Chapter 23. Oka Sho; Moving Past and Beyond Part 1
For this year's Oka Sho, the two main figures highlighted by the URA Association were Mejiro Dober and Kyoei March. The promotional resources invested in Mejiro Dober were even more substantial. Although both she and Kyoei March had declined to film promotional advertisements due to their race preparations, footage from their past races alone was more than enough to compile compelling promotional material.
Shuta An arrived alone outside Hanshin Racecourse and looked up at the advertising boards lining the sidewalks. They were filled with the names and portraits of the eighteen Uma Musume participating in the Oka Sho. Among them, Mejiro Dober and Kyoei March clearly received special emphasis—their images in racing attire appeared far more frequently than the others, drawing attention at a glance.
"Where did the URA Association even get all this material?" Shuta An muttered to himself behind his sunglasses. "Dober's photos are probably from the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies—but Kyoei March's?"
Shaking his head slightly, he moved with the crowd and entered the building, taking the elevator up to the third-floor VIP box.
Today, Tokai Teio and Kurofune had stayed behind at the academy. Oguri and Berno had gone traveling in Riyadh—after receiving the prize money from the Dubai Dream Cup, Oguri had assumed Shuta An would be occupied with work upon returning to Japan and decided to spend the time touring with Berno until May.
Because of this, Shuta An had come alone to watch the race. He had originally intended to invite Kitahara, but Fujimasa March had dragged him away instead.
"Teio and Kurofune both have classes to make up… looks like I'll be on my own for the first half of the day," Shuta An said quietly to himself. "Someone like Miss Tojo wouldn't have to worry about being bored—but unfortunately, I don't have the energy to train that many Uma Musume."
He took out a can of cola, opened it, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. Standing there, he gazed down at the turf track of Hanshin Racecourse. Outside, a fine drizzle continued to fall, and the spectators in the stands either held umbrellas or wore raincoats. Even so, the steady spring rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the Twinkle Series fans.
"An Oka Sho on a heavy track…" Shuta An took a sip of cola, the carbonation bursting sharply across his tongue. "Three or four runners capable of taking the lead… two of them capable of setting an extremely fast pace… and one of them starting from the outermost gate…"
As he spoke, his expression gradually grew more serious.
"The situation isn't very favorable—"
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became—this race would be far more difficult for Mejiro Dober than he had initially expected.
—
At two in the afternoon, the eighteen Uma Musume entered for registration one after another, signing in before making their way through the underground passage and emerging into the Hanshin Racecourse paddock. Light rain fell steadily from above, landing softly on their shoulders as they stood in silence, waiting for the Oka Sho parade to begin.
Watching the scene unfold from above, Shuta An felt a faint tightening in his chest.
Without thinking, he took out his phone and sent a message to the hotel, asking them to prepare ginger tea by five o'clock.
"To keep her warm," he murmured. "Can't let her catch a cold."
There was only a little over a month between the Oka Sho and the Japanese Oaks. Once recovery time was factored in, even a minor illness would significantly compress the already tight preparation schedule.
"Thinking about it now, Oguri Cap really was incredible back then."
A trace of nostalgia surfaced in his voice.
"Racing in the rain at night didn't affect her at all—I was far too careless back then."
He shook his head slightly, memories of Monbetsu Racecourse flashing through his mind—the image of Oguri Cap leaving all her opponents far behind, as if the conditions meant nothing.
"That kind of physical ability—" His gaze returned to the track below. "I hope Dober can reach that level too."
At 2:20 PM, the showcasing segment officially began. After more than ten Uma Musume had already stepped down from the display stage, Mejiro Dober walked up.
Because of the continuous drizzle, her hair had been dampened by the rain, hanging softly behind her head and giving her a slightly subdued appearance. Yet the moment she stood on the display stage and lifted her gaze toward the stands, the atmosphere around her shifted completely. Her eyes swept across the crowd, and her spirit rose sharply. Unlike her Trainer, who had grown more uneasy as race day approached, Mejiro Dober felt the opposite—her emotions had been building, growing more intense with every passing moment. By the time she stepped out from the underground passage, she had even felt the impulse to begin the race immediately.
