In the Dream World, after confirming that Oguri Cap would not participate in the Mile Championship, Shuta An's pace finally slowed once more.
The first results of the JRA Central Jockey License Examination would be announced at the end of November, while the second practical examination was scheduled for February of the following year. For Shuta An, passing the practical exam was a foregone conclusion—no one would dare fail him there.
An American Triple Crown–winning jockey failing the practical examination?
If such a thing truly happened, the JRA Association wouldn't need their brains to imagine the outcome—the horse fans and media would tear them apart. The bureaucrats of the JRA were not foolish enough to invite that kind of trouble.
As a result, Shuta An, who no longer needed to prepare for the second examination at all, simply accepted a large number of riding commissions. Over two race days each week, he took on nearly twenty mounts in total.
The prize money from these victories accumulated rapidly, allowing him to save a considerable sum in the real world. The Young man already had a clear plan for how this money would be used—
"This money is reserved for Oguri's overseas expedition next year. That will definitely be expensive. And overseas prize money—"
He shook his head slightly.
"For most races, it's pitiful. It's not uncommon for the winner's purse of a G1-level race overseas to be lower than that of a domestic G3 in Japan."
With that in mind, Shuta An resolved to take the Dream World races even more seriously and secure a few additional victories. This, however, led to a situation that left all Central jockeys feeling awkward—
Despite having not raced for several months earlier in the year, Shuta An's astonishing win rate had already carried him to 110 victories, placing him first overall.
The problem was that he wasn't officially a Central jockey yet.
Thus, the name at the top of the leaderboard remained Yutaka Take—yet even he had only just barely crossed the 100-win mark.
"If they actually give me the Jockey Grand Prize this year, I'd be too embarrassed to accept it."
Yutaka Take had said as much to several people in private.
Shuta An, however, felt nothing about it. By the rules, he didn't even qualify for the leaderboard. This wasn't favoritism, nor was it targeting—simply procedure.
"Anyway, I just need to win more races and earn more money."
That was his sole objective in the Dream World during this period.
—
In the real world, Shuta An had originally been worried that Oguri Cap might suddenly insist on entering the Mile Championship. Yet perhaps due to the corrective power of the Three Goddesses, the Gray Uma Musume never once mentioned any desire to do so.
What Shuta An didn't know was that, behind the scenes, President Rudolf was feeling a severe headache coming on.
"President! Please help me deliver this challenge letter to Senior Oguri Cap!"
Early one morning, a Uma Musume named Bamboo Memory blocked the entrance to the Student Council office, pressing a letter into President Rudolf's hands.
"What do you mean by this?"
President Rudolf carefully examined the Yasuda Kinen champion standing before her, her confusion plain.
"You're a Mile Uma Musume. Oguri Cap's next race is the Japan Cup. She doesn't have time to compete with you in the Mile Championship."
"It's fine!" Bamboo Memory patted her chest confidently. "After running the Mile Championship, I'll continue straight to the Japan Cup! I definitely won't let Senior Oguri Cap suffer any disadvantage!"
"Her accepting your challenge letter is already a disadvantage." President Rudolf spoke slowly, her tone heavy.
"Oguri Cap's comeback race is set for the Japan Cup. Her current training schedule is tailored precisely for that. If she were to adjust her training urgently to answer your challenge, it would disrupt her rhythm. Then she'd have to face two G1 races back-to-back against strong opponents."
She paused briefly.
"If she fails to achieve consecutive Japan Cup victories, the loss would be far greater than winning against you ten times."
Bamboo Memory froze for a moment—then immediately clenched her fists.
"But if I don't defeat her, how can I prove I'm the strongest Uma Musume on the Mile front?! President Rudolf, please still deliver my challenge letter!"
President Rudolf frowned.
"I can pass it on," she said calmly. "But I can't guarantee she'll accept."
"That's fine!" Bamboo Memory's eyes shone with confidence. "I have my own way!"
—
When Shuta An received the challenge letter, he didn't even bother opening it. He simply set it aside.
"You're not even going to look at it?"
President Rudolf was visibly curious. As she asked, her gaze shifted to Oguri Cap, who was training steadily on the track outside.
"No need."
Shuta An curled his lips.
