Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 3 (TV)

The storyline of season 3 is based on the career of racehorse Kitasan Black (foaled March 10, 2012), who won 12 out of 20 races from 2015 to 2017, as well as the Japanese Horse of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017.

Former baseball player and racehorse investor Masahiro Yamamoto plays a fictional version of himself as a racing commentator, replacing Junko Hosoe from the previous anime installments. He currently owns shares of championship racehorses Al Ain and Shahryar.

In real life, Kitasan Black is a descendant of Sakura Bakushin O (1989-2011).

Kitasan Black's father being a singer is a reference to Enka singer Saburo Kitajima, whose company Kitajima Music Office owns the real racehorse.

In real life, Duramente (2012-2021) was the grandson of Air Groove (1993-2013). Duramente won five of his nine races from 2015 to 2016, but was prone to injuries, having fractured his front legs in June 2015 and suffering extensive injuries to his left foreleg from a fall after the 2016 Takarazuka Kinen. Following the latter injury, the racehorse was retired and lived the rest of his life as a stud horse until his death on August 31, 2021.

In real life, Cheval Grand (foaled March 14, 2012), Verxina (foaled March 5, 2009), and Vivlos (foaled April 9, 2013) are siblings, with Haiwa Sweet being their dam (mother). Cheval Grand's sire (father) was Heart's Cry (2001-2023), while Verxina and Vivlos' sire was Deep Impact (2002-2019).

In real life, Satono Diamond (foaled January 30, 2013), Verxina, and Vivlos are related from their sire Deep Impact.

In several episodes, Aston Machan makes sporadic appearances in the background or beside characters. She also breaks the fourth wall by looking straight at the viewer; she goes further in the video game by telling the viewer to never forget her. This is because the real racehorse (2004-2008), who won five races in her 11-race career, was aiming to be a worthy rival to Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, but died of Colitis X prior to the 2008 Takamatsunomiya Kinen.

Meisho Doto makes a cameo appearance in episodes 1 and 10 with a cat. By this time, the real racehorse (foaled March 25, 1996) had retired in 2002. After moving to Northern Lake farm in Hokkaido in 2021, Meisho Doto befriended a stray cat named Meto, and they have both since become popular on social media.

The reason why Meisho Doto and Taiki Shuttle are always together is because their real-life counterparts were stablemates after their retirement. Taiki Shuttle (1994-2022) remained best friends with Meisho Doto until his death.

In the opening sequence, Cheval Grand is seen reading a baseball guide. The real Cheval Grand's owner is former baseball player Kazuhiro Sasaki.

In the opening sequence, Tosen Jordan narrowly avoids a roundhouse kick from Gold Ship. In real life, Gold Ship hated Tosen Jordan (foaled February 4, 2006) and kicked him on several occasions.

The Uma Musume Pretty Derby logo for this season features a silhouette of Kitasan Black.

The real Sounds of Earth (2011-2023) won two out of 30 races from 2013 to 2018 and placed second in seven graded races.

The real Copano Rickey (foaled March 24, 2010) won 16 out of 33 races from 2012 to 2017, all of which were on dirt tracks.

The opening race in episode 1 is based on the 2015 Satsuki Shō. Mirco Demuro, who jockeyed the real Duramente, was suspended for four days for making the racehorse veer left and block the other competitors on the final turn. A foreigner who jumps over the railing is based on Demuro, right to his signature jumping pose.

Genjitsu Steel, who finishes second to Duramente in episode 1, is a fictional stand-in for Real Steel (foaled March 1, 2012), who won four races in his 17-race career from 2014 to 2018.

Daring Tact makes a cameo appearance in episode 1. Her real-life counterpart (foaled April 15, 2017), who won five races in her 13-race career, had only retired in 2021, two years before this series was released.

During the Arima Kinen in episode 3, Takatoshi Imanami, who groomed the real Gold Ship, is seen among the crowd. He makes another appearance during the school festival in episode 10.

All Haiyu, who defeats Kitasan Black and Gold Ship at the Arima Kinen in episode 3, is a fictional stand-in for the racehorse Gold Actor (foaled May 18, 2011), who won nine races in his 20-race career, including the 2015 Arima Kinen.

In episode 3, when Gold Ship brings a starting gate to the front of Team Spica's office to work on her late starts, Trainer references the 2015 Takarazuka Kinen. At the start of that race, the real Gold Ship panicked and reared to one side before the starting gate opened, resulting in him finishing second-last. This has become known as the "12 Billion Yen Incident", as Gold Ship's actions resulted in an estimated ¥12 billion in lost bets. The incident was re-enacted during the Osaka Hai in the last episode of the season 1 OAV "BNW no Chikai".

In episode 3, after the Arima Kinen, Gold Ship approaches the crowd and calls out Orfevre (foaled May 14, 2008) and Gentildonna (2009-2025). This was Cygames' way of announcing that the two racehorses were finally coming to the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby video game, after their owners pulled out of the project following the controversial promo video in 2016.

In episode 4, Kitasan Black is seen crying after losing at the Osaka Hai, which the real racehorse finished second in 2016. The scene treats the loss as if it was a G1 race when in reality, the Osaka Hai was a G2 race until it was reclassified as G1 in 2017, which the real Kitasan Black won.

The female farmer Kitasan Black passes by in episode 4 is based on Machico, who voices Tokai Teio in the series. Machico's family owns a farm in Hiroshima prefecture.

Divinity, who wins the Satsuki Sho in episode 4, is a fictional stand-in for the racehorse Dee Majesty (foaled March 24, 2013), who won four races in his 11-race career, including the 2016 Satsuki Sho.

Tsuukaa, who finishes second at the Satsuki Sho in episode 4, is a fictional stand-in for the racehorse Makahiki (foaled January 28, 2013), who won six races in his 24-race career. She also appears in the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby video game as a non-player character (NPC) with a different racing costume.

River Light, who defeats Duramente and Kitasan Black at the Takarazuka Kinen in episode 5, is based on the racehorse Marialite (foaled February 19, 2011), who won six races in her 20-race career, including the 2016 Takarazuka Kinen.

In episode 10, Fine Motion serves ramen to Air Shakur as a reference to their episode in the chibi series Umayuru.

In episode 10, Rice Shower, Mihono Bourbon, and Super Creek are wearing their costumes from the "Halloween Makeover!" storyline in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby video game.

Team BNW in a banana eating contest in episode 10 references the real Biwa Hayahide (1990-2020), who was known to be so addicted to bananas that he would often spit out his food when someone peeled a banana in front of him.

In episode 10, Air Groove and Mayano Top Gun are seen wearing their bridal outfits from the "Racing Hearts Beauty in Bloom" storyline in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby video game. With them is Curren Chan wearing her "Ma Chérie" outfit from the video game.

It's Calling, who finishes second to Kitasan Black in episode 13, is a fictional stand-in for the racehorse Queen's Ring (foaled May 5, 2012), who won six out of 18 races from 2014 to 2017, with the 2017 Arima Kinen being her final race. She also appears in the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby video game as an NPC with a different racing costume.