Report: Haru Urara, beloved for going 0-for-113, dies at age 29

Haru Urara, a 29-year-old mare beloved in Japan for going 0-for-113, died Tuesday after a bout with colic.

The Straits Times reported Haru Urara died at Martha Farm in Japan, where she lived during retirement. Citing a report by Friday Digital, the report said she became ill on Thursday. A veterinarian was called, but her condition worsened Friday morning.

“Haru Urara was 29 years old, which would be nearly 90 years old in human terms, but she was in great health until yesterday,” Yuko Miyahara, her caretaker at Martha Farm, told Friday Digital.

Racing writer Archie Brookes said in an X post, "Haru Urara's story captured the nation during the early 2000s when Japan was facing economic struggles. Her endless losing streak sparked the famous 'Haru Urara Boom.' with fans flooding Kochi Racecourse just to cheer her on. In March 2004, over 13,000 people came to watch her 106th start, ridden by superstar jockey Yutaka Take. She didn’t win that day either, but the crowd roared as if she had."

Fans turned her losing betting tickets into good-luck charms, he wrote, and she became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring songs, films and an anime character in the Uma Musume franchise.