"I know Bamboo Memory. She's a Mile specialist. That letter is nothing more than an invitation to compete in the Mile Championship."
He scoffed lightly.
"What a joke. Two G1 races back-to-back within two weeks? Oguri Cap has just recovered from injury, and the Japan Cup is already her comeback race. Asking her to return a week early and race consecutively—since Bamboo Memory isn't injured, it doesn't matter to her, right?"
The more he spoke, the more displeased he became.
"Who's her Trainer? If I don't get an explanation, I'll lodge a protest with the URA Association. What is Bamboo Memory trying to do? Deliberately disrupting Oguri Cap's preparation before the Japan Cup? Afraid Oguri might compete at full strength? Or hoping she'll be forced to rest for another year?"
"I knew Shuta-kun wouldn't allow Oguri Cap to accept this challenge…" President Rudolf murmured softly. "But I didn't expect him to be this unhappy."
"Of course, I'm unhappy."
Shuta An snorted.
"We're preparing properly for the Japan Cup, and suddenly some clueless person tries to interfere with our race plan without paying any price. Who wouldn't be annoyed?"
"Bamboo Memory said she'll also participate in the Japan Cup," President Rudolf added.
"What does that have to do with me?"
Shuta An rolled his eyes.
"I'm only responsible for the Uma Musume on my team."
He tapped the coffee table lightly, cutting off the topic.
"Let's not discuss this further. Miss Rudolf, please tell her—if she truly wants to challenge Oguri in a Mile race, then we'll see her next year. Maybe I'll let Oguri choose the Yasuda Kinen as her opening race next season."
"Is that so?"
President Rudolf nodded gently, then said with a hint of complaint:
"I thought you'd choose a larger stage to open next year. Still…the Yasuda Kinen does meet Bamboo Memory's expectations."
At that, the "Emperor" raised an eyebrow.
"Shuta-kun didn't reject the challenge outright," she thought. "He only postponed it."
A faint smile bloomed on her lips.
"Should I say…he's still soft-hearted?"
"No." Shuta An shrugged calmly. "It's just confidence."
Whether it was a Mile race or a middle-distance race—
"Oguri Cap is currently the strongest Uma Musume in Japan," he said firmly. "And I've always believed that."
On November 4th, the URA Association officially announced the entry list for the Japan Cup.
This year's Japan Cup would feature a total of fifteen Uma Musume. Among them were seven overseas contenders and eight domestic runners. Compared to last year, the local lineup was no less dazzling—every name carried undeniable weight.
Oguri Cap—five-time G1 champion and holder of the title "French Two Crowns"—had chosen the Japan Cup as her long-awaited comeback race.
Super Creek, winner of this year's Autumn Tenno Sho and last year's Kikuka Sho.
Free Runner, fourth place in last year's Arima Kinen, and champion of both the AJCC and Nikkei Sho this year.
Kiri Power, winner of this year's Meguro Kinen, who finished fifth in her most recent outing at the Autumn Tenno Sho.
Fresh Voice, runner-up in this year's Takarazuka Kinen and sixth in last year's Arima Kinen.
Inari One, dominant in the first half of the year with victories in both the Spring Tenno Sho and Takarazuka Kinen, yet unsuccessful in the Mainichi Okan and Autumn Tenno Sho during the autumn season.
Bamboo Memory, this year's Yasuda Kinen champion, who was still preparing to contest the Mile Championship two weeks later.
Rosita, the reigning Minami Kanto Triple Crown Uma Musume, stepping onto the Japan Cup stage as a locally affiliated challenger—much like Oguri Cap herself.
"Just looking at this list," Shuta An said calmly after scanning it, not even turning his head, "the intensity of this year's race won't be any lower than last year's. The URA Association has also decided to focus their promotion on Oguri Cap again."
Oguri Cap, who was concentrating on her meal, raised her head slightly.
"So…do I need to film promotional commercials or something?"
"Probably," Shuta An replied as he put down his phone. "But they'll notify us when the time comes. It won't take much time. If it's necessary, we'll go."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"In this Japan Cup, the most important domestic opponent is still Super Creek."
"I'm still analyzing the overseas Uma Musume," he added. "I'll have a full set of materials ready by next week."
