A fortnight had passed since I'd gone to the beach to relax, only to end up rescuing a drowning Uma Musume.
The Uma Musume who nearly drowned, Daiya-chan, recovered quickly and didn't need a trip to the hospital. But it seemed she'd lost her courage to swim in the ocean again and was content playing with Urara and the others, building sandcastles. It was a relief to see her safe.
Afterward, we had lunch together at the beach house before parting ways. That evening, however, I got a call on my phone from Daiya-chan's parents, to whom I had given my number. They were profusely apologetic and wanted to express their gratitude, but I was in the middle of a training camp. I explained this and tried to decline their offer, saying it wasn't necessary since Daiya-chan was fine, but they wouldn't take no for an answer.
They insisted that while they had properly scolded Daiya-chan, it would be rude not to thank me in person. I finally relented but asked them to postpone their visit until today.
Today was the final stage of the training camp—the day of the mock races against Team Rigil and Team Spica.
"Uncle!"
Daiya-chan's family actually showed up at the ryokan. As I greeted them at the entrance, Daiya-chan, dressed in her casual clothes, jumped into my arms.
She wore a sailor-style top with a large yellow ribbon and a green long skirt. At first glance, she looked every bit the refined young lady, but she was surprisingly aggressive in her charge.
"Whoa there... It's been a while, Daiya-chan. I heard from you on the phone, but are you doing alright?" I asked, holding her in my arms.
"Yes!" she beamed, nodding enthusiastically.
"Hello, Uncle!"
Right behind Daiya-chan, Kita-chan came running up. She was dressed in a black jacket, a white shirt with a carrot logo, and yellow shorts, an outfit that perfectly suited her energetic personality.
"Hey, hello," I replied.
I never bothered to correct them when they called me "Uncle" or "Ojisama" (a more formal "Uncle"). For elementary schoolers, calling a man in his late teens or early twenties "Uncle" wasn't that strange, especially since I felt like an old man on the inside. Still, Daiya-chan's "Ojisama" felt a bit too formal, but then again, Toukai Teiou, who was older than Kita-chan, also called me "Uncle."
I then calmed Daiya-chan's parents, who were bowing their heads in deep apology. I did, however, accept the gift of sweets they brought, as I knew that refusing would only make them worry more.
And it wasn't a simple "thank you and goodbye." I had arranged for them to come today because I wanted to fulfill Kita-chan and Daiya-chan's wish.
I had confirmed with the senior members of Team Spica that both Toukai Teiou and Mejiro McQueen knew Kita-chan and Daiya-chan. I had no reason to doubt the two girls' words, but Kita-chan apparently admired Toukai Teiou, and Daiya-chan was a fan of Mejiro McQueen. Both Toukai Teiou and Mejiro McQueen seemed to adore them in return.
And since both of them were participating in today's mock races, I specifically chose this day for the visit. When the girls heard about it, their eyes lit up with excitement.
As for inviting outsiders, it wasn't an issue. Since Team Rigil, Team Spica, and my own Team Kitalpha were all at the camp, many locals had started coming to watch.
The incident where I rescued Daiya-chan was picked up by the local newspaper and I was even recognized by the local fire department, which revealed the location of our training camp. Because of that, both Toujou-san and the senior members of Team Spica gave me a lecture along the lines of, "We know it couldn't be helped, but don't do anything reckless."
So, with our presence already known, I decided to invite Kita-chan and Daiya-chan to watch the mock races.
"Huh?! Why are Kita-chan and Daiya-chan with you, Uncle?!" Toukai Teiou immediately pounced on me when I brought the girls to the mock race venue.
"We had a chance encounter the other day... I brought them because they're fans of Toukai Teiou and Mejiro McQueen," I explained.
"Yay! It's Teiou-san!" Kita-chan was overjoyed. She ran up to Toukai Teiou, her eyes filled with pure, unadulterated respect.
Toukai Teiou puffed out her chest and chattered away. It must feel great to hear a fan's praise, especially from a kid like Kita-chan.
Daiya-chan, on the other hand, greeted Mejiro McQueen with a few words and then came back to stand by my side. I wondered why she wasn't seeking more attention like Kita-chan. Was she sending me "pay attention to me" signals? I might be imagining things. But when I patted her head, she gave me a huge smile.
While Toukai Teiou was all fired up, my team members were even more motivated. As this was the final stage of the camp, they were determined to show the results of their training. From Rice and King, who always had a strong desire to race, to even Urara, who was usually so talkative, everyone was exceptionally quiet that morning.
