Inside Tracen:
Fine Motion was blinking rapidly. Looking at the unique double ornaments on her ears, this "silly goose" didn't know what to do.
If wearing an ornament on the right ear meant turf aptitude and the left meant dirt aptitude, she'd be happy. But now it represented the gender of the real horse.
And she had them on both ears! What was she?!
In her heart, she certainly felt like a girl—after all, she was an Uma Musume.
'But what would it feel like to be a boy?'
No, no, she shouldn't be fixating on that. The key was her real-horse counterpart. Why did her real horse end up like that?
"Awawawawawawa..."
The silly goose felt dizzy. However, she was still smart.
She immediately flipped through several books and found that some individuals indeed have genetic anomalies—there is a very small probability of having dual sets of sex chromosomes.
Perhaps that was the case for her real horse.
Thus, Fine Motion immediately made up her mind: She would change her real horse's fate by completing her training goals.
She would try to let her real-horse counterpart have a single gender—as for whether it would be male or female, she'd let it choose what it preferred.
She would just give the horse a chance to choose, she wouldn't interfere too much. That was all she could do.
Fine Motion patted her head. She was very curious about what the real horse looked like. If there was a chance, she really wanted to meet it.
Of course, she also wanted to see her sister, Pilsudski, and everyone else from Tracen.
At the same time, Fine Motion noticed that her sister's ear ornament was on the right. Does that mean her sister, Pilsudski, was actually a stallion?
She planned to call her sister later to chat about this "problem."
Of course, although Fine Motion's sister, Pilsudski, hasn't been implemented by Cygames yet, they did give her a personality setting.
In Fine Motion's introduction, it mentions she has a "passionate and uninhibited" older sister.
As for why she is "passionate and uninhibited"... it's likely because in the Japan Cup race against Air Groove, Pilsudski had an erection while chasing Air Groove the whole way, crossing the finish line with spear held high to take the championship.
That is indeed a bit too "passionate."
Fine Motion kept her eyes wide, looking down with curiosity.
'Was there more information about the real horse?'
She really, really wanted to know. She found that as her understanding of the real horse grew, her soul's resonance became stronger. She felt that one day, she would meet the real horse and even run together.
That would be a beautiful scene.
Fine Motion took out a four-leaf clover she just found. She would personally give it to her real-horse counterpart when the time came.
Oh, and her favorite ramen!
She wondered if the real horse would like ramen? Her mind was filled with questions.
However... the real horse probably wouldn't be interested in ramen. Maybe she should try giving it to Oguri Cap instead?
At the Tracen Academy Pool:
Taiki Shuttle was beyond shocked:
"OH MY GOD!!!"
"Too Exciting!"
Taiki Shuttle felt this news was just too startling. She was a boy? And in the real-world, boys and girls raced together?
'That's too wonderful! What kind of scene would that be?'
"It really is shocking. And Taiki, I remember Trainer Mizuki wrote that you and Meisho Doto lived on the same farm after retirement. You were always huddled together being lovey-dovey, and there were even photos of you two cuddling together in the room."
"Actually, I used to think it wasn't a problem. Stuff like that is normal in America—it's just a friendly way for girls to greet each other."
"But... now it's completely different! You were both boys!!"
As Seeking the Pearl spoke, her eyes widened as she hit the crucial point.
She patted her head in a daze.
"I... I don't know either. Maybe there was a misunderstanding? But it's fine! It's Doto, after all!" Taiki Shuttle put her hands on her hips and laughed, not minding at all.
This is the realm of Taiki Shuttle: Gender is nothing, emotions transcend everything.
Her thinking had reached a different level.
One image could express Taiki's current state of mind: Doto, you smell so good.jpg
"I-Is that so? That's so exciting!" Seeking the Pearl was stunned, then spoke excitedly, her face actually turning red.
It turns out she's a bit of a "fun-seeker" too. She probably wanted to see a live broadcast of that.
'Just thinking about it seemed interesting!'
Elsewhere in Tracen:
Admire Vega was also stunned. She now knew her real-horse counterpart was a boy.
She also noticed that when she communicated with her "sister" during the full moon, she could vaguely see her sister's appearance... and her ear ornament seemed to be on the left too.
In other words, Admire Vega's real-horse self actually had a younger brother?
Regardless, whether it was a sister or a brother, Admire Vega would save them. She had always loved them deeply.
At Spica:
Tosen Jordan was there, murmuring:
"So several of us were boys in the real-horse world. Hard to imagine. Looking at Trainer Mizuki's previous diaries, I wonder if the real-horse Gold Ship was even more of a troublemaker."
Nakayama Festa replied: "You can question Gold Ship's gender, but you cannot question her ability to cause trouble. I bet she was even more ridiculous in the real-horse world. That's my sixth sense."
"If I ever get the chance to go to the real-horse world, come rain or shine, I must see what Gold Ship looks like." Tosen Jordan nodded seriously.
"I'm going to go give her a kick. I remember her real horse kicked mine!" She huffed.
Of course, Tosen Jordan also remembered Trainer Mizuki calling her "disabled both mentally and phyisically."
Just wait, she'd settle all those scores.
Gold Ship laughed upon hearing this. "My real horse will probably welcome me. We'll definitely get along."
However, Gold Ship didn't know that if she got close to her real horse, she'd probably be kicked into the stratosphere.
After all, he had a huge temper. He wore a red ribbon on his tail, signaling that he kicks.
Gold Ship also really wanted to see McQueen. Then a thought struck her.
"Wait, many of us aren't from the same era or the same farm. If we have a chance to go to the real-world, can we see all the horses?"
"According to Trainer Mizuki, if we went to around 1995, Teio and McQueen would be there, but we wouldn't even be born yet."
Gold Ship was indeed smart, her questions were on a different level.
"I don't know. Why think so much? We don't even know if we can go. If I saw the real horse, I wouldn't know what to say. I can't exactly tell it that I only got a 15 on my math test." Tosen Jordan started to worry.
How embarrassing.
"We'll see when the time comes," Nakayama Festa smiled. Their thoughts were all over the place.
On the other side of Spica:
Kitasan Black seemed to have discovered a serious problem. She suddenly recalled Trainer Mizuki saying that "Little Kitasan broke" three whole times.
Kitasan hadn't understood it before—what did "Little Kitasan broke" mean?
But now that she knew she was a boy, everything that was confusing before suddenly became clear.
She understood! She understood everything! She understood too much!!
She looked at her own body, her eyes beginning to tremble.
'Could it be that "Little Kitasan" was... was...'
Kitasan Black began to shiver. She understood, and because she understood, she was completely panicked.
