According to "Hanazonoin Shinki" (The Diary of the Emperor Hanazono), the emperor made ironical remarks on January 13, 1325 about the incident that both Jimyoin party that the emperor belonged to and Daikakujito party, the rival of Jimyointo, sent emissaries to Kamakura in order to obtain the favorable judgment over the validity of the succession to the Imperial Throne between the Imperial Prince Kuniyoshi and the Emperor Godaigo from the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) one after another, saying "It looks like a horse racing."
花園院の日記である『花園院宸記』には、正中2年正月13日条の記事として花園院が属する持明院統のライバルである大覚寺統の後醍醐天皇と皇太子邦良親王が皇位継承の正当性を巡って鎌倉幕府からの有利な裁定を求めて互いに鎌倉に使者を相次いで派遣した有様を「世に競馬と号す」と皮肉っている。