Although he said he would talk to Special Week about matters concerning training and racing, when Tamamo Cross and the others stepped into the paddock one by one in order of popularity, Kitahara took the chance to remind Oguri Cap one more time.
"Oguri Cap," he said, "once the race starts, imagine how you would run if you were on the track—just like you do during training."
This form of visualization training was something the Eisei Team had always practiced. With the race awareness that Oguri Cap and the others had developed, it was easy for them to mentally simulate an actual race situation with a high degree of accuracy.
Of course, visualizing through a screen wasn't as effective as being at the scene in person. But Kitahara's goal was not for Oguri Cap to predict the outcome; rather, he wanted her to analyze her ability to adapt to long-distance races.
"Up until now, the longest race you've officially run is only 2000 meters," he continued. "You haven't experienced anything longer in a real race."
Seeing her somewhat surprised expression, Kitahara explained further:
"The upcoming Japanese Derby is 2400 meters. The Kikuka Sho is as long as 3000 meters."
"The extra 500 to 1000 meters makes a huge difference. You've done long-distance endurance training in your daily routines before, but that was only basic adaptability work."
"If you want to win at the Japanese Derby and Kikuka Sho, you'll need specialized training, and from now on, you should absorb more information related to long-distance events."
"You've already seen Tamamo and Inari One at the Hanshin Daishoten, but that race was 3000 meters on the Hanshin track—3000 meters at Kyoto is a different situation."
"While the Spring Tenno Sho is 200 meters longer than the Kikuka Sho, the pacing and details are generally very similar. You should analyze this race well."
If he tried to teach her about training and racing through traditional, academic explanations, this "slightly lacking in academic intelligence" horse girl would have been completely lost already. Luckily, she was the practical type. After hearing Kitahara's explanation, Oguri Cap quickly understood.
"Got it! I'll think about it seriously during the race," she said with a determined nod. Then she smiled. "I want to see how I compare with Tamamo, Inari, and Super Creek in long-distance races. I'm still behind them in some ways now, but I'll catch up soon!"
Kitahara chuckled.
"Right. You're already familiar with Tamamo, Inari, and Gold City's running styles. And since you've already watched a long-distance race like the Hanshin Daishoten, it should be easy for you to notice the differences from the shorter races you've participated in before."
"Don't worry too much about the gap. I've already considered the specialized training you'll need. Once our trip is over, we'll start preparing specifically for the Japanese Derby."
"And right after the Derby, there's the summer training camp. We can go to the seaside."
"Certain coastal training routines will really help increase your long-distance adaptability. If we train there for a while, your chances of winning the Kikuka Sho will improve significantly."
While Kitahara was explaining, the post-parade at the Kyoto Racecourse was coming to an end, and the TV broadcast switched from the paddock to the racecourse.
Displayed on screen were the packed audience stands and a marching band in front of them.
It was clearly a military band. Both the conductor facing away from the crowd and the players facing forward were dressed in sharp ceremonial uniforms.
A live band performance was a typical custom at Japanese race venues. After the paddock walk, the racehorse girls would usually head to the gates one after another to the sound of horns, drums, and uplifting music.
The current performance was still quite traditional—classic pieces that had been played for decades.
After the Uma Musume mobile game became wildly popular, though, bands began to use opening themes from the game—like Girls' Legend U, Tracen Ondo, and Uma Pyoi Densetsu—as entrance songs.
When Kitahara attended a live event back then and heard those songs played by a real brass band, he was stunned but could only admit: "Chuunibyou really is a national trait of Japan."
So, two years from now… would race entry songs also be replaced by Winning Live tracks?
He had just thought of this when the commentary transitioned into the prediction segment, catching his attention.
"...Based on the data from past Spring Tenno Sho races, certain performance trends are quite clear. Runners who previously competed only in G3 or lower races rarely make it into the top three at the Spring Tenno Sho."
It was a female commentator speaking—a familiar voice. In the original story, she was known as the "ironclad commentator," Misato Akasaka.
Short green hair, green eyes, black-rimmed glasses—she had practically commented from Season 1, through the OVA, and into Season 2, earning her the nickname "Fleeting racehorses, Ever-lasting Misato Akasaka."
