Amago Wakuchin

Amago Wakuchin is a chestnut-colored thoroughbred stallion.

He usually wears a signature white shadow roll, which he inherited from his older brother Peter II.

Amago Wakuchin is very calm and friendly.

He often laughs and talks with Midori Makibaō.

But when he faces trouble, like the accident with Morriaror, he gets upset and even hits the wall with his head in secret.

He has a strong fighting spirit that he usually hides.

He is a passionate hero who never gives up, even when it gets tough.

Amago Wakuchin was born as a full brother to Peter II, a horse who won two major races.

Both have the same parents: father Horafkee and mother Merry Christmas, with maternal grandsire Katsurada-Yo.

When Peter II retired because of an injury, he gave his younger brother the dream to win the Triple Crown.

Amago Wakuchin's owner is Amako, whose name comes from the historical Amako clan.

His name, Wakuchin, is meant to counter Cascade—because "Cascade" is also a computer virus, and "vaccine" is what protects against viruses.

His main jockey is Baninosuke Yamanaka.

Amago Wakuchin has outstanding long-distance abilities and huge stamina.

He runs best when leading the race, using tricky pace changes to confuse others.

This earned him the nickname "Pace Magician."

He can run from behind if needed, but isn't quite as fast as Cascade or Midori Makibaō in short spurts.

Because of his heavier body, he struggles on sloped courses but races strongest on flat tracks, especially at Kyoto Racecourse.

He sometimes shows he could handle dirt racing but never actually enters those races.

Just like his brother Peter II, he has leg problems that make injuries more likely.

Peter II: Older brother, his inspiration and who passed down the dream of winning the Triple Crown.

Midori Makibaō and Cascade: His biggest rivals. They are part of the "Big Three" who always battle at the top.

Amako: His owner, who named him with high hopes.

Baninosuke Yamanaka: His main jockey, who supports him through thick and thin.

Early Days and Rivalry

As the younger brother of Peter II, Amago Wakuchin was marked as a promising horse from a young age.

At first, he wasn't confident and kept losing races.

After his older brother Peter II was injured and had to retire, Amago Wakuchin took up his dream to win the Triple Crown.

He set out to beat his destiny rival Cascade.

Becoming One of the "Big Three"

In the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, Amago Wakuchin faced Midori Makibaō and Cascade.

He narrowly lost, finishing second, but his performance made everyone see him as part of the "Big Three" champions.

Major Setbacks

In his fourth year, he entered the Kyodo News Cup but was caught up in an accident with Morriaror, breaking his leg.

He then entered the Satsuki Sho without being fully healed, trying to drain his competitors' stamina with pace-changing tactics.

In the tense final stretch, just as he was about to move for the win, the jockey held him back and he lost his chance, finishing outside the top positions.

He had to take a break to heal and could not enter the Japanese Derby.

Comeback

After recovery, he returned in races his brother could not finish, like the Hakodate Kinen.

He won both the Hakodate Kinen and Kobe Shimbun Hai.

At the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), leveraging his stamina and home-field Kyoto advantage, he overtook Midori Makibaō and Satomi Amazon to win his first G1 race.

Overseas Challenge

After the Arima Kinen, he traveled to Dubai to compete in a super-long-distance 4000-meter race against Jerusalem.

Though supported by Tū Cutter, the international horses outlasted him, and he finished fourth.

Later Career and Retirement

Over the years, he placed highly in many big races: third in another Arima Kinen, first in the spring Tenno Sho, second in the autumn Tenno Sho after a close fight with Blitz, and fifth in a later Arima Kinen.

He finished sixth in the Takarazuka Kinen at age seven.

Sadly, he hurt his leg tendon in training and retired.

His retirement ceremony was shown at the end of the story.

• His nicknames include "Successor of Three Crowns,” "Unbroken Warrior," and "Pace Magician."
• He won the JRA Award for Best Domestic Stallion in 1996.
• His racing victories, especially in G1 races, all happened at Kyoto Racecourse where there are no hills in the final straight.
• Unlike many other famous horses in the series, his offspring do not appear in the sequel, likely because he died soon after retiring.
• In the sequel "Taioh no Makibaō," it is mentioned that he is already deceased, with his grave being shown.
• The owner Amako named him with hopes for greatness and because "Wakuchin" (vaccine) contrasts with Cascade's name, which is also a type of computer virus.
• Many human characters in the series are named after famous Japanese warlords, including his owner.

• "Are you going to give up the Triple Crown that your brother and you belong to?" (Encouragement from jockey Baninosuke Yamanaka during the Kikuka Sho.)
• "Amako believed in you—that’s why you were given the Amago name." (From Peter II to Amago Wakuchin.)

There is an actual racehorse named Amago Wakuchin who was born in 2010.

This horse raced in local competitions and won 16 out of 158 races.

He even met the mascot version of Midori Makibaō.

The real-life Amago Wakuchin retired from racing in 2020.