Umamusume player liked the game so much they bought a real race horse

Umamusume, a gacha game about training and racing anime horse girls, has been immensely popular upon its Western release. Now, just a few weeks after its launch in the West, a player decided to just buy a real race horse instead.

Every single Uma is based on a real racehorse, so much of the passion players have for the game has grown to track racing as a result. People are getting invested in real-life racing more than ever, to the point that Cygames themselves are title sponsoring the world’s most prestigious horse races.

One player took things a step further and decided to just go all in and get their own racehorse.

Jax Belle ran her very first race on July 25, 2025, and, despite her getting last place, the Uma trainer turned IRL horse owner is hopeful for her future.

Umamusume player buys an actual race horse

From sending gifts to Haru Urara to supporting the real-life horse races Umamusume is based on, new fans of the series have been going all-in on supporting the industry following Pretty Derby’s breakout success.

However, one fan took it a step further. She had the right connections to take ownership of an actual racehorse and decided to make the leap for Jax Belle.

Reddit user Oxijinn_ spoke about how her new racehorse took to the track for the first time on July 25, and, sure enough, Jax Belle’s very first race took place on the Uttoxeter race track in the UK.

“After playing Umamusume for too long and getting into it a bit too much, I decided to invest in a real life race horse because why not. If I could train virtual horse girls, why not invest money into a real horse,” she explained.

The owner revealed that it’ll cost almost $7000 a year to keep her healthy, fed, housed, and well-trained, but she feels like the investment will be worth it in the long run.

Unfortunately, Belle’s maiden race didn’t go too well. She was injured just before race day because she got kicked in the leg, resulting in her jockey calling the race early.

“She suffered a leg injury whilst waiting in the paddocks and it affected her ability to run. She kept up well at the start, keeping between 4th-6th place, but the jockey noticed she was running funnily and reigned her in as to not risk worsening the injury,” her trainer explained. She did ultimately cross the finish line, but it was in last place.

So, unfortunately for Belle, she’ll be taking a few weeks away from the track after the injury to recover.