As a live commentator, she was occasionally swept away by the tension of the moment and would blurt out unpopular or controversial lines—many of which became iconic quotes borrowed from real-life races.
Next came a male guest. Kitahara immediately recognized him: the well-known racewalking and Uma Musume race analyst, Isaki.
"That's right," Isaki continued. "As the longest G1 race in distance, the Spring Tenno Sho is among the most intense and demanding."
He spoke confidently: "In previous races, the top three spots were mostly taken by Uma Musume who had just run in G1 or G2 races."
"Most runners who came from G2 races typically entered the Spring Tenno Sho after competing in the Hanshin Daishoten or the Nikkei Sho."
"And statistically, runners from G2 prep races had even higher in-the-money rates than those coming from G1 events."
"Especially those from the Hanshin Daishoten. While winning the Hanshin Daishoten doesn't guarantee a win at the Spring Tenno Sho, their rankings, finishing times, and last-three-furlongs speed tend to be much stronger."
"Not that the Nikkei Sho winners are weak," he added, "but in terms of timing and race adaptation, having already run 3000 meters at Hanshin gives a better advantage compared to those coming off the 2500-meter Nikkei Sho."
Hearing this, Misato Akasaka became visibly excited.
"Then that means Tamamo Cross and Inari One, who rarely tied for the win in the Hanshin Daishoten, have a huge advantage in this Spring Tenno Sho, don't they?"
"There is an advantage," Isaki replied calmly, his tone steady. "But in a race like this, there are many other factors to consider."
"For instance, in long-distance races, the inside track advantage isn't as prominent as in short-to-middle distances—but there are exceptions."
"For low-popularity runners who draw inner gates and are unlikely to be singled out by opponents, they can more freely execute their strategies and often achieve good results."
"Particularly if they adopt a frontrunning or pace-setting strategy. In a slower-paced long-distance race, they can conserve more stamina for the final sprint."
He paused, then continued: "Speaking of final sprints, the Spring Tenno Sho has a clear trend—girls with the fastest final kick almost always make it onto the board."
"Therefore, we must pay particular attention to runners who have demonstrated excellent late-stage speed in previous races."
"Oh? Then that means Tamamo Cross and Inari One indeed have a strong edge, don't they?" Misato clung persistently to her perspective, clearly focusing only on the concluding remark.
"Well," Isaki sighed slightly, with a helpless tone, "their strength is indeed at the top of their generation, which naturally grants them overwhelming finishing power."
"But based on my experience, I'd advise them not to reuse the same tactics they employed in the Hanshin Daishoten."
"That tactic worked unexpectedly because it triggered anxiety among their opponents, pushing them to burn out early."
"That was exactly what happened. I must credit that 'strategic genius'—their idea was so unorthodox that it dragged everyone into a brutal test of endurance. I've never seen anything like it."
"It seems the Eisei Team even conducted stamina drills afterward, confirming this was indeed part of a deliberate strategy."
After expressing his admiration, Isaki's tone became solemn again. "However, such a tactic should not be repeated lightly—at least not again so soon unless significantly improved."
"Because the other runners and trainers in this race are likely already aware of its weaknesses and have prepared countermeasures."
"If they insist on repeating the Hanshin Daishoten tactic as is, that 'strategic genius' might end up hoisting a rock only to drop it on their own foot."
"I doubt they would do that," Misato replied, clearly having faith in the Eisei Team and Kitahara. Ignoring Isaki's caution, she spoke directly as though defending them.
"Someone labeled as a 'strategic genius' wouldn't overlook such details."
"They've probably already formulated a brand-new tactic. Perhaps they'll astonish everyone once again this time."
"And whether Tamamo Cross or Inari One wins, this race will likely determine the strongest active older generation Uma Musume of this era."
"Especially Tamamo Cross."
"Lately, fans have been focused on Oguri Cap's shocking 15-race undefeated streak culminating in her flawless Satsuki Sho win, but Tamamo Cross is actually on a five-race winning streak herself."
"If she wins again today, that win count will reach an astounding six consecutive victories."
