Chapter 18. Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower's First Battle
When the ballroom of the Burj Khalifa fell completely silent after the festivities ended, on the 25th floor of the hotel, Shuta An had already fallen asleep, holding Silence Suzuka close.
In the real world, today had been Dubai World Cup Race Day.
But in the Dream World, it was the day of the Spring Stakes.
This time, Shuta An would ride Rice Shower to challenge Mihono Bourbon.
Sitting in the jockey waiting room at Nakayama Racecourse, Shuta An let his thoughts wander.
"Earlier today, the winner of the real-world Spring Stakes was called Kita Azuma—I've run into him here in the Dream World too."
He leaned back slightly, recalling past encounters.
"He did win this race once—but in the end, he still lost to Mejiro McQueen and me."
For Shuta An, the Spring Stakes was never meant to be the battlefield where he and Rice Shower would truly challenge Mihono Bourbon. Their objective today was far simpler—secure a top-three finish and obtain a ticket to the Satsuki Sho.
In fact, defeating Mihono Bourbon here carried little meaning for him.
If anything, finishing third might be the best outcome.
"Mihono Bourbon's jockey may be ordinary," he thought quietly, "but Trainer Toyama Tameo's ability is undeniable."
He crossed his arms, analyzing calmly.
"A horse that can endure that level of brutal training—his strength can't be underestimated."
A faint breath escaped him.
"If he specifically designs a strategy against Rice Shower—then we'll be at a disadvantage from the start."
After all, Mihono Bourbon was an escape-style runner. That alone already gave him initiative in the race, making it even harder for Rice Shower to overcome him.
"It's better not to attract too much attention from Toyama Tameo today," Shuta An concluded inwardly. "The real effort should begin at the Japanese Derby."
As for the Kikuka Sho, he was actually confident.
Even if Mihono Bourbon kept the same jockey, Shuta An believed Rice Shower could defeat him there.
"For now, I just need to stay under the radar."
He exhaled quietly.
"If Toyama Tameo decides to make Mihono Bourbon train specifically to counter Rice Shower… that would be troublesome."
Rice Shower had drawn Gate 3.
Meanwhile, Mihono Bourbon had drawn Gate 1.
Shuta An looked up at the gloomy sky as he walked toward the waiting area to meet his partner.
"What good luck," he muttered. "Already the strongest horse and now the innermost lane too."
A light drizzle continued to fall.
"Another heavy track today we'll have to fight for a good forward position."
Just as he mounted Rice Shower, a familiar voice called out.
"Shuta-kun! Good luck today!"
Turning his head, he saw Yoshida Teruya.
Teruya's eldest son also had a horse entered in the race—Mermaid Tavern. It had originally been prepared as a backup option for Shuta An earlier, but after Shuta chose Rice Shower, the mount had been given to Otsuka Eizo instead.
Mermaid Tavern had drawn Gate 5.
Before the race, Shuta An had already reviewed the horse's training data through Iizuka Yoshitsugu. It looked impressive—definitely a competitor worth watching.
"Maybe Mermaid Tavern will be one of our rivals for the ticket," he said, giving Yoshida Teruya a small wave before tightening his grip on the reins.
As Shuta An rode Rice Shower out toward the starting area, Yoshida Teruya pressed his lips together, watching him leave.
According to hints from his father, the future division of Shadai was already being planned. Once his father passed away, the organization would be split among the three brothers. They would jointly manage the veterinary hospital and stallion station, but the Shadai Race Horse Club would fall under Yoshida Teruya.
However, he was well aware of something troubling.
His younger brother, Yoshida Katsumi, had an excellent relationship with Shuta An.
In the future, Katsumi would undoubtedly establish his own horse club. And if both sides requested Shuta An's services at the same time—Teruya wasn't confident he could win that competition.
That was why he had once tried to build a cooperative relationship through Mermaid Tavern.
But Shuta An had already chosen Rice Shower as his Classic partner for the year.
His plans had been completely disrupted.
Watching the champion jockey gradually disappear into the distance, Yoshida Teruya's expression darkened.
Their father's health was deteriorating rapidly. From what he could tell, it might only be another year or two.
The only thing sustaining Yoshida Zenya now was a wish—to personally witness the debut and success of Sunday Silence's offspring.
"We need to give Sunday Silence's progeny the strongest support possible—" Teruya murmured.
The rain swallowed his words.
Only he heard them.
But he knew his ambitious younger brother would agree.
Soon, Shuta An and Rice Shower arrived at the starting gates.
Because of Gate 3, they would enter second—right after Mihono Bourbon.
As Mihono Bourbon stepped into the gate, her jockey, Kojima Sadahiro, glanced back briefly.
Shuta An pretended not to notice.
So Toyama Tameo warned him about me, he thought inwardly.
The guess was accurate.
Toyama Tameo had indeed been watching Rice Shower closely. For a champion jockey like Shuta An to travel from Kansai to Kanto and select that particular horse—there had to be a reason.
He had already instructed his apprentice to be cautious.
Kojima Sadahiro was forty-one years old and had only won a single G1 in his career. Meanwhile, Shuta An was barely over half his age, yet already decorated with far greater achievements.