What on earth did her real horse go through to let "Little Kitasan" suffer a fatal blow three times?!
'No! Not that! Anything but that!'
'It wasn't once, it wasn't twice—it was three times!! The pain! The pain was too much!!'
Kitasan felt like she could actually feel the phantom pain. She hadn't suffered many injuries before and thought her body was quite sturdy. Now she realized: Everything granted by fate has a price tag attached in secret.
Liberty Island, Titleholder, Equinox, and Panthalassa were still pure. The "four little ones" were still young and didn't know what it meant.
Equinox, knowing she was a real-horse boy, was searching for the differences between boys and girls.
The result she found was: "The biggest difference between boys and girls is the gender difference."
Very helpful.
Satono Diamond also realized it. However, she didn't know why Kitasan's "Little Kitasan" would suffer such a tragic battle.
'Was it a curse?'
Diamond still felt that it was fine. If it was a curse, she would be the one to break it. She stuck to her original thought.
'Kitasan, why does it keep breaking? I'll investigate with you. Worst case, we break together!'
If Kitasan's real-horse counterpart heard that, he'd probably give a thumbs-up: "Sure, sure... it's easy for you to say, standing there without the pain... we'll see what you have to say after you're on breeding duty for a year!"
Of course, Tokai Teio was also dumbfounded hearing this. She thought breaking her leg three or even four times was painful enough, but it turned out Kitasan's pain reached a whole new level.
And if she remembered correctly, Trainer Mizuki wrote that it has broken three times so far—does that mean it will break again in the future?
"Hang in there, Kitasan!"
Tokai Teio couldn't help but think about how terrifying it sounded.
'What exactly had happened to her?'
Little did they know, they would soon find out that what Kitasan had endured was far too brutal.
At this point, everyone continued reading, eager to see if Trainer Mizuki would write more about their real-horse counterparts.
Many had already begun to accept the reality of their genders in the real world and were now focused on the story of the Golden Generation—the most thrilling era in JRA history.
Special Week, Grass Wonder, King Halo, El Condor Pasa, and Seiun Sky. What kind of legendary races would they run?
The log continued:
[Returning to Special Week: Entering 1998, he faced his first condition OP race on January 6th at Kyoto Racecourse, the 1600m turf Shiraume Sho.]
[The 1st favorite, Special Week, ridden by Yutaka Take, adopted a mid-pack strategy with a late sprint.]
[However, he was narrowly defeated by a nose in a shock upset by the 14th favorite, a local horse named Asahi Creek, who was ridden by none other than Yutaka Take's younger brother, Koushiro Take.]
[Yutaka Take was completely stunned. I can almost hear him yelling "My dear little brother, what are you doing?!"]
[After being essentially "scolded" by his younger brother on the track, Yutaka Take rode Special Week again on February 6th. Despite failing to qualify through condition races, he luckily drew a spot in the G3 Kisaragi Sho and won by a massive 3 1/2 lengths.]
[It was clear that Special Week had good fortune. People joked that "the luckiest horse wins the Japanese Derby," and given Special Week's luck, he might just be the Derby horse of the year.]
[At the time, while Yutaka Take heard this as a joke, he secretly hoped it was true. He saw his potentialha, he had the makings of an absolute top-tier racehorse.]
[However, as for the Japanese Derby, Take didn't dare be certain. He had been a JRA jockey for twelve years and had yet to win the Derby even once.]
[Back then, no matter how strong a horse he rode, Take likely didn't dare claim victory beforehand. He had failed too many times in that supreme event. But this time, he was determined to break his curse alongside Special Week.]
[Of course, their goal wasn't just the Derby. With the Classic Triple Crown approaching, the goal for both jockey and horse was to sprint toward the finish line in every single race. They wanted every trophy, and they were ready to challenge the peak of their generation.]
[They continued training after the G3 Kisaragi Sho. On March 8th, after a month's rest, Special Week arrived at the Satsuki Sho trial race—the G2 Yayoi Sho. This was the first time Special Week faced off against two other legendary names of the Golden Generation.]
[In this highly anticipated G2 Yayoi Sho, Special Week went out as the 2nd favorite. The 3rd favorite was Seiun Sky, the Great Escape horse who was undefeated in two starts.]
[The 1st favorite for this race, however, was undoubtedly the most talked-about "New King" of the era, the heir to a supreme bloodline—King Halo!]
[King Halo was the son of Dancing Brave and a mare related to Sunday Silence. The weight those names carry in the racing world needs no further explanation.]
[Dancing Brave, in particular, ran countless classic battles, winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and being hailed as the strongest American-bred King of Europe in the 1980s. With a rating of 141, his victory in the 1986 Arc is still considered the most prestigious and star-studded lineup in the race's history.]
[Therefore, when King Halo appeared, the stables and the entire JRA were filled with infinite fantasies about his future.]
[It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the anticipation Tokai Teio received at his debut didn't even match one-tenth of what King Halo received.]
[If Tokai Teio and King Halo had debuted in the same race, Tokai Teio would not have been the 1st favorite.]
[To give a modern example: It's like that foal from the Equinox and Almond Eye line set to debut around 2026. Such a noble bloodline will draw unprecedented attention from the JRA and the entire world.]
[No matter who the opponents are, the moment he steps out, he will be the overwhelming 1st favorite!]
[So, what kind of talent did King Halo show before the H2 Yayoi Sho?]
[Actually, King Halo's performance after his debut was quite impressive, even delightful to his camp.]
[First, King Halo debuted smoothly at Kyoto Racecourse in 1997. His jockey was Yuichi Fukunaga, who was only in his second year as a pro but had already achieved 53 wins.]
[Under Fukunaga, King Halo was unstoppable. He won the OP Kigiku Sho and then dominated the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Juvenile Stakes by 2.5 lengths, securing his first graded win while breaking the race record.]
[Although he suffered a narrow defeat for 2nd place in the following Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes, his record of 3 wins and 1 second place in 4 starts was enough to excite his camp and put the Triple Crown on the schedule.]
[At that time, both the flourishing Yuichi Fukunaga and the noble-blooded King Halo were at the peak of their popularity.]
[Many noticed that the family backgrounds and experiences of the man and the horse were strikingly similar.]
[Yuichi Fukunaga's family was spread throughout the JRA. His father was none other than Yoichi Fukunaga, a legendary genius jockey. Meanwhile, famous JRA trainers Ko Fukunaga and Fusao Fukunaga were his uncles.]
[Jockey Hisatake Fukunaga was also an uncle, and trainer Toshi Fukunaga was his mentor and "sworn brother."]