"And all of them would be central-graded stakes!"
"That's an achievement even Oguri Cap has yet to accomplish—one that's on par with, and even approaching last year's newly inducted Hall of Fame Uma Musume, Mejiro Ramonu!"
She grew more excited. "If things continue like this, the Eternal Team may well receive two Hall of Fame nominations at the U.A.A. Year-End Gala!"
"Even if they don't win the Hall of Fame title this year, if next year's performance keeps up, it'll practically be guaranteed!"
"Isn't that right, Mr. Isaki?"
Compared to Misato's enthusiastic stance, Isaki remained calm.
He had been in the industry since before the Symboli Rudolf generation. His experience was not something ordinary analysts could match.
He knew that in racing, anything could happen.
Back when Symboli Rudolf became an undefeated Triple Crown winner, especially early in her career, she wasn't even that popular. The current praise for that emperor was largely retrospective admiration.
As a critic and guest, his role was to present known information and his viewpoint objectively. Stirring up audience emotions was the commentator's job.
Therefore, Isaki simply smiled warmly and replied evenly:
"There is no doubt that if Tamamo Cross wins the Spring Tenno Sho, she will indeed secure the title of strongest active older-generation Uma Musume of her era."
"And if Oguri Cap achieves an undefeated Triple Crown, a Hall of Fame nomination—or even direct induction—would be entirely justified."
[That never happened. Even Equinox and Contrail both missed out on joining the HOF in their 1st year of retirement due to a shitty voting system.]
"As for the latter, time will tell."
"As for the former—well, the race is about to begin. Let's watch and see."
"Exactly! So let's all look forward to it together!" Misato exclaimed, clearly still backing the Eisei Team and Tamamo Cross.
…Kitahara couldn't help but think: I didn't notice this when I was at the venue previously, but Misato Akasaka sure does monologue on her own a lot.
Listening to the back-and-forth between the commentators, Kitahara felt a bit speechless.
But, he admitted, her commentary was indeed compelling. Even I, as their trainer, am getting excited. No wonder she's never been fired, despite so many controversial blurts.
She really knew exactly what the audience wanted to hear.
At the moment, Kitahara knew full well that the hottest topic in Japan's Uma Musume world was Oguri Cap's "Undefeated Triple Crown."
But after a strategic push by Kurokawa Masato and Fujii Sensuke, and with some time having passed since the Satsuki Sho, the hype was starting to cool slightly.
If anyone truly wanted to ignite the venue again, it would only happen if Oguri Cap actually won the Japanese Derby.
And since this was the Spring Tenno Sho, bringing up other runners too much would seem inappropriate.
That's where Misato's genius showed.
Whether it was the show's director, the track officials, or simply her own decision, she cleverly raised a new topic: "The Current Strongest Active Uma Musume."
Combined with the fact that Tamamo Cross truly was on a five-race graded-winning streak, the crowd's excitement immediately skyrocketed.
The live broadcast used on-site footage with commentary interjections. Kitahara could clearly hear that after Misato's discussion with Isaki, the crowd's cheering went up several octaves.
Not just the crowd—even Oguri Cap, Little Special Week, and Aiko beside him were getting hyped.
"Hey hey, Kitahara, you think Tamamo and Inari will win this time, right?" Oguri Cap asked eagerly, gripping her two pom-poms tightly. She scratched her head after saying that. "I mean, they probably won't tie again, but they should get first and second, right?"
Special Week and her mother also looked over inquisitively.
"I'm not a god, how could I be 100% sure…" Kitahara sighed helplessly, then nodded a bit. "But I spoke a bit with Komiyama and the team yesterday. Tamamo and Inari are in great form."
"Compared to their rivals, they clearly have an advantage in all areas."
"So as long as they perform at full strength, there should be no issue with them placing. First or second is highly likely."
"If anything, the concern is that it rained a bit a few days ago. The Kyoto track is probably leaning toward a slightly heavy surface, and the inside might not be optimal. Hopefully Komiyama and the girls have accounted for that."
"And also…"
He spread his hands. "Until a certain part of the race unfolds, I can't tell whether Tamamo or Inari has the bigger edge."
