Unbelievably, Urara won the Unicorn Stakes. The winning live performance was a huge success, with Smart Falcon deliberately keeping a low profile to let Urara, the first-place winner, shine.
Naturally, I praised Urara to the moon and back, Rice was ecstatic, and King wore a proud smile, gloating over Urara's performance.
The next day, after that memorable night, I was in the club room, catching up on work. For my lunch break, I was eating a bento I'd bought at a convenience store and flipping through the newspaper, which had articles about yesterday's Unicorn Stakes.
Since it was yesterday's main race, a color photo of Urara was on the front page. She was receiving the treatment befitting a winning horse girl, with photos of her and Smart Falcon crossing the finish line together and her singing during the winning live.
(Urara won... and not just any race, but the Unicorn Stakes, a Grade III stakes race...)
A night had passed, and seeing it in the newspaper made the victory feel real. My Urara had won a major race—it gave me an indescribable sense of accomplishment.
Rice, who trained herself alone under a borrowed trainer's name and won the Kikuka Sho crown on her own. King, who was trained by someone else before I took over and had yet to run a race. Unlike them, Urara was a horse girl I had trained from scratch and walked with all the way. While saying she's my "one and only" might make Rice pout, to me, she's my partner, my beloved horse, my precious existence.
The horse girl I raised from the ground up had won a stakes race. I could be proud of this. I could even feel that as a rookie trainer, I was moving forward. It's not like I'm the only one among my peers to achieve this—when I think about it, Kiryuin-san trained Meek and won a Grade III race in just over six months. And she even won a Grade I race as a Junior. Thinking about it that way, that duo was also pretty incredible.
But still, there's no problem with being proud of Urara. She was always my pride, but a horse girl who wins a stakes race is special. Winning an open race is already impressive, but winning a stakes race puts you in the top tier of famous horse girls at Tracen Academy.
My Urara had become that kind of horse girl. Last night, at Urara's request, I made her carrot hamburger steak, then went home and toasted her victory by myself.
However, along with the joy, a tiny knot of unease remained.
Urara was undoubtedly running with all her might. She went all out to win and beat Smart Falcon. But was Smart Falcon giving it her all? I had a lingering doubt.
Looking at her running style and her exhausted state right after the race, I'd say she gave it her all. But the Smart Falcon I saw at the Shoryu Stakes had a more intimidating, unknown quality about her...
I chuckled to myself, thinking I was overthinking it. I thought the reality of Urara's win had sunk in, but maybe I was still floating on a cloud.
As I was reading the newspaper, there was a knock on the club room door. It was lunchtime, so no one should be coming here... Who could it be?
"Yes, who is... Urara?"
I opened the door to find Urara in her school uniform. It was unusual for her to come to the club room during lunch... in fact, it was the first time. Her horse ears were drooping, and her tail was listless.
Urara usually tells me about eating lunch with her friends or making new ones. Because of her cheerful and lovable nature, she almost always spends her lunch break with someone...
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
I let Urara into the club room and sat on the sofa. To my surprise, she sat on my lap.
"Urara?"
When I called her name, she simply relaxed and leaned her back against me. What was this? Was she coming to me for comfort? But her posture felt stiff for just wanting to be cuddled, and she usually shows affection in a different way.
As I was feeling perplexed, Urara mumbled quietly.
"Hey, Trainer... I really won the Unicorn Stakes, didn't I?"
"You did. And you even set a record... Is something bothering you?"
Yesterday, right after the win, after the live show, and even on the way back to Tracen Academy, Urara was absolutely thrilled. She had asked for a celebratory carrot hamburger steak, and the entire shopping district had crowded around her, causing a big commotion.
She was so exhausted from the race that she started to doze off after eating the hamburger, and I had to carry her on my back to the dorm. I handed her over to King there, but I could tell she wasn't injured or unwell; she had just simply let go of all the tension.
"Hmm... It's not that something's bothering me... I just can't quite believe it. Today, when I went to my classroom, everyone said 'Congratulations!' It made me so happy, but it just felt... like a dream."
As she spoke, Urara's horse ears drooped flat. I saw this and started ruffling her hair.