[It was a true racing dynasty; everyone was a big name.]
[Especially his father, Yoichi Fukunaga. His reputation as a genius still lingers in the JRA today. Some say his riding style was so unique it couldn't be taught, which was a huge loss for the JRA.]
[He was the ultimate jockey: A rider with incredible learning ability, top-tier split-second calculation, fast reflexes, and flawless technique.]
[His most famous race was the G1 Satsuki Sho in 1971, at Nakayama Racecourse.]
[Riding the horse "Hikaru Imai," he used incredible skill in the final straight, spotting a gap on the front-right and instantly diving through from the inner rail. That split-second judgment still shocks anyone watching the replay today.]
[Furthermore, the young Yoichi Fukunaga was unprecedentedly popular, hailed by JRA media as the "Tamasaburo of the Turf" (referencing a Kabuki master) due to his talent and good looks.]
[Of course, while my popularity as a trainer is currently average, I'm pretty much the same when it comes to being talented and beautiful.]
[However, heaven is often jealous of genius. Yoichi Fukunaga suffered a tragic fall, and the former genius was forced into early retirement, spending the rest of his days in a wheelchair.]
[Because he never won the Japanese Derby, he passed this long-cherished wish to his son, Yuichi Fukunaga.]
[Yuichi Fukunaga was desperate to fulfill his father's dream upon entering the JRA.]
[This shows that Fukunaga was undoubtedly a "noble" of the racing world, holding many advantages over his peers.]
[And speaking of his peers, who were they?]
[As a side note, because Yuichi Fukunaga broke his leg at 18, his entry into the jockeey school was delayed by a year. He joined the 12th class at age 19.]
[Along with an 18-year-old Ryuji Wada, the JRA "twin stars" Yamato and Misaki Shibata, and the famous female jockey Junko Hosoe (the JRA's first female jockey), they were known as the "Flower Class of 12."]
[Why the "Flower Class"? Because this year produced many future superstar jockeys.]
[But why did the 21-year-old Yuichi Fukunaga get to ride the noble-blooded King Halo in 1997? It was actually a twist of fate.]
[According to Fukunaga's later accounts, the original jockey intended for King Halo's debut was Yutaka Take.]
[However, Take had already accepted a request to ride Air Groove in the Mainichi Okan. When he called trainer Masahiro Sakaguchi to decline, he asked Fukunaga, who happened to be standing there, "Do you want to ride him?"]
[And so, Fukunaga coincidentally became King Halo's primary jockey.]
[Of course, the "old man" Yutaka Take was also looking out for Yuichi Fukunaga. After all, Yoichi Fukunaga was a senior he admired who had suffered a career-ending injury, and he respected Yuichi's riding ability.]
[Had it been any other average young jockey, he certainly wouldn't have handed over the reins of a horse like King Halo.]
[If it were Uncle Wada there instead...]
[Take wouldn't have entertained the thought for a moment.]
Seeing this, many Uma Musume at Tracen found it fascinating.
When they first started reading Trainer Mizuki's real-horse notes, they were overwhelmed by names they didn't recognize:
Yuichi Fukunaga, Kenichi Ikezoe, Ryuji Wada, Yutaka Take, Mirco Demuro, Christophe Lemaire, Naritaka Tabara, Yukio Okabe, Hitoshi Matoba, and the Yokoyama dynasty.
They gradually realized that these people were deeply connected to them, sharing countless stories. As they read more, they saw the complete timelines of these people's lives.
For example, Ryuji Wada. He debuted with the "Flower Class of 12" and then met T.M. Opera O.
After Opera O retired, he struggled for 17 years before winning another G1 at the Takarazuka Kinen with Mikki Rocket—ending a 19-year drought.
He was so green at 18, and in the blink of an eye, he became a 40-year-old "uncle" still fighting in the JRA, with his son now in the jockey academy.
Or Yuichi Fukunaga. He debuted early and witnessed the Golden Generation at 21. Even in 2022, when Equinox emerged, he was still fighting in the JRA.
Riding Geoglyph, he defeated the future "Horse of the Year" Equinox in the 2000m G1 Satsuki Sho, beating the horse hailed as the fastest in the world over that distance.
Then there was Yutaka Take. He went twelve years without a Derby win. After twelve years of honing his sword, would he and Special Week finally succeed?
Oh, and Kenichi Ikezoe.
Actually, let's forget about Ikezoe—his life was mostly trials and tribulations.
From the day he started riding the Gold family, his life was destined to be different.
He was the only one who could train Orfevre to the point where even Yutaka Take wanted to try riding him, even though Ikezoe himself was almost killed by Orfevre multiple times.
Look at the horses under his name: Dream Journey, Sweep Tosho, Orfevre, Blast Onepiece, Meikei Yell, Curren Chan...
Ikezoe would probably say... life is very tough.
However, Meikei Yell is actually quite fond of Ikezoe. In the stables, she'll offer her head for himto pet. If anyone else tries to pull her back, she immediately pins her ears back and tries to bite, only wanting Ikezoe's touch.
During races, Yell-chan has a massive temper like a madwoman, but in the stable, she's quite sweet. When Ikezoe calls, she'll hesitate even while eating and walk toward him.
Verdict: True love.
She's the "Tsundere" type, the polar opposite of Curren Chan.
Inside Spica:
Seiun Sky said with a smile, "Ryuji Wada winning another crown after 17 years, Yutaka Take honing his skills for 12 years, the genius Yoichi Fukunaga ending hiscareer in a wheelchair... and the legacy of the Yokoyamas. Everyone's success truly doesn't come easily."
Rice Shower nodded gently, a smile on her face. "Rice would like to learn more about Jockey Matoba's story. I hope he has good luck and stays healthy."
King Halo laughed, "O~hohoho! As expected, I am truly a first-class racer! Being 1st favorite, I will definitely win the Classics. I'll prove my strength!"
King Halo didn't know yet that this race was the beginning of her career as a "support character" for the Golden Generation.
She would always be just a step behind the others.
Honestly, Cygames really knows how to play with people. The "Golden Generation Four" doesn't tend to include King Halo.
Is this some kind of Tracen bullying?
It's a bit ridiculous. However, Cygames had other plans. King Halo is kind-hearted and constantly encourages others, giving them strength.
So, she has her own group of "little sisters" who follow her and eat with her.
King Halo is actually very gentle. Having been constantly criticized by her mother, she knows how much that hurts. So she hides those emotions in her heart and always laughs loudly to encourage and praise others.
Even when she's the one hurting, she's the one holding the umbrella for someone else. Her strength and spirit are absolutely worthy of the Golden Generation.
