I'm gonna be a cool Umamusume. Then, I ain't gonna be freaked out here!

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Dedicatedto being the coolest,this Umamusume tries her best to act like a delinquent.

She takes after her motorcycle-loving father,emulating his hobbies and attitudes down to the letter.

Her grandstanding nature sees her charge daringly into any challenge,never afraid of what she might face.

She has a bit of a cat-and-dog relationship with her roommate, Daiwa Scarlet as both her motivation and her rival.

Character Introduction Vodka

Overview

"I've just gotta be the coolest to ever do it!"

Vodka is a Uma Musume, based on the real japanese racehorse "Vodka" (2006 - 2010).

She is a boyish Umamusume who admires the cool lone wolf,and pretends to be a cool punk. But in truth, she is a shy,serious good girl who values the hierarchy of seniors and juniors and the courtesy of athletes.

Her biggest rival is her roommate and classmate, Daiwa Scarlet.TThey relationship is distant and so close,between them is truly that of "More than friends,They're companions and rivals."

Tanino Gimlet who continues to follow her own aesthetics, is a senior whom Vodka admires.Gimlet is a heavy "chuunibyou" syndrome.But for Vodka,she is the coolest senior ever.

Racehorce Vodka

Date of Birth: April 4th, 2004

Sex: Mere

Sire: Tanino Gimlet

Dam: Tanino Sister

Damsire: Rousillon

Vodka was the 3rd racemare which won a Japanese Derby in history.

And she is the only horse in history to have won every G1 race at Tokyo Racecourse that was open to horses 4 years old or older.

G1 wins:2006 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies,2007 Tokyo Yushun(Japanese Derby),2008-09 Yasuda Kinen,2008 Tenno Sho(Autumn),2009 Victoria Mile,2009 Japan Cup

Awards:JRA Best Two-Year-Old Filly(2006), JRA Special Award(2007),JRA Japan Champion Older Female(2008-09),JRA Hall of Fame(2011)

Going back in her family line, her great-grandmother's great-grandmother was Shiraoki,

a being Matikanefukukitaru of Umamusume worship as "Shiraoki-Sama."

(See the section on "Matikanefukukitaru (Uma Musume)")

Her father is "2002 Deaby horse"Tanino Gimlet, who is also Umamusume.This is the only father-daughter Derby victory in history.

"Tanino" is crown name (冠名 Kanmurimei) of horse owner Yuzo Tanimizu(Chairman of Country Bokujo).

When thinking of a name for Vadka, Mr.Tanimizu first came up with "Gin" because "Gimlet"is a gin-based cocktail. However, he thought that name isn't pleasing to the ear for a racehorse, so he came up with "Vodka," which is as strong as gin.

Finally, since the alcohol content of vodka is higher than that of gimlets, he decided to use "Vodka" ,instead of "Tanino Vodka" in the hope that they would be stronger than Tanino Gimlet.

This is because "Tanino" is derived from the family name "Tanimizu," which means "water of the valley".The name "Tanino Vodka" means "Vodka with water," which would make the alcohol content too low.

Her biggest rival in the first half of her career was Daiwa Scarlet.After Scarlet retired at age 4 due to flexor tendonitis, Vodka continued to run and fought hard with costs and stallions.

2007 Japan Derby

1st Vodka/5th Dream Journey

Despite being a filly, she did not choose the Oaks, but instead ran in the Japan Derby, where colts compete for the top prize.

This is the 3rd time in history that a filly has won the Japan Derby, and the first time in 64 years since Kurifuji in 1943.

The announcer said, "Oh my God!What a dream come true after 64 years!Vodka is in the lead!The filly scored a great victory!"

(Nanto!Nanto 64nen buri no yume kanau!Vodka sentou!Hinba ga migoto ni kimemashita!)

vs Daiwa Scarlet

In 2007

1st Round – G2 Tulip Sho(Trial racefor the Oka Sho) –

1st Vodka/2nd Daiwa Scarlet

Vadka caught up to the escaping Scarlet and beat her by a neck.He left all the other men behind in the final straight and crossed the finish line in the lead.

