Cascade

Cascade is a dark bay Thoroughbred stallion with a striking white blaze on his face and sharp eyes.

His impressive physique is complemented by a long, upward-styled mane that looks like a pompadour.

He looks even more powerful and intense because of his almost completely black coat.

During the anime adaptation, his coat appears with a bluish tint, but in the manga, it stays close to a true black.

Cascade is very serious, tough, and silent.

Even as a three-year-old horse, he gives off the feeling of an experienced old champion.

He seems cold and almost machine-like, having thrown away his emotions after losing his mother.

Deep down, Cascade has a strong sense of duty and a burning spirit for racing.

Despite his many victories, he sometimes struggles with the feelings of defeat, especially against unbeaten horses like Peter II and Chūbei.

He values the importance of racing with his life, believing his legacy is not just about winning but about showing his true racing spirit.

Cascade was born in Hokkaido at the Honda Rich Farm.

He is the son of Sunday Scidence (sire) and Hiropon (dam), with Dankichi as his damsire.

His mother, Hiropon, was a champion mare who won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

Sadly, Hiropon died during Cascade’s difficult birth, leaving a strong mark on his young heart.

From that moment on, Cascade’s only goal was to become the strongest and prove the power of his mother’s bloodline.

Cascade’s race style is “late charge.”

He stays behind the main group, then unleashes his powerful finishing kick, called the “black whirlwind,” surprising everyone as he sprints ahead on the final stretch.

He is extremely tough and quick to learn, training hard and sometimes losing a lot of weight because of his strict routines.

Until his retirement after the Arima Kinen, Cascade was undefeated in official races in Japan.

He has the special “third leg” move he demonstrated against Nitronics, showing advancement after beating his earlier weakness in head-to-head duels.

Midori Makibaō is Cascade’s biggest rival.

At first, Cascade ignored Makibaō, thinking he was too inexperienced, but after many close races, he came to respect him as a true competitor.

Cascade also carries a connection with Makibaō’s mother, Midoriko, because she was his own mother Hiropon’s rival.

He is also deeply affected by Chūbei, whose dedication in the Japanese Derby makes Cascade respect him.

Later, as a stallion, Cascade guides his own foals and even Makibaō’s nephew Hinode Makibaō, adopting a somewhat relaxed and caring side in his older years.

Birth and Early Life

Cascade was born as the first foal of Hiropon, who died just after his birth because of a tough delivery.

This traumatic moment made Cascade emotionless, and he started to live only to prove his mother’s blood was the strongest.

Before even debuting, Cascade faced Makibaō (then called Unkotarezō) and easily defeated him, setting up a rivalry that would last for years.

Debut and Early Races

Cascade debuted in an undercard race just before the autumn Tennō Shō, winning easily with odds of 1.1.

He immediately raced again the next weekend in Kyoto, showing stamina by running extra distances even after the race was over as a rehearsal for longer races.

In his third important race, the Asahi Hai 3-Year-Old Stakes (G1), Cascade faced both Makibaō and Amago Wakuchin, making up the “Big Three.”

In this fierce race, Cascade unleashed a new running style and managed to win after almost being cornered.

Four-Year-Old Season

He trained in Dubai, where he was chosen as one of the world’s top 10 four-year-old horses.

However, after harsh training and tough races, he struggled with his condition in the Satsuki Shō, barely winning against a fast-improving Makibaō.

In the NHK Mile Cup, Cascade defeated the powerful foreign horse Nitronics by using his special third-stage kick.

In the Japanese Derby, despite his handlers' advice to use the outside route, Cascade made a bold move, leading to a historic dead heat finish with Makibaō.

Overseas Challenge and Decline

Cascade travelled overseas to compete in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but was hit by a mysterious disease called “Marie’s Disease” and failed to win.

Returning to Japan, he decided to race in the Arima Kinen, aiming to pass his fierce spirit to the younger horses before retiring.

Cascade pushed through the pain and even scolded Makibaō for not racing seriously.

After seeing Makibaō return to full strength and challenge him one last time, Cascade finished his racing career with satisfaction, placing sixth before retiring as a stallion.

Life as a Stallion and Later Years

Cascade became a successful sire, producing many strong foals.

In the sequel "Taioh no Makibao," Cascade appears as a mentor to Hinode Makibaō and his own daughter Femme Fatale, and sometimes relaxes a bit, showing a softer side.

He’s often seen watching races that his offspring participate in and gives advice with a mix of strictness and warmth.

Cascade’s running style, goal to be a triple-crown winner, and bloodline are based in part on real-life horses like Fuji Kiseki and Symboli Rudolf.

His unique appearance, especially his “pompadour” mane, is inspired by iconic characters in Japanese media.

Cascade’s major racing path (NHK Mile Cup to Japanese Derby) is similar to famous real horses like King Kamehameha and Deep Sky, but this schedule is known to be very tough in the real world.

Despite being nearly unbeatable, Cascade was not always the race favorite, likely because of his come-from-behind style.

Cascade’s animated version appears in various forms and gets referenced in other anime.

"Along the inner rail, the black whirlwind is raging! That wind is not an unfamiliar one! This is the third time this year! The name of this wind is... the Black Emperor, Cascade!"

Profile:

• Name: Cascade
• Sex: Stallion (male)
• Color: Dark bay (almost black)
• Birthday: 1993 (approximate, based on story events)
• Sire: Sunday Scidence
• Dam: Hiropon
• Damsire: Dankichi
• Place of birth: Hokkaido, Honda Rich Farm
• Trainer: Yasuo Sakakibara
• Main jockey: Masato Hattori
• Owner: Heishichiro Honda

Famous Titles:

• "Black Assassin"
• "Black (or Dark) Emperor"
• "Jet-Black Emperor"

Major Achievements:

• JRA Best 3-Year-Old Colt (1995)
• JRA Horse of the Year, Best 4-Year-Old Colt (1996)
• In-story: Never lost a race in Japan except for unofficial match races

Notable Offspring:

• Total Chaos (winner of Kashiwa Kinen and Saga Kinen)
• Black Rain (2nd in the Japan Cup)
• Flat Bicky (2nd in the Saga Kinen)
• Femme Fatale (a filly who challenged the Oka Sho and Japanese Derby)