Furthermore, King Halo's luck was a bit problematic. Back then, the jockey Yuichi Fukunaga really wasn't at his best yet.
King Halo even has a nickname: [Chairman of the Fukunaga Victims Association].
In 2022, if Christophe Lemaire had chosen to ride Geoglyph instead of Equinox, Fukunaga would have been Equinox's jockey.
Many people now wonder: If Fukunaga had ridden Equinox, would the pressure have made him sweat too?
At this moment, Special Week was very nervous. Looking at the diary, she whispered in her heart:
"Am I about to race against King-chan and Sei-chan? Good luck, other me!"
While Spe-chan and the others were thinking this, Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa were confused.
'Wait, did we not participate in the Satsuki Sho qualifiers?'
They would soon find out the truth. Mizuki continued writing:
[Actually, I was very confused about this too when I first got into Uma Musume. My roommate told me that in the Golden Generation, Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa were very unfortunate. Because they were classified as "foreign-bred horses," the JRA rules at the time prohibited them from participating in the Japanese Classic Triple Crown.]
[This JRA rule was gradually relaxed after 2000. So, El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder simply had bad luck, being born just before the change. If the JRA had opened the gates earlier and let them join the Triple Crown, everything might have been different.]
[But because they didn't participate, the JRA gained many other legendary stories. Perhaps the policy was meant to protect domestic-bred horses, but for legends like Maruzensky, Grass Wonder, and El Condor Pasa, being unable to join those races will always be a great regret.]
[As a side note, for Grass Wonder, he might not have been able to compete even if the rules had been relaxed.]
[Because Grass Wonder couldn't join the Triple Crown after his second year, he chose a route aiming for the NHK Mile Cup via the G2 New Zealand Trophy.]
[However, while preparing for the G2 New Zealand Trophy, Grass Wonder suffered a fracture in his right hind leg, forcing him to miss the entire third-year campaign.]
[But you can't conclude that definitely. If Grass Wonder had been allowed into the Triple Crown, he might not have been injured.]
[Everything is a "what if.']
[Regardless, the G2 Yayoi Sho on March 8, 1998, featuring Special Week, Seiun Sky, and King Halo, drew unprecedented attention.]
[But the final result of this 2000m turf race surpassed everyone's expectations.]
[Special Week performed excellently. Using a come-from-behind strategy, he defeated the 1st favorite King Halo and the 3rd favorite undefeated escape horse, Seiun Sky.]
[Furthermore, Special Week completely shut down Seiun Sky at the end. It was a total victory.]
[Seiun Sky took second, and King Halo took third.]
[At the time, King Halo's jockey, Yuichi Fukunaga, didn't think it mattered. He believed he could ride King Halo to defeat Special Week and get his revenge in the next race, the Satsuki Sho.]
[Seiun Sky's camp also learned a lesson. Trainer Kazutaka Yasuda, trying to protect Seiun Sky's condition, had specifically reduced his training volume, which led to his poor form and total defeat in the Yayoi Sho. They decided to turn up the intensity.]
[And after this battle, Seiun Sky's primary jockey was changed from Takashi Tokichi to the famous Norihiro Yokoyama.]
[The story of "Old Man" Yokoyama and Seiun Sky begins.]
[Their eyes were fixed on the first gem of the Triple Crown—the Satsuki Sho!]
[However, while they were fighting for the Satsuki Sho...]
[On November 8, 1997, a few months before the Yayoi Sho, a young bird cracked its shell, ready to spread its wings and dive off the cliff.]
[Yes, on November 8, 1997, the other peak of the Golden Generation, El Condor Pasa, debuted in a 1600m dirt newcomers' race at Tokyo Racecourse.]
[El Condor Pasa's performance in his debut was nothing short of powerful. He missed the break and fell to the very back of the pack. Even entering the final straight, he was in last place.]
[However, on that straight, he showed his terrifying strength, cleanly blowing past every other horse to win by a massive 7 lengths.]
[In this race, his final three-furlong time on the dirt was 37.2 seconds—a staggering 2.4 seconds faster than the runner-up.]
[And furthermore, El Condor Pasa pulled away from the third-place finisher by a baffling 17 lengths.]
[In his first start of 1998, El Condor Pasa participated in a 500-man class condition race on January 11th, winning by another massive 9 lengths. His first graded challenge was the Kyodo News Hai, which was moved to dirt at the last minute.]
[He lived up to expectations and won with ease.]
[Afterward, because foreign-bred horses were prohibited from the Classic Triple Crown at the time, his camp chose the New Zealand Trophy 4-Year-Old Stakes—the NHK Mile Cup route—as his spring campaign.]
[In other words, if Grass Wonder hadn't been injured, El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder would have faced off.]
[As for who would have won, it's hard to say. In Grass Wonder's debut year as a two-year-old, he was unprecedentedly powerful, even surpassing the "absolute king" of two-year-olds at the time, Maruzensky.]
[Grass Wonder was born at Darby Dan Farm in the US under the Phillips Racing Partnership. He belonged to the Silver Hawk line. Silver Hawk himself had a career of 5 starts and 2 wins, taking 2nd in the Irish Derby and 3rd in the Epsom Derby.]
[With a name like "Silver Hawk", It's clear that Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa were bound by fate.]
[In September 1996, Junichi Ito, president of Hanzawa Co., Ltd., followed the advice of trainer Mitsuhiro Ogata and bought Grass Wonder for $250,000. In November, he was transported to Northern Farm Airport in Hokkaido, Japan.]
[In April 1997, Grass Wonder entered trainer Ogata's stable at Miho Training Center. Before his debut in September, Ogata called Jockey Hitoshi Matoba, saying, "I have an interesting foreign-bred horse here; want to give him a ride?"]
[When Matoba saw Grass Wonder, he was impressed by his powerful muscles, but when he got in the saddle, he was shocked by his sheer ability. "This will be a super first-class horse," Matoba evaluated.]
[In his debut on September 13, 1997, Grass Wonder won by 3 lengths using a front-running strategy without even needing the whip. Later, in the Ivy Stakes on October 12 and the G2 Keisei Hai Sansai Stakes, he used Pace Chaser and Front Runner strategies to win by 5 and 6 lengths respectively.]
[At the end of 1997, Grass Wonder entered the GI Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes. As the 1st favorite, he used a late-charging strategy to beat the future Sprinters Stakes champion, Meiner Love, by 2 1/2 lengths.]
[His 1997 performance set a course record for a 2-year-old at 1:33.6, earning him the nickname "The Second Coming of Maruzensky" and the title of "JRA Best Two-Year-Old Colt."]