"No matter who the opponent is," Oguri Cap said after swallowing a mouthful of mashed potato bread Berno Light had baked that morning, her tone steady and resolute, "I will win my comeback race. We've prepared too much for the Japan Cup to settle for anything less than the best possible result."
—
In the Dream World, Shuta An maintained a steady routine—regular riding training with Oguri Cap, while also accepting commissions to train other racehorses. Whatever time remained, he spent chatting with the staff of Setoguchi Tsutomu's stable.
Unlike jockeys, stable staff only received one day off per week. If the horse they were responsible for needed to race at special times or locations, it wasn't uncommon for them to go long stretches without rest.
By contrast, Shuta An and his fellow jockeys enjoyed much greater freedom when they had no riding duties. Yutaka Take, in particular, frequently dragged Shuta An into various "team-building activities" among the Ritto jockeys.
These weren't limited to leisurely walks around Gion—there were camping trips, hiking outings, and even participation in events organized by television stations.
Among them, the most unusual activity was when Yutaka Take pulled Shuta An along to the JRA Jockey School, where they gave a lecture and held a Q&A session for the academy's students.
"Honestly," Umana Masayoshi complained afterward, "for something like this, it'd be better to let Shuta-kun handle it alone. When it comes to riding skills, forget Ritto—there isn't a single jockey in Mihono who can compare to him."
"I think so too," Shuta An said with a slight pout, showing no trace of modesty. "But I can't be the only one there. Mr. Take should understand why."
"Because Shuta-kun's riding style is fundamentally different from ours," Yutaka Take replied calmly. Having studied in America, his perspective was broader than most. "You lean heavily toward the European style. The academy students aren't trained that way. You can help them with basic concepts, but going any deeper would conflict with their curriculum."
"I see…" Umana Masayoshi sighed. "It's a pity I can't change my riding style now. Otherwise, I'd love to learn from Shuta-kun."
Yutaka Take patted Shuta An's shoulder with a laugh.
"Shuta-kun's upper-body strength isn't something we can replicate anyway. Umena, you and I should focus on mastering folding techniques."
Shuta An nodded in agreement.
"That's right. The sunk cost of learning from me is simply too high."
Knowing that both men were speaking the truth, Umana Masayoshi could only sigh deeply.
"Seriously…when will I become a first-class jockey like you two?"
Yutaka Take found it difficult to answer. Compared to Shuta An, he knew his own achievements were inseparable from his family background.
Shuta An could only pat Umana Masayoshi on the shoulder.
"Keep honing yourself, Umena-kun. Opportunities will come."
—
The next morning, after breakfast, Oguri Cap headed to the training grounds for low-intensity exercise, with Berno Light accompanying her at her side. Shuta An remained in the living room, notebook in hand, carefully researching the overseas Uma Musume confirmed to compete in the Japan Cup.
While gathering information, his gaze was drawn to a particular report—
"What score did the Uma Musume who won her debut race two weeks ago receive? The future star Silence Suzuka, who led from start to finish—"
Two weekends earlier, Shuta An had quietly traveled alone to Kyoto to watch Silence Suzuka's debut race.
It had to be said—Silence Suzuka had her reasons for insisting on an early debut.
On the turf of Kyoto Racecourse, she led the entire race from start to finish, effortlessly shaking off every opponent and winning by a commanding margin of 1.1 seconds.
The media showered her with praise.
"9 out of 10 points."
"Next year's Derby horse."
"A talent fit for the Triple Crown."
Such accolades filled the reports, as though the top contender for next year's Classic races had already been decided.
Shuta An, however, did not share that optimism. And the reason was simple.
"I've seen Silence Suzuka's stats. She's completely unsuitable for long distances. That alone disqualifies her from the Kikuka Sho—meaning the Triple Crown is impossible. And her development still isn't complete. Miss Tojo's insistence on delaying her debut wasn't without reason."
Yet after such an overwhelming debut victory, Shuta An understood one thing clearly—
Silence Suzuka would no longer follow Tojo Hana's instructions as obediently as before. After all, debuting early was a decision she had fought for herself, and her performance only reinforced her conviction.
"It's a good thing Oguri Cap always listens to me."
With that thought, the Young man couldn't help but feel quietly relieved.