After all, their opponents today were Team Rigil and Team Spica. Competing against Symboli Rudolf was a huge deal.
The Seven-Crown Uma Musume.
The Undefeated Triple-Crown Uma Musume.
The Emperor.
The Uma Musume whose three losses were talked about more than her countless victories.
The words used to praise her strength were varied and numerous. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her one of the most representative and strongest Uma Musume in Japan.
Honestly, I was looking forward to it too. Urara, unfortunately, wasn't great on turf courses, but for Rice, this was a great opportunity to see which of them was stronger, and for King, it was a chance to see how far she could go.
Of course, the other Uma Musume were also formidable opponents. If this were a televised event, the viewership would be through the roof.
The mock races were held on a practice course close to the ryokan. It had both turf and dirt tracks but no sloped or wood-chip courses. The turf and dirt tracks also lacked the elevation changes found in a real racecourse.
"Hey, you're right on time," the senior from Team Spica said, raising a hand as I was instructing Urara and the others to warm up. He was joined by a beautiful Uma Musume with long chestnut-colored hair. At first, I thought she might be Grass Wonder from her hair color and style, but...
(This girl is...)
It was a gut feeling, but when I saw her face and her stance, a jolt went through me. I swallowed hard.
—Silence Suzuka.
The Uma Musume who suffered a serious injury during the Autumn Tennou Sho race last year and had been on long-term recovery.
Last autumn was when Urara won her first maiden race and when I took over as Rice's trainer. In other words, it was during my period of "death march."
I hadn't kept track of Silence Suzuka because I assumed she wouldn't be a rival for Rice or King. One reason was that her suitable distance was a mile, and while she could run up to a middle distance, she didn't typically compete in the same races as Rice.
Another reason was that her injury was a comminuted fracture of the leg bone, so severe that it was uncertain whether she'd ever be able to return to racing.
In fact, she was already on the injured list by the time I started paying attention to turf races, so I only learned about her existence while researching Team Spica.
However, her talent was top-notch. As an escape runner, she had an astonishing gift. If I had to compare her to a Uma Musume I knew, she would be the turf equivalent of Smart Falcon.
I had checked out her race videos, and her running style—constantly accelerating from start to finish—was incredible. However, she struggled when she got a bad start or when other Uma Musume were in front of her, which made me fear Smart Falcon more.
She could have been a rival to Rice given their ages, but this girl's speed drastically dropped after the 2000-meter mark. She might pose a threat to Rice in a 2000-meter race, but I wouldn't be worried about anything longer. That was the kind of girl she was.
But her speed was truly something. Her injury in the Autumn Tennou Sho was because she was too fast, and her body couldn't handle it. Race injuries are hard to prevent, but in her case, it happened because she exceeded her limits as an Uma Musume.
I felt a strong pull toward her, sensing that she would be disastrously compatible with my training style, but I'm sure if I had trained her, my heart would have been crushed along with her leg in the Autumn Tennou Sho.
"...Is Silence Suzuka also participating in today's race?" I asked, confirming my suspicion.
The senior from Team Spica gave a wry smile.
"Nah, I'm not going to run her. She's recovered a lot, but she's still not fully healed enough to run at full speed..." he said, averting his gaze slightly. Hmm... that sounded a bit like a lie. From the looks of it, her body seemed to have healed, but her mind might not be in the right condition to go all out.
Besides, a comminuted fracture must have been incredibly traumatic for an Uma Musume. The fact that she had recovered and was even at the training camp suggests that the treatment was successful or that she had a strong will to get better.
(The Uma Musume on the senior's team tend to get injured a lot... Or is this considered a small number?)
Toukai Teiou had fractured her leg twice, and Mejiro McQueen once. But Uma Musume are very prone to injury due to their running speed.
Scratches and cuts are normal, and a runner's joints and ligaments getting inflamed from overuse are commonplace. It's not unusual to hear about a Uma Musume breaking a bone from going all out in a race. Some get injured from falling during a race, but just running can cause injuries for an Uma Musume.
When you think about a human running at 60-70 kilometers per hour, it's no surprise that they get injured.
My team's top priority is to prevent injuries, but minor scrapes, cuts, and inflammations still happen. We constantly walk a tightrope, resting them before their injuries worsen.
