Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi

"I'll run each race as hard as I can! All right! I'll do my best! ...*cough*, I choked!"

- Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi (ツルマルツヨシ, Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi) is a supporting character in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.

Appearance
A hair ornament her right shaped crane (tsuru) wing and orange circle (maru).

On her left bang, she wears a zigzag hair clip.

Trivia

 * When she was announced on March 6, 2022, everybody expected her to be a '98 generation G1 winner, with Air Jihad, Agnes World, or Wing Arrow being fair predictions. As a result, she is a non-G1 winner from that time period.

Real Life
"Yes, he was very 'the secret weapon who arrived late'. Moreover, he never came to the stage slowly, like 'the last big star has arrived'. He came galloping, dashing, and suddenly leapt into prominence. Let's review that autumn with 'To-Spo'."

- Tokyo Sports note

Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi is a racehorse in the late 1990s. He was called the "Last Big Star of Symboli Rudolf's Children", and fought with other 1998-Classic "Golden Age" horses. However, he suffered from a weak constitution and thus had repeated rests. He could not win any G1s after all, but he defeated three G1 horses at Kyoto Dai Shoten.

In 1998 (3 years old)
He had dysemia and could not train as hard. His debut was delayed and delayed until a 4-year-old maiden race on May 5, when Satsuki Sho ended. He won the race, but he spent his days having repeated rests and runs afterwards.

In 1999 (4 years old)
In June, he got a little stronger, and won the Mikawa Special, 9 million-or-less Limited. Though he lost the next race, he won the Asahi Challenge Cup (G3), winning his first title.

At Kyoto Dai Shoten (G2), Special Week, T.M. Opera O, and Mejiro Bright were also participants. Tsuyoshi was the fourth pick next to them. Tsuyoshi accelerated at the homestretch, while Special went back. Bright and Opera O couldn't reach him. This was the first G2 for him, and the last victory.

He challenged many G1s, such as the Tenno Sho Autumn and Arima Kinen. At Tenno Sho, Special Week revived and Tsuyoshi lost in 8th place. At the Arima Kinen, he managed to be at the front until the homestretch, however, Special Week and Grass Wonder overtook him and finished almost at the same time. He lost in fourth, but finished by 0.1 seconds from first place.

Unfortunately, he got a bone aneurysm and rested 10 months.

In 2000 (5 years old)
He ran only two races, Kyoto Dai Shoten and Arima Kinen. This year was in T.M. Opera O's dynasty thus as those races were a part of his victories,Tsuyoshi lost both.

At Arima Kinen, he cut his right-front leg tendon and cancelled the race. He lost his racing ability and retired.

After retirement
He could not become a stallion due to his his illness. He became a lead horse in Kyoto Racecourse until he injured his leg in 2007.

Then he moved to Yoshino farm in Miyazaki. In 2011, his owner Takao Tsuruta passed away. His former stabler founded the "Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi Fund" and raised subscriptions. He still lives there today.


 * Tsurumaru (tsuru=crane) is one of the national emblems of Japan. For example, Japan Airways emblem has one in red.