[Furthermore, Grass Wonder even received votes for "Horse of the Year" as a two-year-old—something no other horse has achieved at that age since.]
[Of course, he only received votes. The 1997 Horse of the Year title went to the "Empress," Air Groove.]
[Additionally, in the JRA's annual ratings, Grass Wonder surpassed Maruzensky with a 116 rating, a record that stood until 2017!]
[And we all know what happened next.]
[In 1998, as a foreign-bred horse, Grass Wonder was barred from the Triple Crown. He chose the same path as El Condor Pasa, but due to his injury, the epic showdown between the two never happened.]
[This injury made it difficult to judge Grass Wonder's true peak, much like many other injured horses. Based on his pre-injury performance, many wondered if he was just an early bloomer who peaked in her GI-winning debut year.]
[Some JRA fans even asserted: Even if he hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have achieved much in her classic or senior years.]
[There was regret, but people warned against overestimating him.]
[But what they didn't know was that Grass Wonder would eventually return. His miracle exists eternally.]
[To summarize: after the 1998 G2 Yayoi Sho, Special Week, Seiun Sky, and King Halo prepared for the Satsuki Sho on April 19th.]
[El Condor Pasa, undefeated in three starts, switched from dirt to turf to prepare for the April 26th G2 New Zealand Trophy. This was a fast-paced 1400m race that many saw as a challenge for him.]
[El Condor Pasa started silently, with only one thought: 'Just wait... I'm going to make you fly!!!']
[As for Grass-san, he was still resting in the stable. Besides that nickname, he was also called "The Big Yellow Ox." Back then, with his hooves bandaged, looking up while munching on grass... the nickname was very fitting.]
[It was clear that all five horses of the Golden Generation were highly regarded and had bright futures.]
[The noble-blooded King Halo, the debut-dominating El Condor Pasa, the promising Grass Wonder, and the Special Week who left Yutaka Take in awe.]
[By comparison, only Seiun Sky had a slightly poorer reputation at first, but that was about to be reversed.]
[Speaking of Seiun Sky, he truly had the hardest start. Not only was he looked down upon, he almost didn't get to race.]
[Nishiyama Ranch, where he was born, was in financial trouble. In 1995, it was taken over by the new owner, Shigeyuki Nishiyama. After reforms, he had to cut the number of stallions from 250 down to 50 just to keep the ranch running.]
[Even so, the ranch struggled. They desperately needed a savior.]
[Seiun Sky was a foal at Nishiyama Ranch with no dazzling aura. When he began training, she received no attention. Even his scheduled trainer didn't show up. For nearly a year, Seiun Sky was left without a dedicated caretaker.]
[Shigeyuki Nishiyama was at his wit's end.]
[Until 1996, a young man named Kazutaka Yasuda, who had just earned his trainer's license and needed horses to train, arrived at Nishiyama Ranch by sheer coincidence. No one imagined then that an underdog story of a rookie and an "ordinary horse" was about to begin.]
[According to Yasuda's later recollections, when he arrived at Nishiyama Ranch, he met a Seiun Sky who had "bad coat, bad condition, bad quality, bad everything"— and yet, he became his trainer.]
[By October 1, 1997, under Yasuda's careful care, Seiun Sky was transformed and joined his stable at Miho.]
[At the time, G1 trainer Yoshihiro Aoyagi saw him and gave him a high evaluation, even suggesting he debut at the end of the year.]
[However, to better nurture his racing form and ensure a flawless debut, his team chose to wait until the following year.]
[They didn't know then that Seiun Sky's legend was about to start.]
At Tracen Academy, countless girls were astonished as they read this.
Inside Spica:
El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder finally understood. They knew about the rules because of Maruzensky-senpai— the rule that kept her out of the Triple Crown— and they were no different.
El's expression was sad. Even behind her mask, she couldn't hide her disappointment.
After all, "El-chan" is a dummy who wears her heart on her sleeve.
However, seeing that she could still race made it better. What really got her was seeing Grass get injured.
'Wait, a right hind leg fracture? What does that mean?'
To be honest, when the Uma Musume first saw the logs, they thought "hind leg" meant the thigh and "front leg" meant the calf. But now they understood that since the real horses' genders were different, maybe their appearances were too?
El shook the thought away. Trainer Mizuki used terms like "mare" and "stallion," so it must be similar to humans, right?
She figured Grass had just hurt her thigh.
Grass Wonder spoke up: "It's okay, El. I will be careful with injuries. And here at Tracen, we can choose the races we like without those rule restrictions. Our job is to help the fate of the real horses."
El froze, looking at the navy blue depth and determination in Grass's eyes. Her competitive spirit ignited. She nodded and laughed loudly:
"Ha~ha~ha~ha! You're right, Grass! But I, El Condor Pasa, will never lose! The phantom bird of the race track, making her grand entrance Desuuuuu! I'll show you what true speed is!"
Grass Wonder smiled slightly: "Oh? Challenging me, El? Then let's compete."
While El was laughing, an aura began to radiate from Grass-san.
Special Week watched them with a goofy expression. She felt she had to work hard too!
Kitasan was even more determined. Knowing her real-horse counterpart was in a "dangerous" situation, she had to be at 120% alertness.
'Operation Save Little Kitasan, initiate!'
However, Seiun Sky piped up:
"Wow, isn't that a bit harsh? Even Seiun-chan gets sad. 'Bad everything'? Was I really that bad?"
"Also, I don't quite get it. 'Bad condition' and 'bad quality' I understand, but what does 'bad coat color' mean? My hair and tail? Was I malnourished back then?"
"Hey, Cheval-san, do you know why?"
Seiun Sky put her hands behind her head, grinning. She saw that Cheval Grand was socially anxious, so she leaned over to ask.
Seeing Cheval's panicked expression, she laughed in her heart. Teasing people was just too much fun.
"I... I... sorry, my education level is too low, I don't know what it means. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry!" Cheval Grand said, blushing.
Gold Ship threw an arm around Cheval Grand's shoulder and laughed. "Don't worry, the ones with even lower education are over there. They're completely lost."
Gold Ship pointed at Special Week, who was still staring intensely at the diary, trying to analyze it.
With Spe-chan's IQ, there was no way she'd figure it out.
Sure enough, a moment later, steam started coming out of her head and her expression collapsed. She was completely done for.
They eventually speculated it might be a hair and tail issue. McQueen agreed. When she didn't sleep well, she got dark circles and her hair got frizzy.
Her grandmother used to tell her her "coat" was in bad shape.
Kitasan thought so too. She loved touching Diamond-chan's tail and thought it was the best feeling in the world, but when Diamond didn't sleep well, it wasn't as smooth.