However, we also have a "why not thicken the tightrope" mindset, constantly checking their legs after training. Thanks to this, we haven't had any severe injuries, but it's hard to say if we can prevent a sudden breakdown during a race. It's a testament to Urara and the others, who cooperate without complaining during their leg checks, that we are able to strengthen their bodies and prevent severe injuries.
"Bringing along unfamiliar children, is that a sign of your confidence?" Toujou-san approached me as I was talking with the senior from Team Spica. When she looked at Daiya-chan, the girl quickly hid behind me.
"They're fans of Toukai Teiou and Mejiro McQueen. Don't you think the mock races will be more realistic if those two are more motivated?" I explained.
"I see... Well, that's fine." Toujou-san looked a bit hurt by Daiya-chan's reaction but quickly regained her composure. She gestured with her chin toward the area outside the practice course.
"What's done is done anyway," she said.
"Yeah... I probably shouldn't say this, but it really is a bit too late now..." I replied.
A crowd of locals had gathered to watch the races. They were all standing, as there were no chairs, but they were orderly and quietly watching the Uma Musume warm up.
It was like when a pro baseball team starts its camp in my previous life, and the locals come to watch. It was nice that we didn't need staff to manage the crowd.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? Not just McQueen, but Teiou is so fired up, saying she's going to show that girl a good race and beat the President," the senior from Team Spica said.
"This is a mock race, but my Rice gets more fired up the stronger her opponent is... She's absolutely looking forward to this. I'm going to have her beat Toukai Teiou, Mejiro McQueen, and even Symboli Rudolf," I said, grinning. Of course, I meant in a long-distance race.
If I were to ask Rice to beat Symboli Rudolf in a middle-distance race, it would be a toss-up, even with her fired-up state. The winning probability would probably be around 50%. And if Toukai Teiou and Mejiro McQueen were added to the mix, her chances would drop significantly.
The senior from Team Spica grinned back at my words, and Toujou-san gave me an exasperated yet amused look.
"Alright, the time has finally come for the joint mock races of three teams from Tracen Academy! The participating teams are Team Rigil, Team Spica, and Team Kitalpha. And a certain Happy Meak has also declared her participation, claiming she wants in and that she's the strongest! The weather today is sunny, and the track condition is good. I'm your commentator, Gold Ship-chan! And our color commentator is An-chan from Team Kitalpha!"
"Oh, not this again, Gold Ship-chan... Fine, whatever. And please stop giving Meak a weird persona."
As the mock races were about to begin, Gold Ship-chan appeared, carrying a long desk. She then unceremoniously dropped me into a seat next to her, as if I were a bag of rice.
The desk was set up with a microphone, and our voices were amplified and spread across the course.
Seriously, stop giving Meak a weird persona. I saw her look shocked and shake her head as if to say, "No, I never said that."
Huh? Why is Mejiro McQueen staring at me in shock? Did something happen? No, is she looking at Gold Ship-chan in surprise? Why?
"This mock race will have five events: a short-distance, a mile, a middle-distance, a long-distance turf race, and a mile dirt race. Gold Ship-chan might even join in if she feels like it!"
"Don't you think you should participate from the beginning?"
Well, it's Gold Ship-chan, so what can you do? Oh, I see Toujou-san is having Grass Wonder and Narita Brian, who aren't racing, film the events. I'll have to get the data from them later.
"So An-chan, please give us some kind of opening speech."
"Oh, why the sudden request... Okay. To all the Uma Musume participating in the mock races, please be sure to take breaks, but if you feel anything is wrong, tell us immediately. You may have opponents you're desperate to beat, but this is a mock race, not the real thing. It's okay to run at full speed, but don't do anything reckless or unreasonable."
I could see the determination on the faces of my team members, as well as those from Team Rigil and Team Spica. But this was just a mock race, so I gave them a warning.
"Alright! The race has started, and Maruzensky is immediately taking the lead! Following her, King Halo is charging forward! Oh, Taiki Shuttle, Fuji Kiseki, and Happy Meak are also moving up! Who will be the short-distance winner?! The ones not suited for short distance are taking it easy! But is that okay?! They're falling behind Haru Urara, who's a dirt runner!"
The first race was a short-distance turf race, and the short-distance specialists, including King, were seriously going for the win.
From Team Rigil, Symboli Rudolf, Air Groove-san, Hishi Amazon-chan, Fuji Kiseki-chan, Maruzensky, Taiki Shuttle, and El Condor Pasa were participating.
