At the Tracen Student Council:
"Rudolf, do you have any harder iron spheres here?"
Gentildonna stood with shoulder-length brown curls, her aura a mix of elegance and a slightly lazy classical beauty.
Looking at her gentle appearance, no one would believe she was one of the strongest combatants in Tracen.
She was gifted with freakish strength, she often took special training iron spheres and, using her terrifying grip, crushed spheres ten centimeters in diameter down to two or three centimeters.
Orfevre watched this, stunned and a bit frightened. Even if they were training models, the power required to do that was horrifying.
Gold Ship was right, Gentildonna was like a muscular gorilla.
Win Variation tried it herself after seeing her friend do it. After a few tries, her mood became complicated. She couldn't budge the sphere a millimeter.
'Gentildonna had the face of a noble lady but the muscles of a violent beast. How does she do it?'
A genius among geniuses. Win Variation couldn't imagine how many G1 titles Gentildonna would eventually rack up.
Despite her power, Gentildonna still couldn't elbow Gold Ship out of the way, because Gold Ship was an "Unsinkable Alien Ship" beyond common logic.
Or perhaps they were just both the "Muscular Bro" type, even if Gentildonna was a mare.
"Are you out of training spheres? I'll have more sent tomorrow," Symboli Rudolf said with concern.
"By the way, Gentildonna, is your strength still increasing?"
"Yes. My maturation isn't over yet. But I focus on well-rounded development. I'm not like Orfevre— all brawn and no brains, thinking she can conquer everything with raw force. That's the behavior of a thug, I look down on it. The power I forge is for the racetrack alone."
Gentildonna's words made it clear she viewed Orfevre as a brute. She pursued a power that included a steady mind.
Though, if people saw her slamming into Orfevre on the track, they might doubt her "non-thug" claim.
"Training harder after the logs, I see," Narita Brian noted. "Gentildonna, who do you think will stand tall at the Japan Cup?"
"Carrying the final hope of Japan, the glory of the Golden Generation, and challenging the world's strongest horse, Montjeu... it's hard to imagine the pressure Special Week-senpai felt," Gentildonna said, her eyes turning serious.
"But I believe she will win. I believe she will guard the honor of Japan and the Golden Generation. I will let this race inspire me. When the future needs me to stand up, I will give everything I have."
Just then, Symboli Rudolf received a call from Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa. It was Montjeu calling to discuss international Uma Musume exchanges.
"Montjeu?" Rudolf straightened her uniform. As the Student Council President, she handled such matters with poise and connected the video call.
"President Rudolf, sorry to disturb you," Montjeu said with a bright, confident smile. Her blonde hair and noble aura were undeniable.
"Hello, Miss Montjeu. Is that Treve beside you? The Uma Musume who will win the Arc back-to-back... and perhaps, in this world, she might even achieve a triple victory."
"France truly produces many talents."
This was Rudolf's first time seeing Treve. The quiet girl waved happily in the background, but then she slipped while on her tiptoes and fell over.
Rudolf felt a bit awkward, she hadn't expected such a beautiful girl to be so clumsy.
"President Rudolf," Montjeu continued, "Chairwoman Akikawa should have told you. France wants to hold an exchange with you. We can discuss racing culture, tracks, and even have a few matches."
"Also, to be blunt, I want to see the Japanese tracks early. Regardless of anything, I will be participating in your G1 Japan Cup to face you."
Montjeu's words carried a hint of gunpowder, as if she were declaring her inevitable victory
. Even though the logs hadn't updated yet, she was supremely confident. Defeating the Golden Generation would be the ultimate glory.
"Fine. We will wait for you at the Japan Cup. I will give you an answer on the exchange within three days. We look forward to meeting you," Rudolf replied calmly.
She knew Montjeu was strong, but Tracen had its pride.
After hanging up, the atmosphere grew heavier.
Facing Montjeu... could they win? This wasn't just about a trophy, it was about Japan's reputation. If they lost, the Japanese audience would be a laughingstock.
Everything rested on Special Week.
Mizuki's Log updates:
[November 28. The G1 Japan Cup is about to begin. To no one's surprise, Montjeu was the 1st favorite at 2.7 odds. Special Week follows as the 2nd favorite.]
[Other powerhouses include the Hong Kong King Indigenous and the English Derby winner High-Rise. There's also the "Wild Card" Stay Gold.]
[It's a field of legends, the race was unpredictable.]
[Tension spiked as people noticed the numbers: High-Rise is 12, Special Week is 13, and Montjeu is 14. They were right next to each other. The battle began the moment they leave the gate.]
[Under the gaze of 140,000 spectators at Tokyo Racecourse, the clock hit 15:20.]
[The gates flew open. The roar of the crowd shook the stadium. Special Week, Montjeu, High-Rise, and Indigenous leap out, fighting for position. The field immediately split into the Front Runner, Pace Chaser, Late Surger, and End Closer groups.]