"I see… guess we'll only know once it starts—oh, it's starting!"
Oguri Cap was about to respond when she noticed something on the screen and exclaimed excitedly.
On TV, with staff assistance, the Uma Musume were entering their starting gates.
In the background, the audience's cheering intensified, and Misato's voice rose to match the excitement.
"Wow, watching from TV really feels different from watching live," Oguri said, now visibly thrilled. She pressed her flower pom-poms against her cheeks, the petals brushing below her eyes. She looked like someone nervous to watch but unable to look away.
Still, she observed. "Tamamo's gate… number 8. Inari's number 11."
"I feel like being further from the inside rail might be a disadvantage… oh wait, if the track isn't in great condition, being a little outside could actually be better."
After her first comment, she quickly adjusted. "And like you said earlier, Kitahara, in the Spring Tenno Sho the distance is so long, the inner vs. outer lane advantage isn't as significant—except…"
She paused to recall something she had just heard on TV.
"...Except when a low-popularity runner draws an inside lane on a decent surface—they gain a bit of an advantage."
"Not bad," Kitahara praised. "Glad you remembered to think it through."
Then he sighed. "So why is it, Oguri, that you can't be this sharp during classes?"
"Huh? Uh…"
Startled, Oguri scratched her head, looking troubled. "I don't know… for some reason, I just get sleepy when I listen to lessons… sorry, Kitahara."
After apologizing, she thought for a moment, then reached over and gently patted Little Special Week's head.
"Little Special, your sister Oguri has a bad habit—she gets sleepy during class."
"So don't copy me, okay? You must pay attention during lessons."
Little Special looked surprised at being suddenly addressed, but quickly nodded obediently.
"Uh-huh! I always listen carefully! I take good notes and do my homework seriously!"
Then she tilted her head curiously. "But if Oguri-sis still does so well even though she sleeps in class, that's kind of amazing!"
"…That's not something worth praising," Kitahara muttered. "Anyway, Little Special, just make sure you listen carefully in class."
As he said that, Kitahara couldn't help recalling a certain gag manga strip—where Special Week failed her Japanese test and had to retake it with Grass Wonder, who was absent due to illness, and El Condor Pasa.
Special Week, desperate, crammed last-minute, got drowsy, then rolled for answers using a "Blessing Pencil" she received from Taiki Shuttle…
Final Exam… Failed Again.
…So I might have to spend some time supervising Special Week's studies later.
Letting out a silent sigh, Kitahara stopped thinking about it.
Because on the TV, Akasaka Misato's excited voice had already come through.
"Alright, all the horse girls have entered the gates, so…"
"G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), turf, 3200 meters…"
"Start!"
"All horse girls have made a beautiful start. The contest for early positioning is clearly less intense than other races. It seems everyone is being mindful of conserving stamina."
"The positioning battle ended quickly. With what feels like mutual understanding, the frontrunners are Meisho Eikan and Denko Sekka. The rest follow behind in a long line."
"As for the most anticipated first and second fan favorites, Tamamo Cross and Inari One have chosen to settle in mid-pack and rear positions respectively, clearly planning to wait until mid or late stages for their final sprint."
Isaki then added appropriately:
"They chose running styles they're good at. So far, this opening phase of the Tenno Sho (Spring) is unfolding pretty normally."
"In that case, we probably won't see any unconventional tactics from the Eisei team until mid or late race," Akasaka Misato continued, almost fixated on Eisei.
…Honestly, I didn't arrange any tactics this time. I'm not even on-site.
Kitahara was speechless.
And actually, even in previous races, I didn't come up with any particularly special tactics.
Japan really loves hype, huh…
While he was speechless on his side, Oguri Cap, who had been cheering together with Special Week and her mother, suddenly paused with a thoughtful look.
"Hmm? Kitahara, this pace feels different from before."
Unlike her sleepiness during classroom lectures, the light blue eyes of the gray-haired horse girl now gleamed with sharp thought.
"If this were 2000 meters or 1600 meters, the pack would be much more condensed—sometimes almost crowded together."
