by “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” is a TV anime that will air in the spring of 2025. It is an anime adaptation of the manga of the same name that is serialized in “Weekly Young Jump,” and as of June 2025, the total number of comics published has exceeded 8 million copies.
In this article, we have summarized the racehorses that are believed to have served as models for the characters in “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray.”
The horse girls that appear in the “Uma Musume Pretty Derby” series are modeled after real racehorses. However, in the case of “Cinderella Gray,” the model has not been officially revealed, except for the horse girls who have racehorses of the same name in real life. Please note that this content is based solely on online predictions and speculations.
The story of the anime “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray.”
Oguri Cap, a horse girl, enrolled in the Kasamatsu Training Academy, a training center. Soon after registering, Oguri Cap showcased her unique running style, which made the most of her natural flexibility, and was scouted by Kitahara Jo, a trainer affiliated with the academy, to join his team and compete in races.
Under Kitahara’s guidance, Oguri Cap competes in various races. This is the story of how the ash-covered girl Oguri Cap, nicknamed the “monster,” makes her way into the world of legend.
This is part of the media mix content “Uma Musume” project and is an animated adaptation of the manga of the same name currently being serialized in “Weekly Young Jump” (manga by Kusumi Taiyo, script by Sugiura Masashi & Pita, manga planning and composition by Ito Shunnosuke, original work by Cygames).
Is the anime “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” based on historical facts? When is it set?
“Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” is a story that centers around Oguri Cap. It has been revealed that Oguri Cap is modeled after a racehorse of the same name that was active in real life.
Junnosuke Ito, who is in charge of planning and composition for the manga “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray,” commented that it is a fictional depiction of the historical story of Oguri Cap, utilizing the worldview of the “Uma Musume” series. He also said in an interview that “it will be mostly historically accurate.”
What period is the play set in?
In the afterword to the first volume of the comics, Ito writes about the time setting of “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray,” saying that if the setting were set in the era when the racehorse Oguri Cap was active, it would lose relatability as a Reiwa-era manga for young adults, so “I deliberately left the time setting fuzzy (ambiguous).”
However, because elements related to the period are essential to telling the story of the racehorse Oguri Cap, Ito commented that he thinks of the world as being somewhere between 1987-1990, when Oguri Cap raced, and 1998-1999, the setting of the first season of the anime “Uma Musume: Pretty Derby,” but not belonging to any particular period.
Who are the characters based on in real life?
The horse girls that appear in the game and anime “Uma Musume: Pretty Derby” are based on racehorses of the same name that were active in real life. However, for the horse girls that first appeared in “Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray,” there are no characters with the same name as real racehorses.
It has been revealed that the story of “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” is based on the historical tale of Oguri Cap, so fans have speculated that the Uma Musume who first appeared in “Cinderella Gray” may have been modeled after racehorses.
In this section, we have compiled a list of original characters who first appeared in “Cinderella Gray” other than Oguri Cap, as well as the racehorses and people who are rumored online to be models for them.
Oguri Cap
Oguri Cap is a horsegirl modeled after a real racehorse of the same name. The racehorse Oguri Cap is known as the most beloved horse in the history of Japanese horse racing. He made his debut at Kasamatsu Racecourse in 1987 and transferred to the JRA with a record of 10 wins in 12 races.
He won many races in the central circuit and was called the “Monster” or the “Gray Monster.” He became a driving force behind the horse racing boom. When he won first place in his retirement race (Arima Kinen) on December 23, 1990, the racecourse was filled with a huge Oguri call.
In the first episode of the anime, Oguri Cap sleeps in the storeroom, but the next day, when he talks to Bernolight, he says, “It was very comfortable,” and the caption “Hatsuratsu” appears. The racehorse Oguri Cap was named “Hatsuratsu” when he was born, so the “Hatsuratsu” caption in the first episode of the anime is thought to be based on the childhood name of the historical Oguri Cap.