"Then you should read that newspaper there. It has pictures and articles about yesterday's race."
"Mmm..."
Urara nodded but didn't look at the paper. She just leaned her back against me, letting me pat her.
(Hmm... she doesn't seem down, and it's not like she's lost all her motivation after beating Smart Falcon... What's going on?)
I couldn't be sure without seeing her expression, but she didn't seem sad. I gently stroked her horse ears, and she just shivered a little, as if she was ticklish.
(...Alright!)
I wrapped my arms around Urara and, with all my strength, stood up from the sofa. Ack, this is a bit tough. My body feels like it's screaming from lifting her from such an awkward position!
But I didn't care. I made Urara stand and then, with a burst of energy, lifted her into my arms.
"How can the winner be like this? Come on, let's do a little 'high-in-the-sky'!"
"Whoa! Trainer, you're amazing!"
"Right? My arms are cracking and popping, though!"
I was "high-in-the-sky"ing Urara all by myself. Hmm... Is this okay? Will I be able to work this afternoon? I'm using all my muscles to lift her, so I might be sore tomorrow.
Thinking this, I set Urara down on the floor. I looked her straight in the eye and smiled.
"You're my pride, Urara. You did an amazing job beating Smart Falcon... Ah, seriously... you really did so well."
I was trying to smile, but when I thanked her again, it was no good. My eyes welled up with tears. To hide them, I placed both hands on her head and started ruffling her hair playfully.
"Waaaaah! Trainer, that tickles!"
"Hahaha! That's what you get for looking like that, even after winning!"
Urara was laughing, ticklish, but her tail, which had been drooping listlessly, started wagging furiously from side to side. Seeing this, I stopped petting her and looked at her.
"Yesterday, Urara beat Smart Falcon. That's a fact. But now it's one win and one loss. Just because you won yesterday doesn't mean you're ahead, so don't let your guard down."
"Mmm... Mmm! You're right! Okay! I'm gonna do my best!"
Urara listened to my words and pumped her fist. Yep, it's good to have energy. Urara is at her best when she's full of energy.
"By the way, Urara, there's only about half of lunch break left... Have you eaten?"
"Oh! That's right! See ya later, Trainer! I'm gonna go eat!"
Urara said that and ran out of the club room—but then she looked back for a moment.
"Thank you, Trainer!"
"...Yeah. Try your best in your afternoon classes, too."
She replied with a cheerful "Okay!" and was gone. I closed the door she had left open and looked at the newspaper on my desk.
— Haru Urara and Smart Falcon, the next showdown will be at the Japan Dirt Derby?!
Seeing that big headline, I sighed deeply, my hand on my face.
That evening.
After school, Urara, Rice, and King came to the club room. Once they were changed, I stood in front of the whiteboard.
"Alright, Urara won the Unicorn Stakes yesterday, but... Rice is scheduled to run in the Takarazuka Kinen this weekend. It's at Hanshin Racecourse, a distance of 2200 meters. So far, so good?"
I directed the question to King, who had only recently joined Team Kitalfa. King nodded with her arms crossed, as if to say it was obvious.
"The Takarazuka Kinen is the final race of the Senior Spring Triple Crown. Toukai Teio won the Osaka Hai, and Rice won the Spring Tenno Sho. Since it's a middle-distance race, many strong opponents will be running."
Saying that, I wrote down the names of the likely runners.
Mejiro McQueen and Toukai Teio are sure to be there. I wonder who from Team Canopus will show up... Nice Nature, Ikuno Dictus, and Matikanetannhauser can all run middle-distance races.
"The two from Team Spica, the three from Team Canopus, and then Mejiro Palmer..."
A year ago, Daitaku Helios would have also been a contender. But Daitaku Helios hasn't shown up in a race since the Arima Kinen last year. It doesn't seem like she's injured, so maybe she's considering retirement.
"I don't know if everyone will show up. Other potential runners for the Takarazuka Kinen are..."
Hmm, what if Gold Ship shows up? She's been on Team Spica for a while, so it wouldn't be surprising if she ran a senior-level race. But I haven't heard of her running in any races recently... If she shows up, I might have to have Rice mark her right away.
