Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 2 (TV)

The series' premise is based on the history of the real Tokai Teio (1988-2013), who suffered a leg injury that prevented him from achieving the Japanese Triple Crown in 1992, but won his return race a year later, only to sustain further injuries later in his career.

In real life, Tokai Teio was the offspring of Symboli Rudolph (1981-2011).

The four buttons on Tokai Teio's main costume symbolize the real Tokai Teio's four G1 race wins.

Mayano Top Gun shares very little similarities with the racehorse (1992-2019) she is named after; instead, she is themed after the American film franchise Top Gun, from her use of fighter pilot jargon right down to her bomber jacket. In 2022, Cygames used her for a cross-promotion between Uma Musume and Top Gun: Maverick.

The real Rice Shower (1989-1995) did defeat Mihono Bourbon at the 1992 Kikuka-shō and Mejiro McQueen at the 1993 Tenno Sho. Like in the anime, the horse's wins upset horse racing fans, as both Mihono Bourbon and Mejiro McQueen were aiming for the triple crown (three consecutive G1 race wins). At the 1995 Takarazuka Kinen, Rice Shower fell and sustained a left front leg fracture and had to be euthanized due to the extent of the injury.

In episode 3, the old man standing next to Gold Ship during the Hanshin Daishoten is based on Takatoshi Imanami, who groomed the real Gold Ship.