Chapter 58. This my Tokai Teio!
Shuta An made his way into the waiting area, and before long, he was standing beside Tokai Teio.
With the Groom's assistance, he mounted smoothly, his movements practiced and precise. Once seated, he adjusted his posture instinctively, tightening his legs slightly against the saddle and letting his body settle into a familiar rhythm. The moment his weight aligned properly, he could already feel it—his own condition was stable today, without any stiffness or distraction.
"Good," he thought quietly. "I won't be the one holding his back."
That single realization allowed a small portion of tension to dissipate. But he did not linger on himself for long. His attention shifted almost immediately to the partner beneath him.
Tokai Teio's condition—that was what truly mattered.
Over the past few days, his training data had been nearly flawless. His responses were sharp, his acceleration clean, his overall state consistent and reliable. Even so, Shuta An did not rely on numbers alone.
He lowered his gaze slightly and asked the Groom,
"How's his appetite today?"
"He finished all his feed," the Groom replied without hesitation. "And he was in high spirits when leaving the stable. There's nothing unusual at all."
His tone carried confidence—not forced, but natural, the kind that came from daily observation rather than blind trust.
Shuta nodded.
"That's good."
He reached forward, his hand resting briefly on Tokai Teio's hind neck, rubbing it lightly in a familiar gesture.
"Do your best today, Teio," he said in a calm voice. "If you win, I'll bring you a box of Aomori apples when we get back."
At those words, Tokai Teio lifted his head slightly and let out a short snort, his response clear enough that even the Groom couldn't help but smile.
"He really understands," the Groom said, his tone carrying a trace of admiration. "Teio is incredibly easy to care for. Even though he's the most important horse in the stable, he rarely causes trouble. As long as we do our work properly, he never complains."
"That's only natural," Shuta An replied, not sounding surprised at all. "No one here would dare be careless when it comes to him."
"Of course not," the Groom said, his expression turning unexpectedly serious.
"Teio is the core of this stable, and the expectations from the Horse Owners are extremely high. If something were to go wrong because of our negligence—"
He paused briefly before finishing his sentence.
"we'd have no way to atone for it."
Shuta An immediately shook his head, almost reflexively.
"It won't come to that," he said. "There's no need to think that far."
—
What he didn't realize was that this exact moment had been captured by a photographer.
And like many things in the racing world—
A small gesture, taken out of context, quickly grew into something else entirely.
—
"Why is Shuta An shaking his head on Tokai Teio's back? Has he noticed a problem?"
The rumor began to spread, moving from one corner of the racecourse to another with surprising speed.
By the time it reached the VIP stands, it had already taken on a life of its own.
Owner Uchimura's expression tightened as he turned toward Matsumoto Shoichi.
"Is there really no problem?" he asked, unable to hide the concern in his voice. "Could there be something we missed?"
Matsumoto Shoichi remained composed.
"No," he said firmly. "As of this morning, Teio's condition was completely normal. I trust my staff."
"That's exactly why it's strange," Uchimura replied, frowning. "Then why would Shuta-kun react like that? What did he see?"
—
By the time the Groom arrived at the VIP area, he immediately noticed something unusual.
The way people looked at him—
It was…sympathetic.
"What's going on?"
He frowned slightly, confused, and only grew more puzzled as he approached Matsumoto Shoichi.
"Is there a problem with Tokai Teio's condition?" Matsumoto asked directly.
"Huh?" The Groom blinked, completely taken aback. "Why would there be?"
"Then what about Shuta-kun shaking his head?" Uchimura pressed. "Someone took a photo. What happened in the waiting area?"
The Groom stood still for a moment, replaying the scene in his mind.
"Ah!"
Then it clicked.
"We were just talking about taking care of Teio," he said. "I mentioned that if we messed up, we'd have no way to atone, and then Shuta-kun shook his head and said it wouldn't come to that."
He looked at them, clearly baffled.
"That's all. How did that turn into a problem with his condition?"
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"I see."
Uchimura exhaled deeply, the tension in his shoulders easing.
"That's a relief."
Matsumoto Shoichi nodded slightly, his expression returning to normal.
In the end, there was no need to respond to the rumors. Once the truth became clear, they would dissipate on their own. More importantly, there was no reason to divert attention from what truly mattered.
The race would speak for itself.
—
Ten runners had entered this Takarazuka Kinen.
Mejiro McQueen was drawn in the outermost gate.
Tokai Teio, just inside him.
Gate ten.