These were just guesses. Their curiosity about the real horses' appearances grew stronger. What did they actually look like?
They kept reading. Whether it was the horse news or the Golden Generation's story, it was gripping.
Seiun Sky, in particular, was paying close attention to Nishiyama Ranch. She saw the crisis and the name of the new owner, Shigeyuki Nishiyama. With her intelligence, she realized:
'This is my Grandpa in the real-horse world.'
Naturally, she wanted to do everything to help her and alleviate the ranch's hardships.
She didn't think she was a "genius" or some "savior." But if she could do something for everyone—if everyone was willing to believe in her—even someone like "Seiun-chan" would give it her all.
She loved Nishiyama Ranch and her Grandpa. She couldn't stand seeing the ranch go bankrupt.
She prayed in her heart: 'If I can win this G1, the future Nishiyama Ranch will surely last forever.'
Under the gaze of thousands of Uma Musume, Mizuki's log continued:
[On January 5, 1998, Seiun Sky debuted at 5th favorite, ridden by the unremarkable Takashi Tokichi. He started from Gate 16—the position most hated by escape horses. Yet, at the third corner, to everyone's shock, Seiun Sky suddenly accelerated, surging to first and staying there.]
[Not only that, by the finish line of the 1600m track, he led the runner-up by six lengths, slapping the faces of everyone who looked down on his bloodline.]
[In the Junior Cup, Seiun Sky was again the overlooked 3rd favorite, yet he swept the field with a five-length lead over the favorite.]
[After this, Seiun Sky became famous overnight and entered the Triple Crown conversation, gaining high popularity.]
[Although he lost to Special Week in the G2 Yayoi Sho, he still took a solid 3rd place. Combined with his previous races, many held high hopes for him.]
[The spectators of this era were lucky. They realized that this generation of horses was packed with powerhouses. They were witnessing the arrival of a great era.]
[However, they didn't know then that this generation would be called the "Golden Generation," and their battles had only just begun.]
[Time flew to April 19, 1998. The first gem of the Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho, arrived.]
[Special Week, ridden by Yutaka Take, was the 1st favorite, but his luck was poor: He drew the outermost Gate 18.]
[Seiun Sky was the 2nd favorite. Before the start, he showed his habit of hating the gate, being fidgety for a long time before finally being pushed into Gate 3.]
[I imagine that in the Uma Musume world, we'd see Seiun-chan stomp her hoof and yell: "Yada yada~~~"]
[I really want to see that.]
[King Halo was the 3rd favorite in Gate 12, looking to avenge his previous loss, beat Special Week, and get his first G1 win.]
[The 4th and 5th favorites were Bold Emperor and Divine Light respectively. Divine Light would later run a classic race against King Halo in 2000.]
[In this race, although Seiun Sky refused to enter the gate initially, his condition during the run was peak.]
[For the first 1000m, Seiun Sky held steady in 2nd place at a 60.4s pace. He didn't lose momentum in the second half, suppressing the closing kicks of Special Week and King Halo to charge for the championship and win.]
[Special Week did his best. He dropped to the back after the gates opened. Despite a furious pursuit in the final corner— running the field's fastest 3F of 36.1s— he couldn't overcome the excessive distance of the wide outer track. He finished 3rd.]
[Second place went to King Halo. He actually performed very well and avenged his loss to Special Week by a 1-length margin, but even at full speed, he couldn't catch Seiun Sky.]
[The 4th and 5th places were Emocion and Sacred Gleam. Bold Emperor was 6th.]
[The G1 Satsuki Sho ended with Seiun Sky's victory.]
[When he first debuted, no one would have thought that such an overlooked "low-bloodline" horse would one day lead a field of powerhouses like Special Week and King Halo.]
[Like a streak across the clear blue sky, he took the G1 Satsuki Sho through a Grand Escape. This was the first G1 of his career.]
[It wasn't just Seiun Sky's first G1. It was the first Classic win for Nishiyama Ranch, the first for Norihiro Yokoyama, and the first G1 for Kazutaka Yasuda.]
[This victory truly changed many fates. "Old Man" Yokoyama finally won after years of trying, the young Yasuda's hard work was rewarded, and it gave Nishiyama Ranch a real chance at a comeback.]
[Shigeyuki Nishiyama was overjoyed. In his heart, he was immensely grateful. To him, Seiun Sky wasn't some "low-bloodline" horse. He was the one-and-only genius Seiun Sky, the strongest horse in his mind.]
[He was his owner and his biggest fan. From that moment on, he believed more than anyone that Seiun Sky could achieve even greater heights.]
[They were ready to charge toward the Japanese Derby.]
[However, unlike Seiun Sky's situation, after this battle, both King Halo (2nd) and Special Week (3rd) fell into unprecedented public debate.]
[Especially King Halo. Despite his noble bloodline, he had lost three 2000m races in a row. People began to question his strength. His throne was wobbling.]
[Special Week had an excuse, his performance was good, and he had the fastest closing kick, but the Gate 18 draw was just too much. He could explain away the 3rd place.]
[Still, defeat was defeat. With the the Japanese Derby coming on June 7th, both Seiun Sky and King Halo's camps entered full preparation mode.]
[Yutaka Take was the same, but he was secretly worried. "The luckiest horse wins the Derby," but he and Special Week had drawn Gate 18. That wasn't just "bad luck," it was a complete disaster.]
[He preferred to believe in skill and the horse's performance, but he had failed for 12 consecutive years. How many 12-year periods does a man get? He told himself: "Let all the bad luck vanish in this Satsuki Sho."]
[He placed all his trust in Special Week.]
[The Derby he craved, the supreme honor of being a Derby jockey—the two of them would give everything for it together.]
[But it wasn't just Seiun Sky and Special Week. King Halo's team felt the same.]
[King Halo had lost a few key races, but his overall stats were still good: A 100% top-three rate. 6 starts, 3 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third. That wasn't a "bad" record. He still had incredible potential.]
[If he could take the Japanese Derby, his bloodline and strength would be vindicated. This race was also vital for Yuichi Fukunaga.]
[The Derby victory was the eternal regret of his father, the genius Yoichi Fukunaga. Before his career-ending fall, Yoichi had dominated the JRA's big eight races, but the Derby always stayed just one step out of reach. He never got to touch that supreme glory.]
[How could he be satisfied with that?]
[So, Yoichi passed his hunger for the Derby to his son. Yuichi was desperate to ride King Halo to victory and offer that glory to his father. After the Satsuki Sho, he dedicated himself to practice and coaching.]