I wrote down the names of other horse girls who, while not as powerful, had been getting good results recently. They are a few notches below the members of Team Spica and Team Canopus, but that doesn't mean we can be careless.
"...So, we can't let our guard down with this group. The race is this Sunday, so I plan to train Rice as much as possible until then. King, I'm counting on you to be her training partner."
"Understood. There's always something to learn when I'm running with Rice-senpai... By the way, are there any Classic-level horse girls running in the Takarazuka Kinen?"
"Hmm... The prize money required to enter is pretty high. But runners are also chosen by fan vote, so someone might show up."
It's been almost a month since the Japan Derby, and the next Grade I races just for Classic-level horse girls will be the Shuka Sho and Kikuka Sho in late October. Since it's a fan vote, it's possible for Special Week or Oguri Cap to get in if they want to...
"Well, it's just a possibility; I don't think they'll show up."
"Why not?"
"It's a simple reason... Even if they did, they couldn't win. Even if Special Week or Oguri Cap showed up, Rice would definitely beat them."
I stated that with certainty. Special Week and Oguri Cap are incredibly talented horse girls, but they are still at the Classic level. For example, could a Classic-level Rice have won the Takarazuka Kinen a year ago? The winner of last year's Takarazuka Kinen was Mejiro Palmer. If you ask if a Classic-level Rice could have beaten her, who was already at the Senior level, the answer is no.
Some horse girls can close a one-year gap... and Rice, who won the Arima Kinen last year, is a good example of this, but it's still extremely difficult for a horse girl who has only been at Tracen Academy for a little over a year to win the Takarazuka Kinen.
Especially since this year, not only Rice but also Mejiro McQueen and Toukai Teio will definitely be there. Some trainers might consider having them run just to get experience, but there's a high chance it would crush their confidence.
"Besides, King, can you beat Rice in a middle-distance race right now? In my opinion, Special Week and Oguri Cap are on a similar level to you. If you don't think you can win, then no other Classic-level horse girl can beat Rice."
"...I get it."
King looked away, seemingly annoyed, but her horse ears were twitching, and her tail was wagging. The story would be different for the Arima Kinen, where they would have more experience and training, but at this point, the current Classic-level horse girls weren't a threat in the Takarazuka Kinen.
The real threat was a difficult opponent like Mejiro McQueen or Toukai Teio. I'd be confident in Rice winning a long-distance race, but at 2200 meters, a middle-distance race, things get a little tougher.
Of course, it all depends on how well Mejiro McQueen and Toukai Teio are prepared, but I can't imagine Team Spica's senior messing up their adjustments. Well, except for Toukai Teio at last year's Arima Kinen.
"So! Let's get our training in with high spirits today! Just as I said, Rice and King, you're training together! Urara, since you just finished a race, your menu will be light. However, depending on how your body feels, I might have you join them for their last spurt."
"Okay!"
"Understood, Onii-sama."
"Training with Rice-senpai again today... I can feel my skills improving, but... No! No complaints!"
King was a little hesitant, but she quickly encouraged herself. Yes, that's a good spirit to have. See, Rice is smiling at King, too.
With Urara's win yesterday and Rice's upcoming race, training would be intense for the next little while. As a result, King seemed fulfilled but also completely exhausted.
Days of dedicated training passed, and the day of the Takarazuka Kinen was approaching.
I had entered Rice's special registration and confirmed her entry by fan vote, and I had also received the race card—
(Hmm? Mejiro McQueen and Toukai Teio are here as expected, but from Team Canopus, it's just Ikuno Dictus. The only other one that concerns me is... Mejiro Palmer.)
Perhaps because they weren't in good shape or wanted to avoid the Takarazuka Kinen, Nice Nature and Matikanetannhauser were not on the list. Since they surely would have been chosen by fan vote if they had wanted to run, they must have opted out.
Ikuno Dictus was in their place, but she has a lot of highs and lows in her condition... As for Mejiro Palmer, if she pulls a big runaway like she did at the Arima Kinen, she might break away and win while Mejiro McQueen and Toukai Teio are fighting each other.