Gate nine.
For Tokai Teio, entering the gate early was not a disadvantage. He had always handled such situations well, and Shuta An had no concerns on that front.
After guiding his into position, Shuta An's gaze lowered briefly toward the turf ahead.
Hanshin was listed as a good track today.
But even so—
"The inside is rough."
The condition of the inner rail was clearly worn, the grass less even, more taxing on the legs.
"If I stay too close to the rail, it'll cost unnecessary stamina," he thought.
The decision formed immediately.
"I'd rather take the outside."
At the same time, his attention shifted toward Mejiro McQueen.
"This time, I'll mark him again," he concluded.
But Yutaka Take's earlier words lingered faintly in his mind.
Prepared tactics.
"Let's see what you have in mind."
—
When Yutaka Take entered the final gate, neither of them spoke.
There was no need.
The race was about to begin.
—
The sound came sharply.
A clean metallic click.
The gates opened.
—
Shuta An did not force the start.
Instead, he allowed Tokai Teio to break naturally, his stride unfolding smoothly before guiding his into position behind Mejiro McQueen.
The intention was clear. He would track his throughout the race.
Yutaka Take noticed immediately and he was not surprised.
"Of course you'd do that," he thought.
Before the race, he had already discussed this possibility with Trainer Ikee.
Their response had been simple.
Ignore it. Maintain their plan.
—
"I'll run his in a forward position," Yutaka Take decided calmly. "If he wants to mark me, he'll have to stay in the middle."
For Tokai Teio, that was not a disadvantage in itself.
But in Yutaka Take's view—
The final straight at Hanshin was limited.
If he controlled the pace properly, it would not be easy for Tokai Teio to unleash his full acceleration.
"And I won't give his the inside," he thought, a faint smile forming.
—
Shuta An, however, showed no sign of concern. His grip on the reins remained steady as he allowed Tokai Teio to settle into his natural rhythm.
He made no attempt to cut inward. No attempt to save ground.
"The inside isn't worth it," he thought calmly. "Better to lose a bit of distance than lose efficiency."
And so, he guided Teio along the outer line, letting him run freely, his movement unrestrained as the race began to take shape under his control.
Shuta An allowed Tokai Teio to settle into his rhythm, and before long, the two of them entered the straight section opposite the grandstand. The early phase of the race had passed without disruption, and the field had already arranged itself into a relatively stable formation.
Ahead of them, Mejiro McQueen and Mejiro Ryan ran side by side.
Yutaka Take and Norihiro Yokoyama, each focused on their own mount, had nevertheless formed a natural barrier through their positioning. Without any prior agreement, the two effectively occupied the racing line in front of Tokai Teio, preventing him from advancing directly.
It was not a deliberate alliance.
At least, not in the formal sense.
Shuta An understood that clearly.
Even if both horses carried the Mejiro name, that alone did not mean their jockeys would coordinate strategies beforehand. Under JRA regulations, every participant was required to ride with the intention of winning. Any clear attempt to cooperate in a way that undermined that principle could lead to penalties.
Of course, this did not mean every decision had to be interpreted rigidly as "anything short of winning is a violation." There was nuance in how races unfolded, and positioning often created temporary alignments that resembled cooperation without truly being so.
To Shuta An, the current situation was nothing more than that—a coincidence of positioning.
And it was not a problem.
"When we reach the final straight, they'll separate," he thought calmly, his gaze steady as he observed the movements ahead.
"Their understanding of Hanshin is different. One will accelerate early, the other later."
That difference alone would create the opening he needed.
"And when that happens—I just go around from the outside."
There was no hesitation in his reasoning.
For Tokai Teio, such a maneuver did not carry the same difficulty it might for others.
—
As the leader completed the first thousand meters, Shuta An made a quick estimation.
"Around sixty-two seconds."
The conclusion came immediately.
"A slow pace."
And with that realization, his thinking shifted.
"In that case, I need to prepare to move early."
At a slower tempo, the advantage of a late burst diminished. Mejiro McQueen's finishing speed, under such conditions, would not fall far behind Tokai Teio's. If he waited too long, the difference would become marginal, and positioning would decide everything.
"Better to take the initiative."
—
Unbeknownst to him, Norihiro Yokoyama had reached a similar conclusion.
From the stands, Matsumoto Shoichi watched quietly, his attention focused not on the minor fluctuations in the race, but on the overall composure of Tokai Teio.
"He looks stable," he said to Owner Uchimura. "There's no sign of discomfort."
