The Umamusume franchise has been around for a few years, but the boom that came after the global release of its mobile game surprised even the most stoic otaku. For such a niche franchise, its global reception was extraordinary. All over the world, Umamusume fans have galloped to horse racing tracks to enjoy the sport that inspired the game or to take part in it. And love is what makes events like the Cosplay Trackside meetup at Santa Anita Park possible. It seems odd that people would dress up as anthropomorphic horse girls and race down a track. But being there, seeing the laughs, joy, and camaraderie, is to see something magical.
We at Anime Corner got the opportunity to talk to Leon Talon (Austin), the lead organizer of Cosplay Trackside. Leon’s been a devoted fan of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise since the first anime premiered in spring 2018. With almost a decade of cosplay events under his belt, it seems natural that a large-scale event would be the progression.
⚠ Parts of this interview were edited for brevity. ⚠
Q: How did Cosplay Trackside come about?
A. When it comes to the origins of Cosplay Trackside, I’d have to say it all began in mid-2024 when the Japanese version of the Umamusume mobile game implemented its Main Story 2 Chapter 2. That chapter featured Cesario taking on the American Oaks at Santa Anita. It was the first time the franchise/game featured an American track, and it created a lot of buzz among the US Uma community.
Around that time, we noticed that the actual track was hosting a ‘Japan Family Day’ to celebrate the connection between Santa Anita and Tokyo City Keiba (Oi Racecourse). The event featured a cosplay contest, so we took it as approval to enjoy a day at the track in Umamusume cosplay. That happened before the recent global boom of Umamusume, so there were only about 20 of us at that time. But that was the first step in what would become a recurring meetup.
Things were fairly quiet until the following year, when the Global version of the mobile game was released and received overwhelming popularity. We organized another off-the-books gathering for Japan Family Day 2025, and the turnout exceeded expectations, with over 300 fans descending on the track. But this time the turnout caught the attention of Santa Anita’s staff, who had already been trying to find ways to reach younger audiences. Following that, it was common to find a handful of fans or cosplayers enjoying live horse racing at the track.
Q: What are the challenges of organizing an event like this? We saw there was a concurrent car show that day. Was that also your doing, or did it coincide?
A. The car show was actually just a coincidence! They took up position out on the infield while we took up space along a stretch of the stadium’s trackside, which is exactly where the name Cosplay Trackside comes from.
Organizing an event like this comes with unique concerns. Since Cosplay Trackside was an outdoor event, our biggest worry was ensuring that all of our artists and vendors had proper covering from the harsh Californian sun. For our performances, we needed a full stage setup, a DJ, and audio equipment. Luckily, Santa Anita proved more than willing to provide all of this infrastructure for us entirely at their own expense, which took a massive weight off our shoulders.
Q: How did Santa Anita Park first react to the idea?
A. I first came in contact with the Santa Anita staff towards the end of 2025. Seeing similar racetrack events succeeding in the Philippines and Indonesia gave us the push to try hosting one of our own here. And the staff at Santa Anita Park were incredibly receptive to aiding us in any way they could. In my mind, I had imagined a much simpler meetup, but Santa Anita actually proposed going all out. We decided that May 16th, Preakness Day (the second leg of the American Triple Crown), would offer the best arrangements to suit our needs. Santa Anita sponsored the event in its entirety, providing the funding for live performances and offering discounted rates for participating artists and vendors.
Middle Image – Crowd and performers at the Cosplay Trackside Umamusume event © LeonTalon
Bottom Two Images – Preakness Day Races © Sharky_LT
Q: As a follow-up, how did horse racing fans react?
A. When Cygames sponsored the American Oaks, Umamusume fans and cosplayers descended on the track. However, since the American Oaks is a prestigious G1 race, it was the first major interaction between anime fans and the traditional “old-money” types that are typically associated with horse racing. Much to our surprise, we found ourselves warmly welcomed! Of course, there were some awkward stares or confused comments, but most people were excited to see fresh energy at the track and were curious about Umamusume.
Q. There have been several of these events all over the world. Why do you think Umamusume caused such a fervor?
A. The appeal of cute anime girls performing in competitive scenarios is nothing new, but Umamusume brings something rarely seen to the table: real history. There is no telling how these tales will unfold as the highs and lows of real competition rarely follow a structured narrative. It’s human nature to feel compassion when we see someone giving everything for their dream. That’s true whether it’s an anime character on a screen or a real horse, or the massive web of human connections behind it (like the owners, trainers, jockeys, and lifelong fans). It turns a unique concept into a profound tribute.
Q. Horse racing is seen as a “rich person’s/highbrow pastime,” while we weebs and cosplayers are still often seen as nerdy loners. What is that juxtaposition like at events? Do you think “highbrows” are coming over to the weeb side because of Umas?
A. It’s proven pretty rare to bring anyone from the traditional, highbrow crowd over to the anime side. I assume it’s because the cultural overlap isn’t there for that demographic. However, Umamusume fans have embroiled themselves in the history, pedigree, and nuance of horse racing.
It’s actually created a unique community dynamic because Japanese racing history isn’t widely or formally cataloged in English. So much information has to be translated and shared informally between fans. It builds a really tight-knit, collaborative community as everyone learns together, even if it does mean a few rumors or community myths get passed around by accident sometimes.
Q. How was the turnout? Did it meet your expectations?
A. The turnout was phenomenal; we had over 700 estimated attendees! It completely blew past what we initially hoped for. The buzz on social media makes it clear that everyone had a wonderful time.
Q. Do you have any other events planned?
A. Plans are still in the preliminary stages. But because of this weekend’s success, we are already eyeing a follow-up event sometime in the Fall!
Of the Cosplay Trackside event, Andrew Arthur, Santa Anita’s Director of Marketing, was quoted as saying, “The Cosplay Trackside event gave a space to a fun and active group that is also excited about horse racing and Santa Anita Park. We look forward to putting on events like this in the future and continuing to embrace this community.“
Anime Corner would like to thank Leon, Sharky_LT, and Kenco_exe for their help in this article.
For more info check out Leon’s X account, as well as Cosplay Trackside’s official X (Twitter) and Instagram.
All character © Cygames, Inc.
Cover image ©Sharky_TL
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