Also, as I predicted, the Classic-level horse girls seemed to have avoided the Takarazuka Kinen. They're probably focusing on intensive training during the harsh summer months for the autumn Grade I races.
(Speaking of summer, since I've formed a team, maybe a training camp is in order this summer... I'll have to wait until after King's CBC Sho and Urara's Japan Dirt Derby...)
For now, we had to focus on the races right in front of us. Not only Rice's Takarazuka Kinen, but King's and Urara's races were also coming up in early July.
However, I frowned as I looked at the race card for the Takarazuka Kinen.
(It's a full-gate race of 18 runners, but there are only 14 entries... And Rice is in the outermost gate. Ikuno Dictus is in gate 2, Mejiro McQueen in gate 4, Toukai Teio in gate 5, Mejiro Palmer in gate 5... Unlike with Urara, is our luck bad this time? No, the Takarazuka Kinen is the 11th race, so maybe the course will be rough and give us an advantage...?)
Perhaps because everyone was expecting a showdown between Rice, Mejiro McQueen, and Toukai Teio, many horse girls avoided this Grade I race. On top of that, Rice's starting position was a little tricky compared to the other top contenders.
This was simply a matter of luck, so there was nothing we could do about it... The start is on the homestretch, so we would have to try and get her inside before the first corner. No, given Rice's stamina, she could probably pull off the feat of charging from the outside on the corner.
It all depended on the condition of her rivals, the weather, and the track conditions on the day of the race.
And so, the day of the Takarazuka Kinen arrived.
My team and I had traveled to the venue the day before and stayed the night before heading to the Hanshin Racecourse. The Takarazuka Kinen was the 11th race, so it was a bit late, at 3:40 p.m. We could have left that morning, but we arrived the day before to be safe since the rainy season hadn't ended yet.
It would be a disaster if the weather was terrible, the Shinkansen stopped running, and the highways were closed. Prevention is key this time of year. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Anyway, when we arrived at Hanshin Racecourse, we sent Rice to the paddock as usual. We had to observe our rival horse girls before we could even start to compete.
If there were other stakes races, I would have come to the racecourse early to check things out, but the Takarazuka Kinen was the only one today. So after Rice had loosened up and I had checked her condition, we arrived at Hanshin Racecourse with time to spare...
"Whoa... This is crazy."
"Wow... there are so many people!"
"We'd get lost if we got separated. Urara-san, give me your hand. I'll hold it for you."
"Yay! Thanks, King-chan!"
Because of the Takarazuka Kinen, Hanshin Racecourse was packed. The large crowd was also due to the fact that Hanshin Racecourse's capacity is less than half that of Tokyo Racecourse, at a little over 90,000 people. I could hear voices from all around saying, "Can't get in?" and "Why?!" The excitement was incredible.
I showed my trainer's license and entered the racecourse. As Urara and King followed me—
"Oh, it's Haru Urara!"
"No way? There's no race with Haru Urara today, is there... Oh, really!?"
"Oh, it's the real Haru Urara!"
Oh no! I've been surrounded by Osaka natives! No, they're speaking in the Kansai dialect, so I don't know if they're from Osaka. Hanshin Racecourse is in Hyogo, so they could be from Hyogo Prefecture.
"Congratulations on winning the Unicorn Stakes!"
"You're so small, but so strong!"
"Can I get a picture with you! With your mother over there, too!"
"Who are you calling her mother?! I'm King! King Halo!"
Hmm... Their energy and pressure are incredible... Even King seems a little overwhelmed.
"Yes, sorry. Our Rice Shower is about to come out to the paddock, so please let us through."
But I pushed through. Grabbing Urara's left hand, I pushed forward with King.
"Huh? Who's this guy?"
"He's not 'a guy,' he's 'Onii-sama.'"
"How'd you know that?"
Oh, no. I accidentally responded to that. Is it just me, or do I also start speaking in Kansai dialect when I talk to people who use it? Also, my name seems to be getting more and more known to horse girl race fans lately... Maybe the culprit is Monthly Twinkle, or maybe Onamushi-san?
Thinking about that, I posed for a picture with Urara and King as they held their smartphones out. "Say cheese!" I said. "Okay, can you let us go now? We're in a hurry."
