hundreds of thousands of social media impressions in the process.

“Because we scheduled it on a special race day, which allowed for free admission and additional activities for families, there was a much more lively and energetic feel to the overall track experience.” said Cloudie, a digital artist who organizes anime events in Arizona. “You could feel the excitement and curiosity that some of the Umamusume fans had within our group. I think our presence helped add to that lively atmosphere at the track that day. It was a great success and really shows how much passion our community has for this game franchise.”

A few hundred miles west, Santa Anita Park has also become a hotspot for anime fans. In October, there was an organized cosplay and fan meetup event at the track as part of the annual Japan Family Day. Two months later, on Dec. 28, more anime fans descended on “The Great Race Place,” tying in their trip with Cygames’ sponsorship of one of the day’s feature races, the American Oaks.

This was the first year Cygames sponsored the American Oaks. They had a licensing deal with Santa Anita for several years to show the track in their game, but with Umamusume’s rise in popularity and the success of having influencers and cosplayers at the 2024 Japan Family Day, the sides agreed to a multi-year sponsorship for the race.

Although the fan meetup was not a formal event, the track knew they were coming and instructed their wagering ambassadors to give the groups special access throughout the day. The fans took full advantage.

“The atmosphere was so festive and energetic!” Baninabear said. “I was surprised by how crowded it was, but so many people were there to enjoy the beautiful weather and have a good time watching some racing. It felt amazing to stand up by the finish line and cheer with all the attendees; there’s this enormous swell of energy that moves through the crowd as the pack closes into the finish.

“I think a lot of attendees did not expect to see cosplayers at the event, but I talked to lots of people who were curious and excited about all the costumes. One of the neat things about knowing a little horse history from Umamusume is that a number of racing fans are familiar with horses that have been adapted in the game. Some of my favorite conversations were with people who knew about Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, and Oguri Cap to name a few.

“I also got to try out wagering.” she continued. “Since I’m new to it and don’t have a lot of strategy insights — I mostly read the expert picks on the Santa Anita website and heard suggestions from friends — I only placed small bets. But I had a delightful time feeling so invested in the race outcomes and winning!”

The event left a massive digital footprint. Baninabear’s posts about the day received several million impressions and more than 106,400 likes between X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok.

“The fandom is huge, and I’ve had a number of Umamusume cosplay posts get quite a number of views on other platforms like Instagram [my main page] and YouTube.” Baninabear said.  “What surprised me was who was interacting! Lots of Japanese fans were excited about seeing Umamusume get so popular in America, but I think Americans were shocked to see cosplay at a racetrack since that’s a very unexpected crossover.”

Santa Anita management was pleasantly surprised by the Umamusume impact on the day.

“Opening day really opened our eyes to how big their traction can be,” said Andrew Arthur, Santa Anita’s senior director of marketing. “When we became official partners with Cygames, it really took off. We had seen large groups at the Japan Family Days, but opening day was, frankly, pretty surprising to us, both on social media and how many cosplayers and influencers came out. The reach that group had was pretty stunning.”

The crossover has led to skepticism on social media, with many naysayers disregarding the idea that an anime series, far from a traditional way to market racing, can have a serious positive effect on the sport. However, many in the racing and anime worlds believe the series can make an impact on American racing, much like it did in Japan.

“Horse racing amongst younger people is perceived as an old man’s sport and as a gambling den,” Klein said. “Socially, [Umamusume] softens racing’s outward perception and makes it seem friendlier. These newer fans, while they do have interest in gambling, are also interested in the animals themselves. This gives great potential for causes like aftercare to gain more traction.

“There is absolutely room to be skeptical about how much it can do.” Klein continued. “I don’t know how much or little it’ll affect the racing industry. But what I do know is that there isn’t much bad that can come from new and younger people very publicly expressing interest in the sport. It costs us nothing to let new people be a part of horse racing and gives us a chance to move racing into the future and appeal to the next generation.”

Baninabear, a prime example of the type of fan Umamusume can attract to American racing, also is optimistic.

“There is enormous potential. I think it’s awesome that Cygames has chosen to give back to the racing world by investing in racing events. There is huge interest in attending races where Cygames is named as a sponsor. It gets the word out on social media, and it signals that the racecourse can be a place to meet up with fellow fans.”

"It can have an immense impact on attracting younger people to racing,” Andrew Arthur, senior director of marketing for Santa Anita Park

A second Umamusume event at Turf Paradise will take place Jan. 19. Meanwhile, while Santa Anita may not have been aware of Umamusume’s reach before opening day, they’re ready to have anime fans continue to spread the word with their multi-year sponsorship deal with Cygames in place.

“I think it can have an immense impact on attracting younger people to racing,” Arthur said. “Seeing Santa Anita within the game, and being able to see it live and see the horses run, raises awareness among people who would be unlikely to be interested otherwise.”

As Klein said in his presentation on the series at December’s Global Symposium on Racing: “Is American Pharoah in a mini skirt going to solve all of our problems? No, but it’s a great start.”