[However, as described before, the Derby wasn't just their goal. Every horse of this generation was charging for it.]
[The breakout Seiun Sky, the surging Special Week... everyone.]
[Meanwhile, on April 26, 1998, El Condor Pasa shocked everyone at the New Zealand Trophy.]
[After the start, El Condor Pasa stayed at the very back of the pack. Near the final sprint, Matoba pulled him to the outside, and on the final straight, he surged forward in one breath, easily beating Meiner Love to take first.]
[It seems Meiner Love was a professional background character. In the 1997 Asahi Hai, he was beaten by Grass Wonder by 2 1/2 lengths.]
[When Grass Wonder was out with an injury in 1998 and Meiner Love's chances of winning finally looked good, El Condor Pasa switched from dirt to turf and showed up.]
[Meiner Love, a horse that would eventually win the G1 Sprinters Stakes, achieved a "special achievement" by being crushed by both Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa in succession.]
["Today, Meiner Love is not our opponent."]
[You can tell Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa share a dorm room. They really pick on the same horse.]
[At this point, El Condor Pasa was 4 for 4. On dirt and on turf, he had proven his strength and dominance.]
[Next, with an undefeated record, he would challenge the NHK Mile Cup on May 17th. His rival was Tokai Perfect (who would win the Yukan Fuji Sho G3 Crystal Cup), but on race day, El Condor Pasa was the overwhelming 1st favorite at 1.8x odds.]
[Do you know what 1.8x odds actually signify?]
[The NHK Mile Cup is a G1 event of the highest prestige, yet among such a field of strong rivals, everyone believed El Condor Pasa was a lock to win. This proves that his perceived value at the time was truly unprecedented.]
[And clearly, their judgment was correct.]
[After the NHK Mile Cup began, El Condor Pasa utilized his powerful front-running strategy, maintaining 3rd or 4th position. Starting from the fourth corner, he pulled to the outside while accelerating, surging into first place and steadily maintaining his lead until the finish line.]
[At the moment he crossed the line, a familiar commentator appeared— the young, fresh-faced Tatsuya Aoshima. Bursting with passion, he shouted the famous line three times in a row—]
["This is El Condor Pasa! The strong are truly strong! THE STRONG ARE TRULY STRONG!!! THE STRONG ARE TRULY STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!"]
[It's clear his passion was innate. Een in 1998, he understood that important things must be said three times!]
[He has continued shouting all the way to 2024, still on the front lines of JRA commentary today.]
[Previously, when I wrote about the era of Equinox, in the 2022 Arima Kinen, he was in his 40s but still as spirited as his younger self. When Equinox showed off that ultimate closing kick on the final straight, he screamed with incredible excitement at the finish—]
["The genius boy's strength applies to Nakayama just the same!!!!!"]
["This is Equinox!!!!"]
[I actually didn't realize that Aoshima was so passionate in his youth, screaming toward the heavens even back then. After Equinox finished his race and heard that, he probably raised his head and thought to himself: 'I'm the one who ran the race, so why do you sound more like the champion than I do?']
[Good grief, isn't that a bit backwards?]
[After this race, thanks to his incredible performance this year, El Condor Pasa quickly reached and even surpassed the reputation of the previous year's Grass Wonder, who also had four dominant wins in four starts.]
[Meanwhile, the current Grass Wonder is still recovering from his injuries.]
[When Cygames designed Grass-chan, they clearly referenced the fact that he was injured in his third year. In Grass Wonder's URA scenario, she becomes prone to injury, and her mood drops constantly.]
[Among the players of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, those who pick Grass-chan often plead: "Please stop getting mood-downs!"]
[Even when the friend cards are worked to the bone, her mood stays atAwful. It's truly unexpected.]
[That said, there was a small accident regarding the translation of Grass Wonder's name to the Chinese version of the game.]
[His original name is "Grass Wonder," meaning a miracle on the grass. During translation, someone accidentally read it as "Grass Wander," and the translator, after some thought, came up with the elegant Chinese name Cǎo Shàng Fēi (Flying over Grass).]
[However, by the time the mistake was noticed, the name had already spread, so they just stuck with it.]
[It's harmless, though. She's still Grass-san after all.]
[By June 1998, the Golden Generation was growing in their respective paths. As the Japanese Derby approached, Seiun Sky, King Halo, and Special Week had all achieved significant results and were ready to charge toward the pinnacle of their generation.]
[El Condor Pasa was undefeated in five starts and at the height of his fame, beginning preparations for the autumn G2 Mainichi Okan. As for Grass Wonder, despite his glorious two-year-old season, he remained in recovery due to the impact of his injuries.]
At this moment, the Uma Musume at Tracen were filled with shock.
Inside Spica:
"I didn't expect... that Sei-chan would win?"
Special Week spoke softly. She hadn't expected to draw Gate 18, the outermost slot. However, she wouldn't use that as an excuse. Anything can happen in a race.
She felt she needed to become even stronger to win.
Special Week turned her gaze toward the Japanese Derby, and her heart began to race. Her dream had always been to become the number one Uma Musume in Japan, a goal she had worked desperately toward since childhood.
It was the wish of her two mothers.
Thus, Special Week desperately wanted to win. Moreover, she knew her jockey, Yutaka Take, had worked toward this for twelve years. She hoped she could perform well.
No matter what, she would give it her all and let the results fall where they may.
"O-hohoho! It seems my overall results are quite good, but I didn't expect to lose all those 2000m races. No matter—the next race is 2400m, and I will definitely win!"
"And regarding Yuichi Fukunaga's feelings about wanting to win for his father... I feel the same way."
King Halo spoke up after seeing the logs. One of the reasons she came to Tracen was to prove to her mother that she possessed the talent for racing, so she understood Fukunaga's heart perfectly.
Currently, King Halo was still confident. She saw her failures at 2000m, but the Derby was 2400m. It was a different beast. She would not yield the victory of the Japanese Derby to anyone.
Of course, King Halo was extremely frustrated by her defeat in the Satsuki Sho. She wanted to win more than anyone to prove herself to her mother.
But since she had failed, she would hold her head high and look forward. As a first-rate Uma Musume, she wouldn't be defeated by a single loss. She believed in herself.
However, King Halo secretly envied Yuichi Fukunaga. At least Fukunaga's father supported his racing dreams, while King Halo's own mother opposed her.
But King Halo wouldn't blame her mother, even if she repeatedly criticized her under the guise of "doing it for your own good," making her heart heavy for long periods.
In her dictionary, the word "quit" did not exist. To never admit defeat—that was the mark of true class.