From Team Spica, Toukai Teiou, Mejiro McQueen, and Special Week were running.
My team, along with Meak, brought the total to 14 participants. Grass Wonder, Silence Suzuka (who were recovering from injuries), and Narita Brian (who was a junior) were not running and were filming the races.
The Uma Musume who weren't suited for this distance were just running as a light warm-up, while the specialists were running for a genuine win.
The specialists in this short-distance race were King, Maruzensky, Taiki Shuttle, Fuji Kiseki-chan, and Meak—and Urara. Urara, however, was running in about sixth place due to the turf track.
"And now, they cross the finish line! The winner of the 1200-meter short-distance race is Maruzensky! That's not very grown-up of her! Second place is King Halo, two horse-lengths behind! Third place is Taiki Shuttle, one horse-length behind! Fourth is Fuji Kiseki by a neck! And fifth is Happy Meak, three horse-lengths back!"
"Only six of them were running seriously, but it looks like the distance aptitude really showed... "
The fact that Urara came in sixth, even in a turf race, showed that the other Uma Musume had a clear goal: to save their energy for the more competitive middle-distance race.
I figured the results would have been similar even if everyone had run seriously. No, Urara probably would have dropped a little lower.
Next up, the 1800-meter mile race.
"The race is turning out to be similar to the short-distance race! Maruzensky is still in the lead, with King Halo in pursuit! Taiki Shuttle and Fuji Kiseki are also moving up! But now El Condor Pasa, Hishi Amazon, and Air Groove have joined the front pack! The others are still taking it slow! No, Haru Urara is running hard too!"
Hmm... Urara really seems to struggle on turf. She's running ahead of a Symboli Rudolf who's starting to get serious, but her stamina won't hold up.
Rice is sticking right behind Symboli Rudolf. She must have decided to use the short and mile races to practice marking Symboli Rudolf. And it looks like Symboli Rudolf is okay with it, letting Rice follow her wherever she goes.
"They've crossed the finish line! First place is Maruzensky! Still not very grown-up of her! Second is Taiki Shuttle, one horse-length behind! Third is King Halo, one horse-length behind! Fourth is Hishi Amazon by a neck! And fifth is El Condor Pasa, half a horse-length behind!"
In the turf mile race, Urara couldn't make it into the top five. Still, eighth place out of 14 participants isn't bad. And Gold Ship-chan, I know you want to say it, but don't call Maruzensky "not very grown-up."
Maruzensky, a Uma Musume who is older than the senior class, is naturally very strong. In her active days, she was an undefeated Uma Musume.
King is doing surprisingly well in both the short and mile races. She's sticking close to the top runners, and that's a big surprise. Still, she's visibly frustrated by her losses, even if this is just a mock race. Losing is always frustrating.
Not everyone is running at full speed, but they are giving it their all within the context of a mock race. They're running at about 80% of their full power, which is still enough to leave an average Uma Musume far behind.
After the mile race, the Uma Musume take a break and chat with each other. The tense atmosphere from the race is gone, replaced with smiles.
The Uma Musume gathered here are all G1 winners, meaning they are among the top class at Tracen Academy. They have different records, favorite distances, and running styles, but they see this as a great opportunity to exchange ideas.
(But the real show is about to start...)
Uma Musume who specialize in short distance are surprisingly rare, and mile specialists are also rarer than middle-distance specialists. It's not that they can't run, but being a specialist is a huge advantage.
"Alright, break time's over. Everyone's been waiting—next up is the middle-distance race."
When Gold Ship-chan announced that, the atmosphere among the smiling, relaxed Uma Musume changed in an instant.
The Uma Musume were still smiling, but a tense, almost electric, air began to circulate around them. Only Urara and Taiki Shuttle, who were not good at middle-distance or longer races, remained relaxed.
The smiles on the other girls' faces vanished so quickly it was as if a sound effect accompanied their change to a serious expression. It was chilling. Daiya-chan, who was watching with me, hid behind my back, and even the spectators, who had been enjoying the races, fell silent for a moment.
The middle-distance mock race was set at 2400 meters, a distance that many Uma Musume excel at. Because of this, Rice and King's faces became as serious as if they were about to run a G1 race.
The Uma Musume were all in their gym clothes and not their racing attire, but the aura they exuded was the real thing. It was clear that everyone except those who weren't good at middle distance was going to run at full speed.