Bernolite
Bernolight is a Uma Musume who first appeared in Uma Musume Cinderella Gray, and it has not been revealed whether she was modeled after a racehorse.
A racehorse with a similar name is Berno Try, who raced mainly at Kanazawa Racecourse from 2014 to 2016. Still, since the authentic Oguri Cap was active from 1987 to 1990, it is believed that Berno Try is not the model for Berno Light.
Fans believe that the horse is modeled after Twin Bee, who raced at Kasamatsu Racecourse at the same time as Oguri Cap. Bernolight wears two hair accessories resembling the letter “B,” so they speculate that the two Bs are the basis for the name Twin Bee. The racehorse Twin Bee made its debut in October 1987 and retired in October 1990.
Minoru Kitahara
Although it has not been officially revealed, rumors among fans suggest that not only the horse girls but also the trainers and other characters are based on models. Kitahara may be modeled after former jockey Katsumi Ando and current jockey Yutaka Take.
Ando made his debut at the age of 16 as a member of Kasamatsu. He was the leading jockey for Oguri Cap at Kasamatsu, and in 2003, he was the first person to transfer from a local to the central (JRA) league.
Takeshi made his debut in 1987 and is still active as a jockey. He was Oguri Cap’s jockey in the 1990 Arima Kinen, which was Oguri Cap’s retirement race.
In addition to Ando and Take, it is speculated that Oguri Cap’s first owner, Oguri Koichi, and Kasamatsu trainer Sumi Masao may also be the models for Kitahara. Some fans believe that he is modeled not on a specific person but on multiple people who were involved with the historical Oguri Cap.
Fujimasa March
The racehorse that served as the model for Fujimasa March has also not been revealed. Still, many fans speculate that it may be based on a racehorse called March Tosho, who was a rival of the historical Oguri Cap during their time at Kasamatsu.
March Tosho made his debut at Kasamatsu on the same day as the historical Oguri Cap. He has something in common with Fujimasa March, such as beating Oguri Cap in his debut race and taking first place.
When Oguri Cap from “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” left Kasamatsu, Fujimasa March told him, “I’ll keep running and stand on the racetrack (here) longer than you.” The racehorse March Tosho continued to race for more than a year after the historical Oguri Cap retired.
Norn Ace, Rudiremono, Mini the Lady
Norn Ace, Rudi Lemono, and Minnie the Lady were the ones who harassed Oguri Cap in episode 1. Regarding the racehorses that served as models for these three, Kuzumitaiyou, the manga artist (illustrator) of the manga “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray,” posted on his SNS that “They were positioned as bully characters, so there were no racehorses that served as models for them.”
“Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” features the word “Cinderella” in its title, and the story revolves around the Cinderella tale of Oguri Cap, a girl shrouded in ashes. For this reason, some fans think that the horse girl is based
on the wicked sisters of the fairy tale “Cinderella.”
Episode 1 Opening: Monochrome Uma Musume
At the beginning of the first episode of the anime, there were black and white drawings of the horse girls. The horse girl who was surrounded by four men and had her hands raised is said to be modeled after the racehorse Shinzan.
In 1964, Shinzan won the Satsuki Sho, Japanese Derby, and Kikuka Sho, becoming the second horse in Japanese horse racing history to win the Triple Crown. The following year, in 1965, he also won the Arima Kinen and Autumn Tenno Sho, earning him the nickname the Five-Crown Horse.
At the beginning of episode 1, the race is depicted in black and white, and it is speculated that this may be a reference to the 1965 Arima Kinen, where Shinzan came in first place, as the race unfolds similarly. In actual history, an awards ceremony was held after the Arima Kinen, and at that time, men walked on both sides of Shinzan. Some fans have posted on social media that this composition resembles the scene at the beginning of episode 1, where Uma Musume and the men raise their hands.
Episode 1 opening: Horse Girls running in a race
After the black and white Uma Musume were shown, there was another scene of them racing. Race scenes of Uma Musume, such as Maruzensky, Mister C.B., and Symboli Rudolf, were shown, and some fans speculate that the race scene shown just before the three Uma Musume was based on the 1977 Arima Kinen race.