2nd Round – G1 Oka Sho –

1st Daiwa Scarlet/2nd Vodka/7th Aston Machan

3rd Round – G1 Shūka Sho –

1st Daiwa Scarlet/3rd Vodka

During the summer, Vodka was preparing to challenge for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but she had to cancel the race due to injury. Instead, Shūka Sho took up the challenge, but was outrun by Scarlet and lost in third place.

4th Round – G1 Arima Kinen –

Vodka failed miserably because of the long distance as well as her dislike of the Nakayama racecourse.

In 2008

Final Round – G1 Tennou-sho(autumn) –

1st Vodka/2nd Daiwa Scarlet/3rd Deep Sky/10th Dream Journey

Vodka stayed in the back of the pack and took the lead over the fleeing Scarlet in the homestretch. However, Scarlet, who seemed to have run out of steam, accelerated again and crossed the finish line almost simultaneously.

The announcer said,"Daiwa Scarlet draw away again from the inside!Daiwa Scarlet draw away again!This is a very close race! A very close finish!"

(Uchi kara Daiwa Scarlet ga sashikaesu!Daiwa Scarlet ga sashikaesu!Koreha daisessen!Daisessen no goal!!)

After a long, long photo finish, Vodka won by a mere 2cm.The running time was a new record 1:57.2, beating the race record (1999 Special Week) by 0.8 seconds.

Other G1

2006 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

1st Vodka/2nd Aston Machan

Vodka was the first to break away from Aston Machan, and she came from the outside to win by a neck in front of the finish line.She was crowned the 2-year-old queen.

Vodka with a big stride and Aston Machan with a fast pitch.It is easy to compare the running style of the two target horses in this race.

2008 Yasuda Kinen –

1st Daiwa Scarlet/10th Dream Journey

Vodka ran on the inside track and took the lead with 300m to go, and then outpaced the rest of the field by three and a half lengths to win the race. This was Vodka's first victory in about a year since the Japan Derby.

2009 Victoria Mile

1st Vadka/8th Kawakami Prinsess/

Vodka's victory by seven lengths over the second-place finisher was a stunning triumph. Vodka had won so many races against stallions that some said, “Isn't it a foul to run in a mares-only race?

2009 Yasuda Kinen –

1st Wodka/2nd Deep Sky

Vodka had been waiting in the rear of the field, but was having a difficult time in the straight line as the horses in front of her blocked the course. However, Vodka persevered, found the slightest opening, and broke through the gap to win the race, overtaking Deep Sky, a Derby winner a year younger than her.

This race was the inspiration for the unique skills of Vodka in the game “Umamusume".

With this victory, she broke the record for the most G1 race wins by a Japanese mare (5 wins by Mejiro Dober) to 6.

2009 Japan Cup

1st Vodka/2nd Oken Bruce Lee

Vodka chose front runner instead of rear runner. She takes the lead with about 400 meters to go in the straight, but Oken Bruce Lee (a Kikuka-shō horse a year younger than Vodka) comes barreling in from the far outside. In the end, they crossed the finish line almost side by side, with Vodka winning by a mere 2cm.

She has now won all five G1 races for older horses at Tokyo Racecourse. She is the only other horse to have achieved this feat.

With seven G1 race wins, she also tied the record for the most G1 race wins in Japan at that time.

(The record holders at the time were Symboli Rudolf,T.M. Opera O, and Deep Impact)

After the race, it turned out she had a nosebleed. She was ranked first in the Arimakinen popular vote, but was not allowed to run due to the rules.

Vodka had planned to retire in 2009, but after failing to run in the Arimakinen, plans were made to keep her active and make the Dubai World Cup in March 2010 her last run.

However, in the Al Maktoum Challenge, she again suffered a nosebleed during the race. She was ruled out of the Dubai World Cup and retired from active racing.

After her retirement, she became a broodmare in Ireland.

In 2011, she was inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame.

On February 23, 2019, she suffered a fatal fracture in Newmarket, England, and passed away at the age of 15.

A daughter was born in 2023 to Tanino Frankel, son of Vodka, and Scarlet Tale, granddaughter of Daiwa Scarlet. A racehorse with the blood of former rivals awaits her debut.

Article in Japanese

ウオッカ(ウマ娘)