If this were a fighting manga, you would see a "rumble, rumble" sound effect. The tension was unbelievable.
They didn't have a starting gate, but they lined up in the order they drew their numbers. The senior from Team Spica stood at the starting line, and Kiryuuin-san, looking a bit out of place, stood at the finish line with a "Finish Line" sign hanging from her neck.
"All Uma Musume are ready—and the race has started!"
The senior from Team Spica raised his right hand and brought it down as the signal to start. At that moment, the Uma Musume all sprang forward at once, their competitiveness sparking as they jockeyed for position.
"Maruzensky takes the lead! Following close behind are the front runners: Symboli Rudolf, Rice Shower, Toukai Teiou, Mejiro McQueen, Air Groove, El Condor Pasa, and Fuji Kiseki! A little ways back are King Halo and Special Week, followed by Happy Meak! Trailing at the back is Hishi Amazon, all alone. Taiki Shuttle and Haru Urara are running at a slow pace from the start. Haru Urara is really all alone back there!"
"Taiki Shuttle isn't good at middle distance or longer... and Haru Urara is a dirt runner, so it can't be helped. Hishi Amazon is at the very back, but she specializes in 'Oikomi' (come-from-behind) style, so she's probably doing that on purpose."
As Gold Ship-chan and I continued our commentary, the race moved forward.
"They're coming out of the final turn on the right-hand course and into the final straight! Maruzensky is still in the lead. But in the back, 'The Emperor' is gradually picking up speed. And Toukai Teiou is also moving up to challenge her! Rice Shower has dropped back a bit!"
Hmm? Did Rice decide she couldn't beat Symboli Rudolf in a middle-distance race? Even with the intense fighting spirit in her eyes as she watched Symboli Rudolf, she was gradually slowing her pace.
"200 meters to go! Here comes Symboli Rudolf! She's passing Maruzensky and taking the lead! Toukai Teiou is charging forward to chase her! But can she catch her?! Can the five-time G1 winner catch the seven-time G1 winner?! Air Groove and Hishi Amazon are also moving up from behind! But they're running out of distance! And they've crossed the finish line!"
"First place, Symboli Rudolf. Second is Toukai Teiou, one horse-length behind. Third is Hishi Amazon, one horse-length behind. Fourth is Air Groove by a neck. And fifth is Maruzensky, two horse-lengths behind."
Wow... Symboli Rudolf is really strong. It might have been a mistake to let a Uma Musume who belongs in the Dream Trophy, a race for a select few who have graduated from the senior class, participate in this.
Symboli Rudolf, who came in first, received the cheers from the spectators, as expected, but she was also looking at Toukai Teiou with a pleased expression. She might be happy that there are Uma Musume who can catch up to her, as the race was quite close. But Toukai Teiou looks frustrated.
In the middle-distance race, King couldn't make it into the top five. She came in ninth, as her opponents were all top-class Uma Musume from the senior class or higher. Rice came in seventh, and Urara was dead last. That was to be expected.
After a short break, it was time for the long-distance mock race.
"Yeehaw! I can't take it anymore! Gold Ship-chan is going in!"
Just as it was time to run, Gold Ship-chan got motivated and ran off from the commentary table. The senior from Team Spica sighed and put a hand to his forehead. But he didn't stop her and let her join the race, making it a 15-person race.
I guess I'll have to commentate alone...
"We have a last-minute addition to the race! Number 15, Gold Ship! All Uma Musume are ready—and the race has started!"
The long-distance race was set at 3000 meters, the same as the Kikuka Sho. While not as many Uma Musume are bad at long distance as short distance or mile races, the number of specialists drops significantly compared to middle-distance races.
"Maruzensky, the escape runner, takes the lead again. Following her are Symboli Rudolf, Rice Shower, Happy Meak, Special Week, Mejiro McQueen, Toukai Teiou, and El Condor Pasa. Two horse-lengths behind them is King Halo. And another two horse-lengths behind are Gold Ship and Hishi Amazon, who are essentially at the back of the pack... Oh, they're running while glaring at each other. How are you guys able to do that?"
My spontaneous remark made the crowd laugh. I saw Gold Ship-chan running while giving Hishi Amazon a death glare.
But... Mejiro McQueen is dropping back quite a bit. She's in a similar position to King, who is a "sashi" (come-from-behind) runner... She doesn't seem injured, but there's something off about her running.
I looked at the senior from Team Spica. He seemed to have noticed the same thing, as he was frowning at Mejiro McQueen.