A racehorse won the 1977 Arima Kinen called Ten Point, nicknamed the “Shooting Star Prince.” For this reason, it is thought that the horse girl who leads the race in the anime may have been modeled after Ten Point
Merry Beauty, Luna Swallow
Merry Beauty and Luna Swallow are the horse girls who ran in the Japanese Derby that Kitahara watched in episode 1. Luna Swallow was in the lead when they rounded the fourth corner, but Merry Beauty ended up winning.
It is rumored that the Japanese Derby race in the first episode is based on the Japanese Derby held in 1987, the year Oguri Cap made his debut.
In the actual Japanese Derby (1987), Merry Nice came in first, and Sunny Swallow came in second. Because their names are similar, it is said that Merry Beauty and Luna Swallow were modeled after each other.
South Heroine
South Heroine is a horse girl who was leading the race in the early stages of Oguri Cap’s debut race. She ended up in third place.
In real life, Oguri Cap made his debut in a race for three-year-old Thoroughbred new horses at Kasamatsu Racecourse, and the third-place finisher in that race was a racehorse named North Hero.
If South Heroine was modeled on the racehorse North Hero, then the name South Heroine may have been created by converting “North” into “South” and “Hero” into “Heroine.”
Walk Dancer
Walk Dancer is the horse girl who collided with Oguri Cap while turning the third corner in Oguri Cap’s debut race.
In real life, there was a racehorse with a similar name, Lead Walk, who raced in Oguri Cap’s debut race so that he may have been the model for Walk Dancer.
Other debut races for Uma Musume
The names of the Uma Musume who ran in their debut race are listed on the bonus pages of Volume 1 of the comics.
Other than Fujimasa March, South Heroine, and Walk Dancer, the other Uma Musume who ran in their debut races were Sekai Toher, Bethe Sugar, Joymaker, Ultra Ichiban, Okan Maker, and Royal Cherry.
In the historical debut race of Oguri Cap, a racehorse with a similar name ran, so if each of them had a model, they would be as follows. *Listed in order of Uma Musume → historical racehorse.
“Sekai Toha” → “Nippon Seiha”
“Bethe Sugar” → “Benten Chateau”
“Joy Maker” → “Fate Joy”
“Ultra Ichiban” → “Super Ichiban”
“Okan Maker” → “Fate Okan”
“Royal Cherry” → “Cherry Road”
Uma Musume, who ran in the Junior Crown
Among the Uma Musume who ran in the 15th Junior Crown, there was a racehorse with a name similar to the Junior Crown racer Oguri Cap ran in. If the racehorses that ran in the historical Junior Crown were the models, it would be something like the following. *The order is Uma Musume → historical racehorses, excluding Fujimasa March and Okan Maker, which were mentioned in the above section.
“Tenzan Turf” → “Yamani Tenzan”
“Ever Ever” → “Misato Never”
“Fujitaka Plant” → “Win Pronto”
“Dragon Maker” → “Tomishino Shenron”
“Jet Maker” → “Fate Jet”
“Nantou Ichiban” → “Hokusei Ichiban”
The racehorse Misato Never was named after Katsuragi Misato, a character in “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” and the Uma Musume’s name, EverEver, was likely inspired by the abbreviation for the work, “Eva.”
The racehorse Tomishino Shenron may have been the model for Uma Musume’s name, Dragon Maker, reminiscent of Shenron, a character in Dragon Ball.
Rokuhei Ginjiro
Musaka Ginjiro is Kitahara’s uncle and serves as the trainer for Oguri Cap, who has been transferred to the central circuit.
It has not been officially revealed whether there is a person who was the model for Rokuhei. In real life, when Oguri Cap was transferred from Kasamatsu to the central circuit, he joined the stable of trainer Tsutomu Setoguchi. Therefore, some fans believe that Setoguchi may have been the model for Rokuhei.
