Neo Universe's dam was the British-bred mare Pointed Path, making him a close relative of the European Group One winners Helen Street (Irish Oaks) and Shamardal.

After winning a minor race at Kyoto in January he was moved up in class and won the Group Three Kisaragi Shō at the same course a month later, beating Silent Deal by half a length.

In March he was ridden for the first time by the Italian jockey Mirco Demuro in the Group Two Spring Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse and won by one and a quarter lengths from Sakura President.

Ridden again by Demuro he was trapped behind other horses and appeared to be in a hopeless position, but accelerated through a narrow gap defeated Sakura President by a head after a "fierce struggle",[9] with the previous season's champion two-year-old Eishin Champ in third place.

[11] Four weeks later, Neo Universe was matched against older horses for the first time when he was one of seventeen runners invited to contest the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse.

He finished fourth behind Hishi Miracle, one place ahead of the Japanese Horse of the Year Symboli Kris S.[12] After a summer break, Neo Universe returned in autumn in an attempt to complete the Triple Crown in the Kikuka Shō.

He has become a leading sire in Japan,[17] His first crop of foals produced Logi Universe (Tokyo Yūshun) and Unrivaled (Satsuki Shō) while his second included the Arima Kinen and Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa.