The internet is obsessed with ‘Umamusume: Pretty Derby’

The internet’s latest obsession: training and cheering on anthropomorphized anime horses as they race around a track.

First released in 2021 as a mobile game for iOS and Android, Umamusume: Pretty Derby is both a racing simulator and a gacha game. In the game world, iconic racehorses of the past are reborn as “horse girls” (umamusume)—anime humanoids with horse ears and tails.

The characters get the chance to race again for prizes and glory. Players don’t directly control their horse girls; instead, they train them and cheer them on.

The game was already a hit in Japan following its early 2021 release, even inspiring a multi-season anime adaptation. But it remained largely under the radar for U.S. audiences—until this summer.

On June 18, the English version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby launched. The game quickly went viral, picked up by popular streamers like ">Ludwig and Northernlion. On July 9, it hit its all-time peak with 50,725 concurrent players on Steam.

As more and more fans discover the game, they’ve started sharing clips and posting TikTok edits of their favorite horse girls.

What makes the game even more compelling is that each horse girl has a real-life racehorse counterpart. TikTok creators are diving deep into their backstories, and searches for the original racehorses have spiked more than 800% since the game’s release.

Haru Urara is a fan favorite. As one X user wrote: “even though shes just a bunch of pixels on my screen i need haru urara to know that i would do literally anything in the world for her.”

The real-life racehorse behind the character became a cultural icon in Japan in the early 2000s. Despite ending her five-year career with 0 wins in 113 races, Haru Urara’s unwavering spirit made her a national symbol of resilience.

Now the farm where Haru Urara is living out her retirement has responded to the wave of new fans. “I don’t know if this will reach the overseas bros and sisters, but Haru Urara is doing super well, and honestly, she’s probably healthier and more energetic than I am!” reads an X post.

Whatever you do, don’t look up the backstory of the racehorse Rice Shower.

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