Naturally, that made him wary.
"No matter what you're planning," Kojima thought, tightening his grip, "Mihono Bourbon and I will crush it."
Meanwhile, Shuta An guided Rice Shower calmly into the gate. Since winning wasn't the objective today, he deliberately avoided focusing on Mihono Bourbon.
"The more attention I show, the more suspicious Toyama Tameo will become," he reminded himself.
"For now… patience."
Click!
The gates opened simultaneously.
Mihono Bourbon exploded forward instantly, quickly creating a gap from Tiger Ace in Gate 2.
Shuta An reacted just as quickly.
He pushed Rice Shower forward decisively, cooperating with Mihono Bourbon's momentum to squeeze Tiger Ace, then smoothly angled inward to settle behind Mihono Bourbon—letting her take the wind resistance.
From the outside camera angle, Rice Shower wasn't second.
MermaidTavern had advanced on the outside and taken that spot, following Mihono Bourbon's pace.
Rice Shower remained in third, hugging the inside.
Kojima Sadahiro frowned.
"Being watched like this… is unpleasant."
He had experienced marking tactics many times over his long career. But this felt different. The gaze behind him carried a strange pressure.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Rice Shower's owner frowned.
"Why isn't he moving outside? The inside turf looks terrible today."
Iizuka Yoshitsugu shook his head.
"It's because of the starting gate. Shuta-kun can't move out directly—it would definitely be a foul."
"That must be it," the owner said with a nod. "Still…it's a shame. The outside would've been better."
"The gates were drawn by the URA Association," Iizuka replied with a shrug. "Before the rain, everyone thought Mihono Bourbon drawing Gate 1 was perfect. No one expected Nakayama to turn into a mud pit."
The owner looked toward the track again.
"I hope the track is like this during the Kikuka Sho too."
He spoke quietly.
"Mihono Bourbon definitely won't handle a poor track there."
Iizuka didn't respond.
Under Toyama Tameo's training, Mihono Bourbon had become something abnormal—a monster like cyborg.
It was hard to predict anything with certainty.
"Let's just focus on getting the Satsuki Sho ticket first," he said instead.
—
By the time they reached the backstretch, Shuta An raised an eyebrow.
Mihono Bourbon showed no sign of slowing down.
Kojima Sadahiro clearly had no intention of conserving stamina.
After a moment of thought, Shuta An made his decision.
Rice Shower would maintain the pace.
"His physique isn't fully developed yet," he thought, tightening his grip on the reins, "but his stamina is definitely stronger."
Giving up the slipstream advantage now would be wasteful—and even dangerous if they got boxed in.
At the first turn, Kojima glanced back again.
Seeing that Shuta An wasn't making any sudden moves, he relaxed slightly.
"Mihono Bourbon is running his own race," he told himself. "There's no need to worry about Rice Shower."
After all, if Mihono Bourbon lost this race, he could still enter the Satsuki Sho. But if Rice Shower failed to finish top three, he would miss the entry entirely.
Once he realized that, Kojima relaxed further and focused on finishing the race safely.
Meanwhile, from the start until now, Rice Shower's owner was growing uncertain.
"Could any jockey have done the same thing?" he wondered. "Is my understanding of racing too shallow?"
But Iizuka Yoshitsugu wasn't worried at all.
From his perspective, Shuta An's strategy was clear.
Secure the ticket.
Winning the Spring Stakes didn't matter.
Avoid injury. Enter the Classics.
That was the real goal.
As they entered the final turn, Shuta An glanced sideways.
Mermaid Tavern had fallen back slightly, replaced by Dash Fudo on the outside.
Rice Shower remained third.
The rain shield in front of him had become blurry, but his experience told him something important—
Many horses behind them were already struggling to keep up.
"Is it the heavy track?" he murmured quietly. "March— a heavy Nakayama track is brutal for three-year-olds."
That meant fewer threats from behind.
When they entered the final straight, he would finally have room to maneuver.
And just as they entered the stretch, Kojima Sadahiro used the whip.
Mihono Bourbon's speed exploded.
The two-length gap instantly widened.
This time, Shuta An acted.
First, he glanced behind to ensure the move would be clean.
Second, he signaled with the whip, guiding Rice Shower outward.
Third, he increased his pushing, urging him to accelerate.
But Shuta An already knew the outcome. The physical difference between the two horses was too great.
Until Rice Shower matured physically, races under 2400 meters would always favor Mihono Bourbon.
Even a champion jockey couldn't overturn that gap alone.
So although Rice Shower accelerated strongly under his urging, the distance didn't close quickly.
Eight lengths became seven.
But no more.
"Mihono Bourbon crosses the finish line!" the commentator shouted excitedly. "So strong! So strong! Even Shuta An and his ride couldn't match Mihono Bourbon!"
Hearing that, Iizuka Yoshitsugu nearly rolled his eyes.
But another thought quickly replaced his annoyance.
Sigh~ I just hope this performance doesn't disappoint him.
After all, although they secured the Satsuki Sho ticket—Being seven lengths behind was still worse than they had expected before the race.