Jungle Pocket

“*Follow my lead. I'll show ya who's the 'strongest'!*”
―Jungle Pocket

**Jungle Pocket** (ジャングルポケット, *Janguru Poketto*) is a character in **Uma Musume: Pretty Derby**.

## Personality

Full of mischief and a mouth that likes to boast, Jungle Pocket's aim is to become the strongest runner ever.

Before, she was the leader of a group of ruffians in the world of freestyle races. However, it was Fuji Kiseki's strong performance in races that managed to propel her into the world of official racing. With her bros cheering her on, she's feeling pumped and ready to smash anyone into pieces to this day.

## Relationships

* **Fuji Kiseki**: Jungle Pocket admires Fuji Kiseki.
	+ **IRL**: "Father". At three years old, they have same owner, trainer, and jockey. JunPocke won the Derby that Fuji Kiseki couldn't enter.
* **Tosen Jordan**:
	+ **IRL**: Foal and succeeding sire.
* **Agnes Tachyon**: Friend and rival.
	+ **IRL**: Fought twice.
	+ **Matches** (JP/AT)
		- 2000 Radio Tampa Hai 3-year-old Stakes (2nd/1st)
		- 2001 Satsuki Sho (3rd/1st)
* **Manhattan Cafe**: Friend and rival.
	+ **IRL**: Fought twice.
	+ **Matches** (JP/MC)
		- 2001 Kikka Sho (4th/1st)
		- 2002 Tenno Sho Spring (2nd/1st)
* **T.M. Opera O**:
	+ **IRL**: JunPocke defeated Opera O at the Japan Cup to finish his "dynasty".
	+ **Matches** (JP/TMO)
		- 2001 Japan Cup (1st/2nd)

## Songs

* DRAMATIC JOURNEY
* Umapyoi Densetsu

## Trivia

* At PakaLive TV Vol. 25, an unknown horse girl was found on the MV of Everlasting BEATS. On the MV, real-life fathers were placed next to children (except Satono Diamond and Satono Crown), so fans expected she was Jungle Pocket. She was replaced to Air Groove on the nonstream version. Air Groove and Jungle Pocket has same father, Tony Bin.
* Since Jungle Pocket belonged to Shadai Group in "his" late racing life, it had been thought it was difficult to appear "her" in Uma Musume.

## Basic profile

### Owner

Yomoji Saito
Katsumi Yoshida

### Racing silk

Green, yellow stripes, black sleeves with yellow single hoops (Y. Saito)
Yellow, red stripes, black sleeves (K. Yoshida)

Yomoji Saito

## Family

### Children

Jaguar Mail
Queen Spumante
Oken Bruce Lee
Tall Poppy
Tosen Jordan
Aventura
Awardee
Sanrei Pocket
Omatase Shimashita

## Racing Info

### Jockeys

Teruhiko Chida, 2 times
Koichi Tsunoda, 6 times
Olivier Peslier, 1 time
Futoshi Kojima, 1 time
Yutaka Take, 2 times
Shinji Fujita, 1 time

## Result

### Major wins

2000 Sapporo 3-year-old Stakes, G3
2001 Kyodo Tsushin Hai, G3
2001 Japanese Derby, G1
2001 Japan Cup, G1

### Honors

2001 JRA Award for Horse of the Year
2001 JRA Award for Best 3-year-old Colt

“*Jump out of the jungle
His figure is a thoroughbred.
But blood in his body is hybrid of wild beasts.
With sharpness of wolves, quickness of pumas, and monstrous power of grizzly bears, he hunts his preys.
Jungle is too small for him.
In this vast wasteland, his talent will live.*”
―JRA Portrait of the Bucephalus

**Jungle Pocket** is a racehorse in the early 2000s. He won the Japanese Derby, which was liberated for foreign-bred horse, as a home-bred horse. He also won the Japan Cup at age of three, defeating T.M. Opera O and ended his "dynasty". He also succeeded as a studhorse and sired many G1 horses.

* His name comes from a children's song, broadcasted on NHK Educational. It is said Yomoji's daughter liked the song.
* After the victory lap of the Japanese Derby, he neighed loudly. The race commentator compared it to his victory cry.

>
> “*Oh, Jungle Pocket looked surprised at big cheers... Or his victory cry, isn't it? He is neighing to the sky, Jungle Pocket!
> 'The winner is me!', as if he was saying so.*”
> ―2001 Japanese Derby, by Masaharu Miyake (Fuji TV)
>

* His owner had been changed to Katsumi Yoshida, a representative of Northern Farm, since 2002 Japan Cup.
* He was joked he is Fuji Kiseki's "foal". At three years old, Jungle Pocket's owner, trainer, and jockey were same as him.
* A comedian trio Jungle Pocket is named after him. Their leader Shinji Saito likes horseracing, and he named his team after any racehorse. Jungle Pocket was strong especially in Tokyo Racecourse, so he included his wish in their group's name never to lose in Tokyo.
	+ Saito purchased a Jungle Pocket's foal, Omatase Shimashita. She is running in Kasamatsu Racecourse.
	+ Saito watched Uma Musume anime as a project in his YouTube channel. He says horse girl Jungle Pocket is not his type.

## Notes

1. ↑ Katsumi Yoshida's racing silk
2. ↑ Present NHK E-tele.

## References

1. ↑ JRA official
2. ↑ 「新時代の扉をこじ開けたのは内国産馬ジャングルポケット」【日本ダービー2001】 (YouTube)