On Friday (8/8), it was announced that Grass Wonder, one of Japan’s legendary racehorses that later became the basis of a character featured in the Uma Musume series, has passed away. According to a statement on the official social media account of Big Red Farm, Grass Wonder’s death was caused by age-related physical decline, which eventually led to organ failure.
Born on 18 February 1995, Grass Wonder enjoyed a remarkable career between November 1998 and June 2000, securing four G1 titles. Among his most notable achievements were back-to-back victories at the prestigious Arima Kinen in 1998 and 1999. He also famously defeated Special Week, considered one of Japan’s finest racehorses at the time, twice in the 1999 Takarazuka Kinen and the 1999 Arima Kinen.
Grass Wonder later became the inspiration of a character with the same name in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby. Voiced by Rena Maeda, the in-game Grass Wonder is portrayed as a fierce rival to the Special Week character, voiced by Azumi Waki.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is a Japanese video game developed by Cygames. The game features anthropomorphised racehorses that are inspired by real-life racehorses. Originally released as a mobile game in 2016, the game was finally released on PC in June 2025 alongside its global release.
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The Indonesian Anime Times