Should I stop Mejiro McQueen? No, I'll stop her. But just as I made up my mind, she picked up her pace and started gaining on the pack.
(Hmm... From the looks of her running, she doesn't seem injured... Maybe she was just biding her time?)
Her movements were strange. But I figured the senior would check on her later. I turned my attention back to the race commentary.
"600 meters to go. Maruzensky is still in the lead... Oh, there's a change! Symboli Rudolf is making her move! She's making her move at the 600-meter mark!"
Maruzensky held her ground for a while, but as she's not a specialist in long distance, she was caught at the 600-meter mark.
Symboli Rudolf passed Maruzensky and at the same time, she looked at Rice, who was marking her, and said something.
—Let's race.
I'm guessing that's what she said, from the look on her face. How dare you say that to my Rice...!
"Symboli Rudolf isn't the only one moving up! Rice Shower is also increasing her speed. It's a one-on-one showdown between two Uma Musume who have conquered the long-distance G1 races! Will anyone else join them?!"
3000 meters is too long for Toukai Teiou. I expected Mejiro McQueen, a stay-at-home runner on par with Rice, to move up... but...
(Her stride isn't extending... Is she fatigued?)
Even though they weren't running at full speed and had taken breaks, they had been running mock races continuously. It wouldn't be surprising if Mejiro McQueen's movements lacked the usual sharpness.
"Wait, here she comes! This year's Derby Uma Musume, Special Week! And King Halo is also moving up, inspired by her! Happy Meak is also accelerating! Can the two at the back of the pack catch up?! No, they're still glaring at each other!"
Gold Ship-chan, you said you were motivated to race, but what are you even doing?
"400 meters to go! Symboli Rudolf and Rice Shower are still neck and neck in the final straight! And Special Week is three horse-lengths behind them! Toukai Teiou is also moving up! But can she catch up?!"
The long-distance race was going the way of those with the right aptitude. Symboli Rudolf and Rice were competing for the lead, but Symboli Rudolf might be at a slight disadvantage since she ran a serious middle-distance race.
Just then, I caught a glimpse of a Uma Musume running at an incredible speed out of the corner of my eye.
"Huh?! Here comes Gold Ship! She's moving up in rank as if she's teleported!"
Just a few seconds ago, Gold Ship-chan was glaring at Hishi Amazon. But now she's suddenly picked up her pace. She was at the very back of the pack, excluding the non-specialists, but she's now in fifth or sixth place. I saw Meak look shocked as Gold Ship-chan passed her.
"100 meters to go! Symboli Rudolf and Rice Shower are still neck and neck! Who will win?! They've crossed the finish line as if tangled together! And third place is Gold Ship! Fourth is Toukai Teiou! Fifth is Special Week!"
As I was yelling, I looked at Kiryuuin-san, who was standing at the finish line. Her judgment... oh, she couldn't tell because they were too close.
I looked at Toujou-san, but she also shook her head. Ugh, fine.
"Okay, since we can't do a photo finish, we're declaring a tie for first place between Rice Shower and Symboli Rudolf!"
When I announced that, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. I thought the result was a bit anticlimactic, but I saw Rice make a small fist pump, and Symboli Rudolf was shaking her head after they crossed the finish line.
—They knew who had won.
(Rice had been conserving her energy and checking on Symboli Rudolf during the previous races, while Symboli Rudolf had been competing with Toukai Teiou in the middle-distance race... I'd love to see them race in an official setting next time.)
I thought that as I looked at King.
King's position improved from the middle-distance race; she finished in sixth place. She didn't win, but she looked surprised when she looked down at her body after crossing the finish line. She was probably surprised that she could complete a long-distance race without a problem. I was also surprised by how well she did.
(But there's still a three-horse-length difference between her and Special Week... It's probably due to their distance aptitude, but how do we close that gap...)
King was clenching her fists, as if to say that she could run long-distance races. Now, it's just a matter of how much she can improve before the Kikuka Sho in late October. Although, she has the Sprinters Stakes before that.
The last race, the 1600-meter mile dirt race, was a fight between Urara, El Condor Pasa, Taiki Shuttle, and Happy Meak. Urara and El Condor Pasa tied for first place.
And with that, the mock races at the end of the training camp came to a close.
All that was left was three more days of training before we would head back to Tracen Academy.
Autumn, with its many G1 and other major races, was fast approaching.
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