A thoroughbred racehorse, named after a character from the popular anime Umamusume Pretty Derby, recently won a race for the first time since 2024, marking a successful start to 2026.
Happy Meek, named after a character from the popular game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, won a race on January 1st at Nagoya Racecourse. This was her first win in a year, and it was a special moment for fans as it happened at the beginning of the Year of the Horse.
The horse’s victory happened at a smaller, local dirt track race, not one of Japan’s major racing circuits. Although these races don’t get as much international coverage, they’re still very competitive, particularly for horses who haven’t won in a while.
Horse named after Umamusume character wins 2026 race
Most characters in the Umamusume world are inspired by famous racehorses from history, such as Haru Urara. Happy Meek stands out because she isn’t based on a real horse – she’s a unique creation.
The creators of the game Umamusume designed one character as a completely made-up underdog with no basis in real horse racing history. However, in 2022, a fan took things a step further by purchasing an actual horse and naming her Happy Meek, as a tribute to the game character.
#名古屋競馬
去年の7月から長い休みを明けて
久々にいきなり2026元旦から
出走してきたハッピーミーク
いきなり初戦から勝利！！
2024年12月以来約1年ぶりの勝利！！— 秋風旬太郎 (@wpq3h39pi73) January 1, 2026
Now that Happy Meek has finally won a race, her fans are excited to see if she can keep up the success throughout 2026. Her victory also shows how the game Umamusume is having a real impact on the world of horse racing.
Recently, the creators of the game Umamusume sponsored a $300,000 horse race in the US. Fans also came together to raise over $600,000 to repair the stables of a famous horse named Meisho Doto.
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2026-01-02 16:18