Every G1 race in the Twinkle Series had its own set of trial races, usually ranked G2 or G3.
All of these trials awarded priority running rights—finishing within a certain placing guaranteed direct qualification for the associated G1.
Typically, the requirement was a first-place finish, though some allowed the top two or three.
For example, the Spring Stakes that Kitasan Black previously participated in allowed the top three finishers priority entry into the Satsuki Sho.
But aside from qualification, trial races also served as a "dress rehearsal"—this aspect truly embodied the meaning of a "trial."
Taking the Spring Stakes again as an example, both this race and the Satsuki Sho were held at Nakayama Racecourse, with similar distances—1800m and 2000m respectively.
Having competed in the Spring Stakes obviously increased familiarity with the course, greatly improving performance in the Satsuki Sho.
Yet, in Yasui Makoto's opinion, some trial races weren't designed very logically.
Like the Kikuka Sho's trials: the St. Lite Kinen and the Kobe Shimbun Hai.
The Kikuka Sho itself was a 3000-meter long-distance race, yet these two trials were middle-distance events of 2200m and 2400m.
Even the venues differed dramatically. Kikuka Sho was held at Kyoto, while the trials were held separately at Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses.
According to the URA Association, this arrangement had historical roots, supported by extensive references from racing history.
Such an explanation wasn't incomprehensible, but purely from a strategic perspective, these races were clearly less helpful as references than something like the Spring Stakes.
Yet, after considering carefully, Yasui found he had no other viable choices.
With Kitasan Black's current popularity, qualifying for the Kikuka Sho wasn't an issue.
The problem was that, apart from these two trial races, the other available races were even less suitable.
It was already August, with the Kikuka Sho scheduled for October. Within this timeframe, the only long-distance races available were the Tanchou Stakes and the Sapporo Nikkei Open.
Though both were considered long-distance, their race distance was just 2600m, held at Sapporo Racecourse.
Located in Hokkaido, Sapporo's environment differed drastically from Kyoto's.
The turf there was also quite peculiar, using imported grass not found at other racecourses.
All in all, these two long-distance races were far from ideal choices—no past Kikuka Sho runners had ever prepared through these races.
Thus, Yasui Makoto planned to use the St. Lite Kinen to test the results of their special training, relying on intensive 3000m practice and endurance drills to specifically target the Kikuka Sho.
This had been his training camp plan from the start.
But to Yasui's surprise, Silence Suzuka and Rice Shower were unaware of this, and Kitasan herself seemed equally clueless.
"The St. Lite Kinen...? Oh! Right, that one!"
After Yasui's reminder, Kitasan showed sudden realization.
She sheepishly scratched her head, glancing embarrassedly between Yasui, Silence Suzuka, and Rice Shower.
"Sorry—I was just thinking too much about the Kikuka Sho, so I forgot the St. Lite Kinen. But…um, anyway, I've been seriously preparing for it too!"
Seeing her frantically explain herself, both of her senpai smiled kindly and nodded. Yasui's earlier speechlessness also dissipated.
Exactly as Kitasan said herself—even if her attention was focused entirely on the Kikuka Sho, her nearly month-long special training at Mount Mitou had never once slackened.
Or perhaps precisely because she was focused on the final jewel of the Classic Triple Crown, she'd maintained such remarkable dedication.
In the first two weeks, she'd undergone overload training twice per week. By now, it had increased to three times.
Each day started with basic training in the morning, followed by special drills and paired runs both morning and afternoon.
She also had indoor sessions, weight training at Lake Okutama, and swimming sessions.
Witnessing Kitasan's daily efforts, none of the three had overlooked her dedication.
"I wasn't scolding you. Well, anyway, as long as you remember the St. Lite Kinen, it's fine."
Yasui chuckled, then turned serious again.
"The race is held at Nakayama Racecourse, a track you're very familiar with."
"The distance is 2200 meters, which is also within your capability."
"My idea is—since you're familiar with the track and distance, this race can be used as a dress rehearsal for the Kikuka Sho."
"If all goes smoothly, we can finalize your strategy and tactics afterward."
Kitasan nodded seriously. But then, suddenly inspired, she excitedly asked:
"A rehearsal for the Kikuka Sho… Do you mean you want me to run a big escape in the Kikuka Sho?"
At that, Silence Suzuka looked thoughtfully at Yasui Makoto, while Rice Shower—silent until now—began to hesitate.
"A big escape in the Kikuka Sho…wouldn't that be very difficult to win with? Rice remembers that even regular front-runners who won the Kikuka Sho…"
Halfway through speaking, she abruptly panicked.
"I-I'm sorry! Yasui-san, Rice isn't questioning your judgment, Rice just…um, Rice just…"
After nearly a month of training together, Yasui had become familiar with Rice's personality. Knowing how introverted she was, he quickly responded comfortingly:
"You don't need to worry, Rice-san, I understand what you mean."
"Actually, it's not just the Kikuka Sho—very few Uma Musume have successfully used a big escape strategy in any long-distance races."
"Let me think…"
He paused briefly.
"Just looking at the Kikuka Sho, I think Seiun Sky is the only front-runner who's successfully led wire-to-wire."
After mentioning an Uma Musume's name, he continued:
"So exactly because it's difficult for front-runners to win, I wanted to expand Kita-chan's tactical flexibility."
"I've discussed this with Suzuka-san before, and she agrees that this approach is correct."
This was Yasui's idea from the start.
For fans, watching a front-runner alone at the head of the pack was undeniably captivating.
But for trainers and Uma Musume themselves, achieving victory through a front-running style was far more challenging than other tactics.
When running alone out front, one had to constantly judge the situation without error—one small mistake could ruin everything.
Stamina consumption was also enormous, requiring continuous pace adjustments to avoid slowing down near the finish line.
Meanwhile, they must handle the psychological pressure of rivals steadily gaining from behind, which not only drained physical stamina but also required significant mental energy.
Short- or middle-distance races might be manageable, but in long-distance races, any stamina or mental drain multiplied exponentially.
Given these conditions, Yasui had asked Rice Shower to enhance Kitasan's ability to resist intense pressure, and Silence Suzuka to expand her repertoire of front-running techniques, planning to use the St. Lite Kinen as a rehearsal.
Only through such careful preparations could they ensure the greatest chance at victory in the Kikuka Sho.
"Yeah! Suzuka-senpai said the same thing to me!"
Kitasan now nodded vigorously.
"She told me earlier—her front-running style isn't suited for everyone, and that I should learn as much as possible without forcing it... She mentioned it just now, too."
"Ah…so that's how it is…"
Rice Shower visibly relaxed, placing a hand over her chest.
"Then Rice doesn't have to worry as much anymore. And…"
She offered a shy yet somewhat confident smile.
"Rice will continue doing her best to help."
"I'm genuinely thankful to you, Rice-san. And you too, Suzuka-san."
Expressing sincere gratitude, Yasui Makoto smiled warmly, then smoothly changed topics.
"But since we've trained intensely for quite some time, perhaps it's time to adjust our schedule slightly."
"Coincidentally, there's a race this week. Kita has been begging to go watch it for a while now."
"So, let's take a break and relax at the racecourse together."