Holding her small bouquet with both hands, she gestured a spindle shape in the air and looked at Kitahara.
"Because I can 'see' the formation of the race—visually, that kind of race lineup is about this shape."
"If the Japan Derby and Kikuka Sho are like this too, I won't have to worry as much about getting pushed outside, and can stick to the inner rail."
"By sticking to the inner rail as much as possible, whether it's mid-race acceleration or final sprint, the stamina advantage will be huge."
"My leg strength can also be used more effectively."
"Mm, that's the characteristic of long-distance races."
Seeing Oguri Cap deep in thought, Kitahara smiled and nodded: "Rather than restricting opponents, the priority is whether you can finish with enough stamina."
"Restricting opponents can indeed provide some advantage in the endgame, but over 3000 meters, it's hard to keep using interfering techniques."
"Even the cleverest tricks require stamina. If you use them for too long, you may not even have enough energy to finish."
"So when it comes to the Derby and especially the Kikuka Sho, you won't need to worry as much about being heavily targeted as before."
After acknowledging Oguri Cap's rare analysis, he pointed back to the screen and reminded her:
"Besides the formation length, did you notice anything else, Oguri?"
After asking, he smiled at the slightly confused Special Week beside them.
"Spe-chan, if you noticed anything too, feel free to say it."
He was mainly expecting Oguri's answer.
As a trainer, he already knew the answer, but this was a rare moment where Oguri Cap was analyzing things herself. He wanted to use this chance to improve her ability in this aspect.
Even if she couldn't reach Mejiro Ardan's level of real-time race analysis, being able to do pre- and post-race assessments would be incredibly helpful moving forward.
Unexpectedly, after staring at the TV for a few seconds, Oguri Cap and Special Week spoke almost simultaneously.
"Huh? Is the pace faster than in previous races? Strange, aren't long-distance races usually run with more stamina conservation? They don't usually accelerate this early."
"…It feels… a little faster than races I've seen before…"
Oguri's answer was expected—Kitahara had immediately sensed during the opening burst that the pace would be faster this time, at least in the opening.
This intuition came from years of analyzing races. He had watched well over ten thousand races, both domestic and international, in the Twinkle series.
Oguri Cap, as a central-level graded horse girl, was also highly sensitive to speed and distance.
She had first focused on the distance, which was easier to spot, but with a little nudge, she was able to pick up on the speed difference too.
But Special Week's answer truly surprised Kitahara. He hadn't expected someone who had never raced to instinctively or naturally sense these race conditions through raw talent.
Oguri Cap was also surprised.
"Huh? Spe-chan, you think so too?"
In the next moment, she laughed happily: "Amazing, Spe-chan! You've never even raced, and you already have such race vision. When you join the Shining Star series in the future, your performance is going to be really exciting!"
"That's right, Spe-chan is really impressive."
Kitahara also praised: "It seems your talent is indeed quite good. Did you feel the speed difference by instinct?"
Receiving compliments from both Oguri Cap and Kitahara, and noticing her mother looking pleasantly surprised, Special Week became flustered.
"I-I just felt it…"
Scratching her reddened cheek, she lowered her head shyly. "J-Just a feeling… I've watched races with Mom before, but this one… it just felt like the sisters on the track were running a bit faster than the ones I'd seen…"
"That's perfectly fine. It's really impressive already. Oguri is right—your future performance is something to look forward to."
Smiling as he patted Special Week's head, Kitahara looked at Oguri Cap, then back to the screen.
He jerked his chin toward the TV, signaling Oguri to look, his tone turning serious.
"You both are correct. The opening pace is indeed faster this time."
"Especially because of the frontrunners—Meisho Eikan and Denko Sekka."
"Or rather, because of those two, the whole pack is faster than usual."
"Because of the front-running…"
Oguri Cap looked at the screen seriously and rubbed her chin. "For frontrunners, their tactics determine the pace for most of the race."
"So running this fast early must have a purpose, right…?"
"Purpose… That's not hard to guess."
Kitahara nodded. "They probably want to prevent Tama-chan and Inari from repeating the Hanshin Daishoten strategy… though that wasn't even something I planned."