As I made my way through, I heard someone shout from behind me, "We're rooting for Rice Shower!" and I responded by raising my right hand.
"...What is it with you being more famous than we are, even after the Unicorn Stakes?" King asked as we got closer to the paddock. Urara was between us, me holding her left hand and King holding her right. Urara was in a good mood, probably because of the fans' warm words.
"Maybe it's because I was featured in Monthly Twinkle recently..."
Just like with horse girls, trainers can also become well-known if they get famous enough. Mr. Tojo of Team Rigil is a celebrity, and the senior from Team Spica is so famous as a trainer that he can find a promising horse girl at the racecourse, check the development of her haunches, and get kicked in the face without anyone reporting him.
No, maybe "famous" isn't the right word for him? By the way, Special Week supposedly kicked him from behind after he started touching her haunches right after she moved to Tokyo. He only got a nosebleed, so he's pretty tough, too.
Having that conversation, we finally arrived at the paddock. Perhaps because of the location, there were many spectators who had crowded around the paddock to see the horse girls. I announced that I was a trainer and somehow managed to get to the front row.
"2nd gate, 2nd horse, Ikuno Dictus"
Just then, the paddock parade began. I was relieved that we had made it just in time, but when I looked at the paddock—
(Hmm? Ikuno Dictus looks more in shape than ever before...)
I thought that to myself as I looked at Ikuno Dictus in her race outfit. I had seen her run many times before, but her expression had more spirit than ever before. It was as if she was about to do something crazy. A horse girl in this state is truly strong.
"4th gate, 6th horse, Mejiro McQueen"
The next horse girl I was focusing on was Mejiro McQueen. And when I saw her, I was speechless.
(This is... seriously...)
She was even more in shape than Ikuno Dictus, who I thought was at her peak. Mejiro McQueen just quietly appeared in the paddock.
And just like that, the paddock fell silent for a moment. Then, a few seconds later, a huge cheer erupted. I had planned to have Rice mark Ikuno Dictus, but after seeing Mejiro McQueen, I immediately changed my mind.
"5th gate, 8th horse, Toukai Teio"
Toukai Teio... Her condition doesn't seem bad, but she doesn't seem to be at her peak, either. In any case, Mejiro McQueen is in a league of her own. Toukai Teio isn't bad, but Ikuno Dictus looks better, and Mejiro McQueen looks even better than her.
"5th gate, 9th horse, Mejiro Palmer"
Next, Mejiro Palmer appeared, and I scrunched up my eyebrows slightly.
(Mejiro Palmer today is... not so good? She looks a little down...)
She's not in bad shape, but her condition is, at best, just average.
"8th gate, 14th horse, Rice Shower"
The last one to appear was Rice. She smiled and waved at the crowd, then seemed to notice something and looked towards Mejiro McQueen. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"...Onii-sama."
Since Rice was the last to appear, there was no time for a long conversation. But we nodded, knowing what the other was trying to say.
"Today, it's Mejiro McQueen. Ikuno Dictus looks good, but... Mejiro McQueen is even scarier."
"Mmm... I feel the same way."
Saying that, Rice shivered a little. It wasn't from nervousness but from anticipation.
"Since it's the 11th race, the track will probably be announced as 'good,' but the inner track might be rough. Be careful not to trip."
"I understand. Well then, Onii-sama, Urara-chan, King-chan... Rice is going now."
Rice turned her back and left, speaking more quietly than usual. After seeing her off, King let out the breath she was holding.
"I thought I knew from our training, but... Rice-senpai's fighting spirit is incredible. And so is Mejiro McQueen-senpai's... I now understand why you said the Classic-level horse girls would definitely lose."
"It's not every year that horse girls in such great shape and with such spirit show up..."
It's easy to get fixated on Mejiro McQueen's and Ikuno Dictus's great condition, but Toukai Teio is also a formidable opponent in a middle-distance race. As for Mejiro Palmer... I don't think she's much of a threat today.
And so, the Takarazuka Kinen began.
Twice a year—at the Takarazuka Kinen and the Arima Kinen—a stage where the dreams of horse girl fans ride on the runners, was about to begin.
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