With a sharp click, the starting gates sprang open.
Oguri Cap burst forward instantly, his powerful hind legs launching him cleanly into stride without the slightest urging from his seasoned rider.
For this Autumn Tenno Sho, fate had dealt contrasting hands. Shuta An and Oguri Cap were drawn into gate 4, a prime inside position. Meanwhile, Yutaka Take and Super Creek were stuck with the outermost gate, 14. It was precisely this draw that had eased Yutaka Take's worries before the race—marking from inside to outside would mean surrendering Oguri Cap's natural positional advantage, something Shuta An would never do lightly.
The Tokyo 2000-meter turf was infamous for its peculiarity. After breaking from the gate, the horses reached the first turn almost immediately. For runners starting wide, there was scarcely any time to adjust or maneuver; hesitation meant losing everything.
Yutaka Take knew this better than anyone.
The moment Super Creek broke cleanly, he drove him forward decisively, abandoning all thoughts of observation. From the far outside, he demanded an early, forceful acceleration—cutting across rivals, carving space, and wrenching a position among the leaders before the turn could swallow him whole.
Only after securing a solid front-running slot did he finally allow himself a breath.
The hardest part is over.
He eased Super Creek into a cruising rhythm and finally turned his attention outward, scanning the field as they settled into the bend.
"Oguri Cap isn't ahead…that's expected," he muttered. "We're sitting third. If he were leading in front, it'd be reckless. Shuta-kun wouldn't risk that in a race like this."
His gaze slid instinctively to the inside.
Not there either.
A crease formed between his brows.
"Did he really give up the inside just to mark me?"
The thought unsettled him.
No—that can't be right. Doing that would cripple Oguri Cap's run.
Concluding that Oguri Cap had positioned himself somewhere behind him—either inside or outside—Yutaka Take stopped searching. The conclusion was simple enough.
He's marking me.
Now came the real test.
Trust Super Creek. We can shake them off.I can't let Creek feel pressure from behind. He needs to relax… stay smooth…
—
From the moment the gates opened, Shuta An made no attempt to seize a forward position.
Instead, he allowed rival after rival to slip past. By the time they entered the turn, Oguri Cap had dropped all the way to tenth.
To their right—empty space.
With no horses to obstruct them, Oguri Cap could move diagonally at will, unimpeded.
Even if Yutaka Take had turned fully to look, he likely wouldn't have seen them. Layered behind multiple runners and separated by more than eight horse lengths, Oguri Cap and Shuta An were swallowed by the field—mere shadows at racing speed.
In the VIP box, Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"He said he'd mark Mr. Take," Assistant Ikee muttered uneasily, "but he's chosen a trailing position instead. What exactly is Shuta-kun thinking?"
Before Setoguchi could respond, the owner spoke calmly, unexpectedly firm.
"Shuta-kun has his reasons. Let's trust him."
Setoguchi exhaled quietly.
As long as the owner stands with him…there's still room.
—
As the field entered the straight opposite the grandstand, Shuta An's voice cut through the wind.
Now.
The command was subtle—but unmistakable. Oguri Cap responded at once, lengthening his stride and beginning a steady acceleration.
"Accelerating here?!" Setoguchi Tsutomu couldn't help blurting out. "There's still over a thousand meters left!"
"The pace hasn't been fast," Assistant Ikee frowned deeply. "Isn't this too early? What's his plan?!"
Even the owner felt his chest tighten.
"This won't go wrong, will it?"
"It shouldn't," Setoguchi said, forcing conviction into his voice. "Shuta-kun's riding exists on a level we can't easily comprehend. His understanding of race rhythm…it's beyond this era."
"Yes—definitely no problem!" Ikee echoed quickly, clenching his fist.
—
On the track, Yutaka Take remained poised in third, Super Creek flowing smoothly beneath him. He was already calculating his timing.
At the final bend, I'll swing wide, secure space, then launch.I'm ahead of Oguri Cap—if I accelerate first, he won't catch us easily.
Then—
In the corner of his vision—
What?!
Shuta An. Oguri Cap. They were there.
"Huh?!" Yutaka Take's hand twitched. "Accelerating now? Before the bend?!"
Shock rippled through him.
What kind of rhythm is this?!
Even with his American experience, this was something he had never witnessed—a sudden, assertive mid-race advance, slicing forward without warning.
If he moves like this…Oguri Cap's stamina—won't it suffer?!
Yet while doubt spread among the stands and disbelief seized Yutaka Take, Shuta An's expression remained unwavering. This was confidence forged through the American Triple Crown.
If the pace were fast, I'd conserve leg power.If it slowed—like now—I'd seize position myself.
The pace setter's unusually sluggish tempo had given him exactly what he wanted.
His breathing is stable. Rhythm intact. Stamina untouched.
Oguri Cap surged. With a seamless, almost unnatural rhythm, Shuta An guided him through the pack, and by the time they hit the final bend, he had drawn directly onto Super Creek's heels.
Shuta An's eyes sharpened.
If Yutaka Take swings wide, I'll punch through the inside.If he blocks the inside, I go outside.If he commits to the rail—then Oguri sprints straight through.
A faint smile curved his lips.
No matter what you choose, I move last.Let me make Yutaka Take dizzy…and stunned.