Sighing in exasperation, he continued explaining to Oguri:
"All the horses losing stamina last time at the Hanshin Daishoten is something everyone wants to avoid."
"To prevent that, the simplest solution is to raise the pace early when stamina is still full."
"Speed translates into distance, and as you said, the formation this time is much longer than usual."
"If you wanted to seize control from this position by accelerating… hypothetically, I mean, if I actually gave you such a 'pace-stealing' tactic, how much stamina would it take, and how likely would you be to win?"
Oguri Cap barely hesitated.
"No real chance to win."
She leaned slightly forward, pointing to a spot in the front-middle of the long pack.
"I usually occupy a pace-chasing position, and pace chasing consumes the most stamina."
"To take over the pace at this speed, I would need close to final sprint pace. But if I did that, my stamina would be mostly gone by halfway through mid-race."
"By the time the final straight comes, I'd lose all speed."
"So I wouldn't stand a chance."
"That's exactly what Meisho Eikan and Denko Sekka are thinking."
Kitahara nodded firmly. "Their current fast pace is making it harder for Tama-chan and Inari to seize control."
"If they really tried to take control under these conditions, they'd lose before the race even ended."
"But…"
He sighed helplessly. "I didn't give them such a tactic. I said I'm not even there. How could I plan something so detailed?"
"In this situation, Akasaka Misato better not start making up another weird 'Kitahara Mastermind Strategy' out of nowhere…"
While Kitahara and Oguri Cap were watching and analyzing, the race on TV transitioned from the opening phase into mid-race.
As they entered mid-phase, the pace slightly eased, and the commentary tone also calmed down.
"It seems the 'strategist' from Eisei's team didn't plan any opening tactics. So far, the performances have been orthodox."
Akasaka Misato's voice carried a hint of disappointment, though her commentary remained professional.
"However, as expected from Meisho Eikan and Denko Sekka's lead, the opening phase was notably faster this time."
"The first segment from start to mid-phase is about 533 meters. This was completed over a second faster than the previous Tenno Sho. That's already extremely fast."
"Indeed. But this won't significantly affect the overall race," Iizaki continued aptly. "After the high-speed entry into the early curve, they now encounter the first up-and-down slope."
"At higher speeds, the momentum helps. With full stamina, horse girls will find the downhill easier and more efficient."
"So the stamina spent accelerating is well compensated."
Akasaka praised:
"As expected from G1-level horse girls. They're all very mindful of such small details."
"Let's confirm the current positions."
"First place is Denko Sekka."
"At the previous Hanshin Daishoten, she raced against Tamamo Cross and Inari One, but unfortunately faded and placed sixth."
"It seems she wants revenge this time, maintaining excellent form."
"Following closely is Meisho Eikan."
"She briefly passed Denko Sekka before but has now fallen slightly behind. She's probably saving stamina."
"Next is Gold City."
"This horse girl announced this will be her final race."
"In previous races, except for a second place in the Satsuki Sho and Kikuka Sho, she seemed uninterested and didn't leave notable results."
"This time, she probably wants a perfect retirement match. She's clearly giving it her all."
"Next are Running Free and Mejiro Durren running side-by-side."
"These two… ah, Mejiro Durren seems restless."
"This horse girl from the Mejiro family has excellent skill and endurance, typical of Mejiro lineage. But if she's restless, it'll drain stamina quickly."
Isaki also sounded worried.
"There's no doubt about the Mejiro family's talent, especially with recent medical news suggesting this famous family may have resolved their 'glass legs' issue."
"Rumor has it this is connected to Kitahara from Team Eisei, though he hasn't confirmed anything."
"With such an advantage, one would expect better results."
"But being restless like this will cause too much stamina loss. Let's hope she calms down quickly."
"Exactly. That's what Mejiro Durren fans must be hoping. Now she…"
Akasaka Misato only got halfway when she suddenly stopped and then shouted excitedly. From the rustling sounds, she had probably stood up from her commentator seat.
"Tamamo Cross is accelerating?!"
"Wait, seriously?!"
"But this is the first corner of mid-phase! There's still a whole 1600 meters ahead. Is accelerating now really okay?!"
