Vhin

- Maruzensky’s Story - Who’s more unfortunate—those born without talent, or those with extraordinary gifts but no stage to shine? In 1973, Zenkichi Hashimoto, a cattle rancher with no background in horses, joined a tour to the U.S. At the Keeneland Broodmare Sale, he picked out a mare named Shill, not for her pedigree, but because—“if she were a cow, she’d make a good mother.” Unbeknownst to him, Shill was in foal to Nijinsky II, the last British Triple Crown winner to date, and sired by Buckpasser, a U.S. Hall of Fame champion. Encouraged by trainer Hongo, Hashimoto purchased her for a hefty ¥120 million and brought her back to Japan. Shill gave birth to a colt in 1974: Maruzensky. Though his legs were slightly crooked from birth, Hashimoto and Hongo still praised his physique, and his elite bloodline quickly attracted full syndicate backing. But two months later, the tide turned. As Nijinsky’s first crop debuted on the track that same year, a highly anticipated colt flopped in his maiden race, casting doubt on the entire line. Meanwhile, Maruzensky’s leg conformation worsened, leading many to dismiss him outright: “Good horse, but not a racehorse.” Syndicate members pulled out. Only eight remained. To make things worse, Maruzensky was born during a brief era of restrictive Japanese racing policy. From 1971 to 1984, “imported foals”—those born in Japan from foreign-conceived pregnancies—were barred from racing in most major domestic G1 races. He was quite literally too elite for his time. In July 1976, he entered training under Hongo at Tokyo Racecourse (before the Miho Training Center opened—hence why she lives off-campus in Uma Musume). To protect his legs, his training load was kept light. Three months later, Maruzensky debuted at Nakayama Racecourse with jockey Nakanowatari in the irons. The result was the beginning of a legend—on a 1200-meter track, he took the lead from the start and maintained it until the finish, winning by more than ten lengths, with a time gap of two full seconds over the runner-up. His next race, a conditions race, he won again with speed that seemed to exist on a different dimension than his rivals, finishing nine lengths ahead. However, maiden and one-win races often contain a mixed bag of talent; winning them doesn’t necessarily mean much. Some people thought that way—and Maruzensky’s next race seemed to validate their doubts. In his third start, the Fuchu (old) Three-Year-Old Stakes, Maruzensky faced a strong challenge from Hishi Speed (ヒシスピード), the winner of the Hokkaido (old) Three-Year-Old Stakes. The two horses crossed the finish line at the same time. A photo finish confirmed that Maruzensky had won by a nose. It was an extremely close victory. But in truth, this wasn’t due to any shortcoming on Maruzensky’s part. It was a misjudgment by jockey Nakanowatari, who, overconfident in Maruzensky’s abilities, thought, “Even if I wait until the other horse catches up, we can still pull ahead in the end.” Hishi Speed’s late charge caught him completely off guard, and the race nearly ended in disaster. Hishi Speed, who came so close to defeating the “monster,” would face Maruzensky again several times afterward. But that was the first and last time he ever got close enough to step on his shadow. After the hard-fought Fuchu Stakes, the team learned their lesson. For Maruzensky’s next planned race, the Asahi Hai (old) Three-Year-Old Stakes, both owner Hashimoto and trainer Hongo agreed: they had to win. For the first time, Maruzensky underwent full-scale training. Trainer Hongo even told jockey Nakanowatari: “If he gets injured in the race, it’s all my responsibility. Just do whatever it takes to win.” And this horse-and-rider duo did not disappoint—in fact, Maruzensky’s performance exceeded expectations. On the 1600-meter turf at Nakayama, the “supercar” had the stage all to himself. Maruzensky won by thirteen lengths, cutting a full second off the race record. Jockey Nakanowatari didn’t even have to use the whip seriously—by the third turn, he could no longer hear the sound of hooves behind him. With four wins from four starts, Maruzensky ended his (old) three-year-old season. Thanks to his outstanding performances, the syndicate was successfully reformed, and he was rightfully chosen as JRA’s Best (Old) Three-Year-Old Colt of the year. For his first race of the following year, the team chose an open-class race at Chukyo Racecourse. Upon hearing Maruzensky was entered, other trainers withdrew their horses, to the point where the number of entries didn’t meet the minimum requirement (five) and the race was about to be canceled. In response, a certain trainer from the Kansai region volunteered to enter two of his own horses just to keep the race alive. But in return, he asked Hongo: “Since I went out of my way to enter my horses, could you make sure the winning margin isn’t too big?” The team agreed to the request, and in that race, Maruzensky won with a relaxed 2½-length lead, continuing his undefeated streak. In the game’s training mode, the Spring Stakes (スプリングステークス) only includes five Uma