She wanted to say: "Look, Mother, I am also an Uma Musume of the Golden Generation, and I will take the victory next time."
Just as she thought of her mother, a message popped up on her phone. Her mother had messaged again, stating that in the world of Tracen, racing is brutal.
"Don't think victory is so simple. If you really can't do it, stop running, or you'll only leave behind the shame of defeat and a mark for people to mock."
King Halo's expression turned sad as she clenched her teeth.
She was just a teenage girl, how strong could she really be?
If she had received encouragement from her mother after taking second in the Satsuki Sho, the tears currently threatening to fall might have been tears of joy instead of sorrow.
But she recovered quickly, wiping her eyes before anyone noticed. She wouldn't wallow in failure for long, and she burst into a forced, confident laugh again.
Actually, the reason her mother was designed this way was an intentional choice by Cygames. At the time, after King Halo suffered one defeat after another in the JRA, the voices of criticism and mockery were unprecedentedly loud.
Many called him a disgrace to his noble bloodline. Her mother's remarks were merely a small microcosm of the thousands of criticisms from JRA fans back then.
However, just as King Halo said, she would not be crushed. Even if she failed, she would keep going.
She would never, ever give up.
King Halo went over to congratulate Seiun Sky. She was frustrated, but she genuinely congratulated the winner.
"It seems all the people who said you weren't good enough were dead wrong."
"Also, Sei-chan, you need to do more gate training. I thought the real-horse version of you might be better, but you're exactly the same. I guess you really are counterparts." King Halo teased.
"Nya-ha-ha! As a girl who loves freedom, being locked in a place like that is scary! But thank you, King Halo-san. The real horse might have beaten you, but since you were second, I have to be careful not to let you win next time."
"And Spe-chan too, none of you can be underestimated."
Seiun Sky spoke sincerely. She knew her own limits. If King Halo and Special Week worked hard, they would be difficult to handle.
She couldn't afford to be careless.
Looking at the diary, Seiun Sky let out a truly adorable smile.
'Grandpa Shigeyuki Nishiyama actually became my fan? It seems Seiun-chan did help everyone a little. I hope Nishiyama Ranch gets better... hopefully there's a river or something so I can go fishing after I retire. That would be great.'
'And Jockey Yokoyama, Trainer Yasuda... it seems our partnership was very happy.'
Seiun Sky hadn't realized that the Satsuki Sho was actually Jockey Yokoyama's first Classic G1 win. She had assumed "Old Man" Yokoyama was already a legend by then.
After all, the Yokoyama family flourished in the JRA later on, with both the middle and younger Yokoyamas appearing.
According to Trainer Mizuki, Yokoyama's resources were vast, meaning his achievements must have been substantial.
"My, my! Then it seems Seiun-chan was the starting point for Old Man Yokoyama and the whole Yokoyama family in a way! They won't forget Seiun-chan later, right? Nya-ha-ha☆, just kidding~~~"
"He'll become famous, take care his kids, and have many famous horses to work with. Seiun-chan forgets things a lot, too."
Seiun Sky giggled, but in her heart, she felt the Yokoyama family wouldn't forget her.
After all, she was such a cute girl. It would be their loss to forget her.
'Ahem, even if I'm a boy in the real-horse world, I couldn't have been that ugly, right? How did I compare to Spe-chan?'
'It's so unfair, Spe-chan! You have such good talent and you're so handsome. I really want to see what her real-horse version looked like.'
'But if it's a male Special Week, she should be easy to recognize...'
'I'll just look for whichever one looks the silliest and ask if it's Spe-chan.'
Her logic was sound, but in reality, the horse Special Week was a cool, handsome fellow.
If he knew he was being depicted as such a ditz, he'd probably have three question marks over his head.
Seiun Sky also really wanted to meet the Yokoyama family and Owner Nishiyama. She wondered what they would say if they saw her.
Would they recognize her?
She really wanted to go play at Nishiyama Ranch and fish for a whole day.
However, Seiun Sky didn't know that while her appearance saved Nishiyama Ranch for a time, it eventually went bankrupt anyway.
But if she were to appear before Shigeyuki Nishiyama or the Yokoyama family today, they would be beyond grateful.
As she said, she was the starting point for the Yokoyama dynasty. As for Shigeyuki Nishiyama, he would be even more excited.
To him, Seiun Sky was an absolute hero of the ranch, alongside Nishino Flower. He remained their biggest fanboy, playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby even in his old age as a dedicated fan of Seiun Sky and Nishino Flower.
Meanwhile, when Equinox read the part about Aoshima, she couldn't stop laughing. She thought it was so fun.
'When can we have a race for JRA commentators or jockeys? I want to commentate a segment!'
Her jockey was Lemaire, so she'd definitely vote for him to run.
Equinox's imagination was running wild.
Picture it: Tokyo Racecourse. Equinox is in the commentary booth. A group of jockeys enters the gates and bursts out.
Equinox starts commentating:
["The young Yokoyama has moved into the first tier! Full of vigor, he's immediately started an incredible Great Escape!"]
["Wait! Demuro! It's Demuro! At the first corner, Demuro crawled through the middle! That's a sneaky trick! Despicable bipedal! Immediate disqualification!"]
["Old Man Yokoyama is flagging! The middle and younger Yokoyamas have moved to his side—wait, what is this strategy?! Are they carrying their dad while they run?"]
["Where is Yutaka Take? Where is Ryuji Wada?"]
["Wait! Ikezoe is surging forward! It's Orfevre on the sidelines! Orfevre is chasing him from behind!"]
["Ikezoe is moving at lightning speed! He's hit the final straight! Is it Ikezoe? This speed is going to break records!"]
["He's at the finsih line! He's at the finish line!!"]
["Kenichi Ikezoe has shown his strength!!!"]
["I-ke-zo-e! Kenichi! Truly incredible!!!"]
"Under the threat of being killed by Orfevre, he has set a record-breaking pace!!"]
Of course, that was just a dream. If that group actually ran, it would be too ridiculous.
Equinox then climbed onto King Halo's shoulder. She reached out her small hand and gently wiped the corner of King Halo's eye, saying with a giggle:
"King Halo-san, getting second in the Satsuki Sho is really amazing! You worked so hard!"
King Halo froze, her heart instantly feeling warm. She almost teared up again. She hadn't heard such encouragement in a long time.
So, this little brat Equinox had noticed her emotions?
This "grandson" of hers was worth doting on after all.
"O-hohoho! Of course! After all, I am first-class! Just you watch, I will definitely win the Derby next." King Halo said seriously to Equinox.
(T/N: Please read the Author's note at the end of this chapter.)