"Ah, I see—is this Kitahara's 'unconventional strategy'?!"
"So it wasn't for the opening, but for mid-race?! This is totally unexpected!"
This time, even before Kitahara in front of the TV could be exasperated, Isaki spoke first in disbelief.
"…Ahem, this is probably not some unconventional tactic, but rather a standard long-distance mid-phase move."
Coughing awkwardly, he explained with a wry smile, "Please calm down, Miss Akasaka. We can discuss this while seated."
Of course, as a horse race commentator, Akasaka Misato knew common race strategies, and she knew mid-phase accelerations in long-distance races weren't unheard of.
However, as a commentator, part of her role was to hype up the atmosphere, sometimes pretending to be surprised even when she knew the reason.
That way, viewers who didn't understand might get excited too.
This wasn't yet the future era of widespread livestreams. If she had known what was to come, she might have jokingly called this "streamer effect."
But Kitahara, watching the TV, didn't know her thoughts. He simply shook his head speechlessly and muttered:
"Please don't randomly label everything as some kind of tactic. This is just a very standard long-distance mid-phase awakening run…"
Hearing that, Oguri Cap became pensive.
"Long-distance mid-phase awakening run… Sounds a bit similar to Super Creek's tactic, but there must be differences, right, Kitahara?"
She continued, "That one is a true burst sprint—if opponents don't react in time, she overtakes them in one go and leaves them behind."
"This one feels more like a tempo shift?"
"Correct. Long-distance mid-phase rhythm is different from mid and short distances."
Acknowledging her understanding, Kitahara fixed his gaze on Tamamo Cross's small gray frame, gradually closing in toward the front, and explained:
"For distances between 1600m–2000m, or shorter, this isn't the best time to act."
"Once you accelerate, you can't slow down, or the fatigue from the abrupt speed changes will cause massive stamina loss, making you fade before the final straight."
"That's why in mid-distance races, acceleration is held back until the last 200 to 400 meters, and short-distance races often enter full sprint by halfway."
"But long distances require activation."
Just like Oguri earlier, Kitahara pointed at the screen showing Tamamo Cross steadily moving up.
"Accelerating now is to warm up the body early."
"In races 3000m and above, the final sprint stretch is longer, and the cruising phase is longer too."
"In such distances, the body adapts to cruising speed over time."
"If you don't let the body adjust early to final sprint mode, once you hit the straight, your muscles, nerves, and blood vessels won't be activated enough, preventing full performance."
"Especially in Tenno Sho (Spring), the final straight alone is 404 meters, and passing the third corner again adds up to 700 meters. Early activation is essential."
"And look—though slightly delayed, Inari has also started accelerating."
With a light smile, he pointed to the small brown-haired girl.
"So Oguri, when preparing for the Derby and Kikuka Sho later, you must pay close attention to these different rhythms."
Finally, he stared earnestly at Oguri and instructed firmly.
"Understood. I'll keep it in mind." Oguri Cap nodded seriously.
At that moment, Akasaka Misato's voice echoed from the TV, far more excited than before.
"As expected from Eisei's horse girls—always unpredictable! Tamamo Cross and Inari One have both chosen a mid-phase acceleration strategy!"
"Their speed increase isn't explosive, but compared to their earlier steady pacing, their sudden burst is incredibly eye-catching!"
"Do they really intend to recreate the Hanshin Daishoten tactic?!"
"Do they plan to drag all opponents into 'oyster' fatigue again?!"
"Do they even want to replicate the same miracle?!"
"But this time their opponents won't let them!"
"Tamamo Cross has overtaken several already, but is being blocked by Mejiro Durren and Running Free!"
"In front of her are still Gold City, Meisho Eikan, and Denko Sekka—it seems…"
"They don't intend to let her pass so easily, and they're not affected at all by her acceleration!"
"Inari One is in a worse position—after dashing forward a bit, she got caught by mid-pack runners, and those chasing are also catching up!"
"What tactics will Tamamo Cross and Inari One use to handle this situation?!"
(End of Chapter)
[PLAY LIMBUS COMPANY]