Musume, including Maruzensky herself, as a nod to this real-life event. After this race, Maruzensky’s knee finally gave out, suffering a fracture. After three months of rest, he returned in an open-class race at Tokyo, and showed no signs of decline, winning by seven lengths. By then, it was already May, and the Japanese Derby—the race that determines the best (old) four-year-old—was just around the corner. But as a “持入馬”—a foal conceived overseas—Maruzensky had been ineligible to run in the Derby from birth. Jockey Nakanowatari felt deep regret about this, and during Derby week, he publicly voiced the following famous words, hoping JRA would make an exception: “I really want to run in the Japanese Derby. Even if it’s from the very outside gate, we absolutely won’t get in anyone’s way. We don’t even need the prize money—we just want the chance to test this horse’s true ability.” In the game, Maruzensky gains another chance at the Derby, she always starts from the far outside gate (without using the clock item), as a direct homage to this quote. But back then, the Derby allowed up to 28 horses to start, rather than today’s (and the game’s) 18. For a horse like Maruzensky who usually took the lead early, the outside gate among 28 starters would have been a massive disadvantage. That Nakanowatari still wished for that start line shows how confident the team was in the horse’s ability—and how desperately they wanted to run the Derby. Sadly, on the turf at the 1977 Japanese Derby, the supercar never appeared. Instead, on June 26, he entered the Nihon Tanpa Sho (now the Radio Nikkei Sho), a race once dubbed the “Consolation Derby.” Although he mysteriously slowed during the third turn and was nearly caught by the chasing pack, he re-accelerated in the stretch and pulled away once again, winning by seven lengths. The runner-up, Presto Kō, would go on to win that year’s Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger). By the way, in the game, the Nikkei Sho doesn’t appear as a training goal for Maruzensky (possibly because current rules don’t allow Derby winners to enter this race). However, if you choose to enter it and win, it triggers a special event: Maruzensky gains +3 to all stats, a mood boost, +60 skill points, and earns the 注目株 (rising star) status. It’s likely that this is a little easter egg CyGames inserted to preserve Maruzensky’s legendary “Consolation Derby.” After his dominant spring campaign, Maruzensky was sent to Hokkaido for summer turnout. He returned to win a dirt sprint, the Tankyori Kinen. He pulled ahead with ease to win by ten lengths. Longtime rival Hishi Speed finished second. Riding this momentum, Maruzensky’s team announced an ambitious plan: win a few more local races, challenge the Arima Kinen, then head overseas next year, possibly even to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—chasing a dream of 12 straight wins. But reality had other plans. Signs of leg discomfort appeared during the Tankyori Kinen. As he prepared for fall, Maruzensky developed tendonitis. The team skipped fall races, aiming straight for the Arima Kinen. He was voted 4th in popularity, behind the famous TTG trio: Tosho Boy, Ten Point, and Green Grass—setting up a legendary showdown. Yet just before the Arima, during his final training session, his tendonitis flared up again. Though the vet called it mild, owner Hashimoto felt Maruzensky was in pain and withdrew him. With few other big races open to horses like him, they made the painful decision: Maruzensky would retire. On January 15, 1978, undefeated in 8 races with a cumulative margin of 61 lengths, Maruzensky’s retirement ceremony was held at Tokyo Racecourse. Injured jockey Nakanowatari still attended. Wearing his #2 Nihon Tanpa Sho saddlecloth, the “supercar” carried Nakanowatari one last time, galloping down the fourth corner. Fans raised banners: “Goodbye Maruzensky—your strength and spirit will live on through us.” As a stallion, Maruzensky found success too. His direct offspring include Sakura Chiyono O (Derby winner) and Leo Durban (Kikuka-shou winner、appeared in second season anime, the same class as Tokai Teio). But his impact as a broodmare sire was even greater—he’s the maternal grandsire of: Special Week Rice Shower Winning Ticket …and Karen-chan’s mother’s father, too. That’s why he’s lovingly known as “Ojiichan” in Uma Musume. Though he never ran beyond 1600m (1 mile), the success of his descendants makes fans dream about what his true potential could’ve been. In August 1997, while preparing for the next breeding season, Maruzensky suddenly collapsed during light exercise. He passed away from cardiac arrest, aged 23. Owner Hashimoto, who saw him like a second son, held a farewell ceremony attended by many from the racing world. Maruzensky was laid to rest at the ranch, with his still-living mother Shill watching over him. *(He was not cremated.)* But just like the banner once said— his legend and fighting spirit live on. (This was also written a long time ago, if you like more stories/fun fact like this please let me know, I really appreciate the support 🥹