"That alone is enough," Uchimura replied with a faint smile. "Compared to the Prix Ganay, his condition feels just as good. I'm already satisfied."
He paused briefly, then added in a lighter tone,
"To be honest, I'm starting to enjoy the feeling of winning overseas."
Matsumoto Shoichi turned slightly, curiosity evident.
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard to describe," Uchimura said, shaking his head. "But if not for the need to defend the Japan Cup later this year, I would have seriously considered sending him abroad again."
"Then next year," Matsumoto said without hesitation. "America, France, England… let him challenge the world's strongest."
He continued, his tone steady.
"Even if he loses a few races, it doesn't matter. Winning one or two overseas will be worth more than remaining undefeated domestically."
Uchimura nodded.
"That's true." But after a brief pause, he added, "In the end, we'll still have to see what Shuta-kun thinks."
"Of course," Matsumoto replied. "His judgment comes first."
—
Back on the track, the race had quietly reached a critical point.
Shuta An's attention sharpened as he noticed a subtle change ahead.
Norihiro Yokoyama's riding had shifted.
Even without a direct view of his hands, the increased motion in his upper body—the rise and fall of his waist and hips—made the intention clear.
"He's preparing to move." The realization came instantly. "He wants to break forward before the straight."
Without hesitation, Shuta An guided Tokai Teio slightly outward along the bend, adjusting her position by a few steps.
"If that's the case—I move now as well."
His original plan had been to continue marking Mejiro McQueen. But at that moment, something else surfaced.
A sense. A faint but unmistakable intuition.
"Ryan." The thought formed without conscious reasoning. "If Take isn't moving yet, then something's off."
And with that, he abandoned his initial target. Instead, he shifted his focus toward Mejiro Ryan.
—
At the front, Norihiro Yokoyama committed.
He applied pressure through the reins and seat, urging Mejiro Ryan forward. As his speed increased, he added a sharp right-hand whip, reinforcing the command.
The response was immediate.
—
Yutaka Take only realized what was happening at that moment.
"What—?"
His surprise was genuine.
"There's still distance before the straight and he's already accelerating?"
The decision was unconventional.
Risky.
And yet—he had no time to question it. Because in his peripheral vision, something else appeared.
Shuta An and Tokai Teio.
Advancing rapidly from the outside.
"He's moving too?!"
There was no time to hesitate.
Relying entirely on his trust in Shuta An's judgment, Yutaka Take immediately urged Mejiro McQueen forward as well. However, lacking preparation, he first had to allow him to adjust his stride before fully committing.
That brief adjustment—
Cost him.
—
By the time Mejiro McQueen had settled into his acceleration, Shuta An and Tokai Teio had already closed the gap.
They did not merely catch up. They flowed past him.
Seamlessly and without resistance.
In the next instant, they were already alongside Mejiro Ryan.
—
Norihiro Yokoyama felt the shift immediately.
"That fast?"
A flicker of shock passed through him.
His early acceleration had been planned in advance, carefully considered before the race began. The timing, the positioning—it had all been deliberate.
And yet, Shuta An had matched it.
No.
Not matched—arrived at the same point independently.
He did not know that this had been a spontaneous adjustment. Had he known, the surprise would have been far greater.
—
As Mejiro Ryan surged toward the front, the opening Norihiro Yokoyama had intended to create never truly formed.
Because Tokai Teio was already there.
The moment they exited the bend and entered the final straight, the difference became undeniable.
From the far outside, without regard for positioning or ground loss, Tokai Teio surged forward.
His speed—overwhelming.
In a single movement, he swept past Mejiro Ryan, opening a gap of several lengths as if the resistance ahead had never existed.
"Unbelievable!" the commentator exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment. "Tokai Teio has attacked from the far outside! Ignoring positional disadvantage entirely, he has caught and overtaken the entire leading group through sheer speed!"
The reaction spread instantly.
"What is that?" a voice from the stands exclaimed in disbelief. "He lost so much ground and still caught up that easily?"
In the VIP area, Ohira Shinji let out a quiet sigh.
"We thought McQueen and Ryan might take first and second—"
He shook his head slightly.
"but first place is gone."
Trainer Ikee remained silent, his expression unchanged, though his thoughts were far from calm.
"That's what happens," he muttered inwardly. "When you cross Shuta-kun, he won't hold back against any horse with the Mejiro name."
His gaze followed Tokai Teio as he continued to extend his lead.
"This race…is already decided."
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