As they were about to enter the final straight, Yutaka Take could almost feel the breath of Oguri Cap and Shuta An pressing against his back.
So he really did it…
"Improving position in the middle of the race like that—Shuta-kun, this is the first time I've ever seen such a reckless rhythm," Yutaka Take thought calmly. "Then what should I do now? Do I pull diagonally to the outside and block his acceleration lane?"
The idea surfaced—then vanished at once.
"No." Yutaka Take's eyes sharpened. "His current position isn't something I can block completely. He's waiting for me to move first. The moment I act, he'll already have an answer prepared."
A veteran's instinct made the decision for him.
"I'll delay my acceleration as long as possible. I won't give him time to react. Even if it lowers my margin of safety…I'd rather lose my own odds than hand him the victory."
Shuta An, of course, couldn't hear any of this—but Yutaka Take's hesitation was louder than words.
So you're waiting, Shuta An judged instantly from the lack of movement ahead. You want to suffocate my timing.
A faint smile touched his lips. "Then I won't wait for you to open the road."
With a simple command, Oguri Cap shifted diagonally inward, his body hugging the rail without the slightest hesitation. Yutaka Take noticed immediately. But he couldn't respond.
Because on his left—there was Kiripower. No matter how experienced he was, Yutaka Take could not squeeze another Racehorse toward the rail. That would be no different from attempted murder—and a blatant dangerous ride.
Yet even as his teeth clenched, he noticed something that made his heart sink.
There was space.
Between Kiripower and the rail, there was just enough room—barely—for a single Uma Musume to force through.
"He's going to take it," Yutaka Take realized, anxiety finally creeping into his chest.
With no other choice, he gritted his teeth and guided Super Creek one or two steps diagonally outward. The instant they entered the final straight—
Crack!
The first whip of the race fell.
From the inside, Shuta An saw it clearly. Kiripower had left a gap. A real one.
His grin widened. "Much obliged, Otsuka-kun."
The right-hand whip came down. Oguri Cap exploded forward.
In just a few strides, he tore past Kiripower, his momentum merciless and absolute. Only then did Kiripower's rider realize the mistake he had made.
But it was already too late.
With Shuta An completely squeezed in, there was no room for a left-hand whip—and using the right-hand whip would risk Kiripower drifting inward. One wrong step, one unconscious response, and his entire career could end on this stretch of turf.
"That lunatic," Rider Otsuka cursed silently.
He abandoned the whip entirely, switching to pushing while praying—praying that Oguri Cap and Shuta An would clear him quickly and give him space to breathe again.
They did.
At the 400-meter marker, Kiripower was already left behind.
Road Royal, who had set a slow early pace, had entered his decline. Faced with the combined assault of Super Creek and Oguri Cap, he had no power to resist, falling back within a handful of strides.
At 300 meters to go—
Only two remained at the front.
"A one-on-one duel."
The same words surfaced simultaneously in the minds of Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu, Oguri Cap's trainer, and Ito Shuji, Super Creek's trainer.
"Super Creek! Oguri Cap! It's a head-to-head!" the commentator roared. "Shuta An! Yutaka Take! Genius versus genius—clashing directly on the final straight of the Autumn Tenno Sho!"
Two lengths separated them. Shuta An and Yutaka Take locked eyes at the same instant.
A smile curved Shuta An's lips.
The whips fell together—left hand, right hand—mirrored intentions igniting their partners' fighting spirit.
Closer.
Closer.
Until Oguri Cap and Super Creek were almost touching, their shoulders brushing, leaving no room for a full swing.
"Just as I wanted," Shuta An thought calmly.
He reversed the whip in his left hand—and pushed with both arms, pouring everything forward. Yutaka Take could only abandon the whip as well, matching him with raw pushing.
In the stands, the professionals saw the difference immediately.
"Mr. Take's rhythm is cleaner," Ito Shuji and Oguri Cap's owner judged almost in unison. "Each push is stable, precise."
Trainer Setoguchi nodded—but his gaze never wavered from the track. "Yes. But Shuta-kun's force is far greater. It looks chaotic, even counter-intuitive—but it's explosive. And Oguri Cap can take it."
Assistant Ikee found the answer. "It's upper-body strength. Mr. Take rides in harmony. Shuta-kun rides as the core—and forces the Racehorse to synchronize with him. Oguri Cap can keep up with that pace. You could say…there's no partner more suited to Shuta-kun than him."
Fifty meters. Still neck and neck.
The commentator was already on his feet.
"Super Creek! Yutaka Take charging toward becoming the youngest Tenno Sho winner!"
"Oguri Cap! Shuta An's pursuit of consecutive Tenno Sho victories will not yield!"
"The will of Take! The spirit of Shuta! Is it Super Creek?! Is it Oguri Cap?!"
Shuta An heard none of it. In his mind, he was back at Belmont—at the very end of the Triple Crown—pouring every ounce of himself into the final push.
You're not taking this from me.
The Autumn Tenno Sho sign flashed past his peripheral vision.
"Good position," he judged instantly.
The finish line followed.
"I won," he thought quietly.
As they crossed, Shuta An extended his right hand toward Yutaka Take—who accepted it with a bitter, defeated smile.
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