It’s Not a Joke, the Kentucky Derby Is Embracing Anime This Year With a Crossover Nobody Expected

In one of the most unexpected cultural crossovers of 2025, the worlds of anime and American horse racing are coming together in a big way through Uma Musume: Pretty Derby. Cygames, the Japanese developer behind the hit multimedia franchise Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, has announced a bold partnership with the historic Churchill Downs Racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby. The collaboration, which centers around this year’s 151st Kentucky Derby, blends the elegant tradition of thoroughbred racing with the colorful energy of anime idols inspired by real-life racehorses.