She didn't consider this surge of excitement to be a bad thing, and so she made no effort to suppress it. Instead, that heightened emotion naturally revealed itself through her posture, her gaze, and every subtle movement she made.
"So beautiful… Uma Musume who choose the Triple Tiara route really are exceptional… especially those from the Mejiro Family…"
Soft murmurs spread through the stands.
Shuta An couldn't hear any of it, but as he watched Mejiro Dober standing on the stage—so different from the girl he had first met—he couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.
"If only she could be this confident when she's alone with me."
When her turn ended, Mejiro Dober gave a small wave toward the stands before turning and stepping down, her expression returning to calm without a word.
Not far away, Kyoei March glanced at her, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I've seen her plenty of times at the academy, but this is the first time I've really looked at her up close."
Her gaze lingered for a moment longer.
"As expected of the Mejiro Family. She really does carry herself like a refined young lady."
It wasn't yet Kyoei March's turn, so she remained where she was, continuing to observe Mejiro Dober's departing figure.
"But her racing style is the exact opposite of mine."
Her expression grew more serious.
"I can't afford to underestimate her."
Mejiro Dober noticed the gaze directed at her, but she paid it no mind. Although Shuta Trainer had repeatedly warned her that Kyoei March would be her greatest rival in the Oka Sho, she had also listened to the experiences shared by Silence Suzuka and Oguri Cap. What she wanted to pursue was the same feeling Oguri Cap had once spoken of—
"The only one I need to surpass is myself."
"In any case… I'll just do my best," she thought quietly. "And the result will naturally follow."
—
After all the Uma Musume had completed their showcasing segment, they began heading toward their respective starting gates, preparing to enter one by one.
Mejiro Dober had drawn gate 16, meaning she would be among the last to enter—second only to Kyoei March.
"That means I won't have much time to adjust once I'm inside" she thought as she made her way to her position. "I have to settle myself now. I can't wait until I'm already in the gate."
After arriving, she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, gradually regulating her rhythm. The surrounding noise faded from her awareness as she focused inward, gathering her concentration little by little.
On the other side, Kyoei March stood outside gate 18, her gaze fixed firmly on the unopened gate ahead.
"The first race of the Triple Tiara… I'm going to win it."
Her voice was low, almost a whisper meant only for herself.
"Mejiro Dober may be strong, but I won't give this tiara to anyone."
She tightened her grip slightly, her eyes sharp with determination.
"I'm not the same as I was last year."
The memory of defeat flickered briefly through her mind.
"That kind of lost before—won't happen again."
Her gaze hardened further.
"Who says a runner from the Hochi Hai Fillies Revue can't win the Oka Sho?"
She drew in a breath, her resolve unwavering.
"I, Kyoei March, will break that belief today."
With a sharp "click!", the starting gates sprang open in unison. Eighteen Uma Musume surged forward at the same instant, hooves pounding against the rain-softened track as they fought for position.
"They're out of the gates! This year's Oka Sho has officially begun! Kyoei March explodes out of the gate—what a start! She's taken the lead immediately!" The commentator's voice rose in clear surprise. "Could drawing the outermost lane have unlocked her full potential? That acceleration is almost on the level of Silence Suzuka!"
Hearing that, Shuta An couldn't help but click his tongue softly.
"Comparing her to Suzuka?"
He didn't deny that Kyoei March's start was impressive—but in his eyes, it was still far from that overwhelming, explosive burst Suzuka possessed. At most, it was enough to pull about a horse length ahead of Mejiro Dober beside her. That was nothing compared to Suzuka's signature start, which could instantly open a three-length gap.
"Still, Super Dress isn't slow either," Shuta An murmured, his gaze fixed on the large screen. "Looks like she's going to fight Kyoei March for the front."
On the screen, the two figures were indeed nearly side by side, their strides matching as they pressed forward.
—
In another VIP box, Kitahara's eyes were locked onto Sabuno Hana Park.
"You're taking this pretty seriously, aren't you?" Fujimasa March asked, clearly puzzled. "Her goal today is just to get ahead of Kyoei March and lead once. She's not even aiming to win, so why do you look like you're the one trying to take first place?"
"Even if the chances are small—what if a miracle happens?" Kitahara replied, not taking his eyes off the track. "I believe miracles only happen to those who believe in them. So right now, I'm praying for one."
Fujimasa March stared at him for a moment, then quietly stood up and moved behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Then I'll pray with you."
—
On the track, Mejiro Dober followed her instructions precisely, settling into a position around the middle-to-rear of the pack, roughly tenth place. By the time she judged her position to be stable, the situation ahead had already shifted—
Kyoei March and Super Dress were still locked in contention, but not for the lead.
They were fighting for second.
Because the front had already been taken—
By Sabuno Hana Park.
"Unbelievable! Sabuno Hana Park is running this 1600-meter race as if it were a 1200-meter sprint! She's already opened a three-length gap over Kyoei March and Super Dress!" the commentator exclaimed, unable to hide his shock. "This is the Oka Sho—on a muddy track, no less! Can we really see such a massive lead at this stage?!"
Shuta An showed no surprise at all.
"She really did it."
He had already heard about this possibility from Kitahara.
"She's completely brought a sprinter's pace into a mile race…" he muttered. "But at this speed… she'll burn out early."
It wasn't just him—many Trainers and seasoned spectators had reached the same conclusion.
Up front, Kyoei March's brows furrowed slightly as she kept pace with Super Dress.
"What is she thinking?" she wondered, glancing at Sabuno Hana Park's back. "Is this… because she failed to take the lead in the Hochi Hai Fillies Revue?"
The reasoning made little sense to her.
But she had no time to dwell on it.
Super Dress was already pressing forward.
Kyoei March immediately refocused, accelerating to contest second place once more. Losing the lead wasn't critical—but if she couldn't even secure second—
She wasn't confident she could withstand Mejiro Dober's charge in the final stretch.
—
Meanwhile, Mejiro Dober maintained her position as the pack entered the turn. Because she had started from gate 16, she had naturally remained on the outside, and there was no need to worry about being boxed in or having to angle out for space.
"Starting wide isn't entirely a disadvantage," she thought.
But something else caught her attention.
"The pace is fast."
Too fast.
Even maintaining her current position, her energy consumption felt unusually high—comparable to when she had used a senko running strategy the previous year.
After a moment's thought, she understood why.
It was because of the three runners at the front.
The commentator described Sabuno Hana Park as running a 1600-meter race like a 1200-meter one—
But in reality, Sabuno herself knew—
She was running it like a 1000-meter sprint.
"There's no holding back now!" she gritted her teeth, pushing forward relentlessly. "I'll lose speed later—but so will all of you!"
The pace she set left no room for recovery.
—
From the VIP box, Shuta An's gaze shifted to the timing displayed in the corner of the screen.
600 meters—34.9 seconds.
On a good track, that might not have seemed extraordinary.
But today's conditions were anything but good.
"That's fast."
His brows drew together.
"Too fast."
A trace of concern surfaced.
"Isn't she worried about injury…?" he muttered. "Kitahara's being reckless this time."
Taking the lead wasn't the problem. The problem was what came after—There was no need to push this hard once the position was secured.
"If something happens to her… who's she supposed to blame?"
—
By the midpoint of the turn, Sabuno Hana Park was still pressing forward.
Then—1000 meters.
59.2 seconds in heavy track accompanied by rain.
"Good." Shuta An let out a quiet breath. "She finally eased up a bit."
Naturally, Kyoei March and Super Dress began to close the gap. From the current situation, it seemed only a matter of time before one of them reclaimed the lead.
But Shuta An's attention had already shifted elsewhere.
To the outside.
To Mejiro Dober.
Mud splattered across her racing outfit, streaking even onto her face. The once pristine image of the Mejiro Family's "Ice Beauty" was now thoroughly disheveled.
And yet—When the camera focused on her expression, there was no hesitation.
No frustration. No wavering.
"Looks like she'll need a proper bath after this," Shuta An muttered, his thoughts drifting for a moment.
But his eyes remained steady.
Watching her.