>>19529394I tell you the anime is pretty generic if you see it at face value.
But by attaching real-world race horses and their horrific injuries, struggles, rivalries and triumphs it gives the story an extra kind of feeling to it. You don't say "oh that was overdramatic" when something overdramatic happens. You say "holy shit THAT happened to that poor horse? What a fucking champion".
So I can see why the anime side is popular at least.