Blackie Ale
A horse girl who is a classmate of Oguri Cap. When Blackie Yell commented on Oguri Cap’s performance at Kasamatsu, “Playing in the sand in the countryside doesn’t count,” Oguri Cap replied, “That sand is called dirt; it’s not meant for playing in,” which caused her to develop a grudge against Oguri Cap.
He ran in the Pegasus Stakes (Stakes), Oguri Cap’s debut race in the central circuit, but was defeated by Oguri Cap.
In real life, Oguri Cap also won the Pegasus Stakes, and the second place was a racehorse named Lager Black. Fans have speculated that Lager Black may have been the model for Blackie Ale, based on the results of the Pegasus Stakes in real life.
Dictator Striker
Dictator Striker is a hooded chestnut horse girl who is a classmate of Oguri Cap.
The racehorse that was the model for Dicta Striker has not been revealed, but fans speculate that it may be the male Soccer Boy. Soccer Boy’s father was a horse named Dictas so that Dicta Striker may have been named after Soccer Boy’s father and the word “striker,” which refers to the role of scoring goals in soccer.
Soccer Boy’s total winnings in the central race totaled 219,400,000 yen. Soccer Boy is also known as the father of popular racehorses such as Narita Top Road and Kyoto City.
Maken Tsukasa
Maken Tsukasa is one of the senior Uma Musume who belongs to Rokuhei’s team and is an active and excellent student.
In real life, Oguri Cap joined the stables of trainer Setoguchi when he transferred from Kasamatsu to the central circuit. Fans say that Maken Tsukasa was modeled after the racehorses Tsukasa Power and Meisho Samson, who were in Setoguchi’s stables, or the characteristics of these two horses.
Craft Univa
Craft Univa is one of the senior Uma Musume who belongs to Rokuhei’s team and is characterized by her hair covering her eyes.
Like Maken Tsukasa, the horse girl, Craft Univa is thought to be modeled after Neo Universe and Line Craft, who were in the stables of trainer Setoguchi, or the characteristics of those two horses. Neo Universe was born in 2000 and Line Craft in 2002, so they are racehorses born after the historical Oguri Cap was active.
Incidentally, both Neo Universe and Linecraft have horse girls of the same name based on them that appear in the game “Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.”
God Hannibal
God Hannibal is one of the senior Uma Musume who belongs to Rokuhei’s team and has a mysterious and clumsy side to her.
It is speculated that God Hannibal may have been modeled after Godspeed Marca Hannibal or both of the racehorses in the stables of trainer Setoguchi. The name God Hannibal may have been decided by taking the letters “God” from Godspeed and “Hannibal” from Marca Hannibal.
Akitsu Teio
Akitsu Teio is a senior horse girl who ran in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen and is called the “King of the Mile.” She was the favorite in the Takarazuka Kinen but lost to Tamamo Cross.
In the historical event, Tamamo Cross ran in the Takarazuka Kinen, and the horse that came second was Nippon Teio. Because the names are similar to Akitsu Teio, it is said that Nippon Teio may be the source of the horse.
Katsumi Komiyama
Masami Komiyama is a female trainer for Tamamo Cross.
It has not been revealed whether there is a person who served as the model for Komiya. Still, since his name is similar to that of Obara Isami, the trainer of the real-life Tamamo Cross, some fans believe that Obara may have been the model for Trainer Komiya.
Dynam Heroine
Dynam Heroine is called the “lady on stage” and is a horse girl who won two G2 races and came in second in the Yasuda Kinen (G1). Based on her track record and name, there are rumors on the Internet that the racehorse Dyna Actress is the model for the horse girl Dynam Heroine.
summary
The Uma Musume characters that appear in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, such as Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross, are modeled after racehorses of the same name.
However, for the original characters that first appeared in “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray,” it has not been revealed whether any racehorses or trainers served as models for the Uma Musume. There are posts on the Internet predicting the racehorses that served as models based on races in which the historical figure Oguri Cap participated.