[Leading the first group is No. 11, Embrasser Moi, setting a blistering pace for the field. The Hong Kong King, Indigenous, immediately broke out from the outside to fight for a good spot, settling into the leading group.]
[Special Week utilized his outside draw to tuck in behind the pack on the outer flank.]
[In this race, Montjeu kept a close eye on Special Week from the start, following his position and maintaining a chasing posture from behind. It was a strategy identical to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: Intending to settle the score with Special Week in the final stretch using his terminal closing speed.]
[Reaching the second corner, Embrasser Moi was still in a Great Escape. Special Week was in the mid-to-rear group of Late Surgers, while Montjeu was even further back.]
[By the third corner, Silence Suzuka's brother, Rascal Suzuka, began to close in, and the scene grew chaotic. Every horse started picking up speed. Everyone was jockeying for the best position to launch their final spurt at the last corner.]
[For a moment, it looked like the calm before a storm— a silence that was utterly shattered and exploded the moment they hit the final turn.]
[Entering the final corner, Special Week immediately began his drive, galloping at full power. Simultaneously, the three foreign horses accelerated together, and for a moment, he was neck-and-neck with them on the straight.]
[At Tokyo Racecourse, the crowd of 140,000 broke into uncontrollable, frenzied cheering.]
[At this time, Montjeu also began his acceleration, fixating on Special Week's stride.]
[But the one standing at the end was Special Week. He seized the initiative at the final moment, pulling away from the field with unbelievable sharpness and the fastest closing speed of the day to dominate the track.]
[In the end, under the gaze of 140,000 people, Special Week claimed the G1 Japan Cup title, finishing 1.5 horse lengths ahead of the runner-up, the Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Indigenous.]
[In this race, the Hong Kong King Indigenous took second, the British Derby winner High-Rise took third, Montjeu took fourth, and Rascal Suzuka took fifth, completing the board.]
[The moment Special Week crossed the line, countless JRA fans in Japan were in disbelief, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.]
[The JRA commentator also cried out— ]
["The leader is number 13!!! Special Week!!!"]
["As expected of the General of Japan!!"]
["Special Week has won!!"]
[This race completely solidified Special Week's title as the "General of Japan." From then on, whenever someone mentions the "General," the first horse they think of is Special Week.]
[In truth, anyone who wins the Japan Cup can be called a General of Japan.]
[But why is it that many people only think of Special Week when they hear the title?]
[There are many reasons.]
[First, in this edition of the Japan Cup, Japan actually had many strong horses, but almost all of them chose to avoid the race because of Montjeu's entry. They wanted to avoid a loss that might affect their winning percentage and subsequent stud value.]
[Only Special Week resolutely hoisted the flag for Japanese home-grown horses, choosing to fight as the Supreme General, unafraid of Montjeu's reputation as the world's number one.]
[More importantly, an opponent like Montjeu was truly too powerful. His exaggerated performance at the Arc and his terrifying final sprint in other races made him a rival that struck fear into others.]
[But Special Week defeated him fair and square. On such an international stage, he raised the prestige of Japanese horses globally.]
[So, while there have been many "Generals of Japan," the first one countless people think of is the Special Week of 1999, who stood alone to face the Horse of the Year, Montjeu.]
[This is also why countless Japanese Uma Musume fans, Chinese fans, and international fans love Special Week so much.]
[In fact, because of Special Week, Buena Vista earned the nickname "Junior General of Japan," showing how far this influence reached.]
[However, there were many reasons for Montjeu's defeat. First was the tight schedule, after the Arc in October, he had essentially no rest before coming to Japan. Two races in one month across two countries caused immense fatigue.]
[He also had to adapt to the unfamiliar Japanese turf, which presented many disadvantages.]
[Japanese turf uses "Noshiba Grass", which becomes hard when the weather is clear, increasing speed.]
[Foreign turf is usually "Italian Ryegrass", which has deeper roots and feels softer underfoot, making it harder to exert force and thus testing a horse's endurance and power more.]
[Because of this difference, Japanese horses hold a home-field advantage.]
[But in 1999, the difference wasn't that large. By 2024, Japanese turf had indeed become incredibly hard.]
[This is why T.M. Opera O was difficult to sell at first. His pedigree was average and better suited for foreign turf, and the races won by his sire weren't seen as prestigious.]
[And it's not just Opera O, even now, horses of the Sadler's Wells line are not very popular in the JRA.]
[I wonder if there will ever be a second T.M. Opera O found as a bargain in the future.]
[In Japan, Italian Ryegrass is considered a feature of Hokkaido racecourses, but it isn't exclusively laid there.]
[King Halo actually preferred Italian Ryegrass and hated Noshiba Grass. If he had run sprints or miles abroad, he might have achieved even better results.]
[In fact, besides these factors, King Halo had a difficult temperament. He was sensitive to heat and hated summer races. He hated getting rained on or having sand kicked in his face, so he hated rainy races.]
[If he was blocked on the inner path, he'd lose the will to run, and he was prone to losing control on the outside.]
[When Yukio Okabe first handled King Halo, he scolded the team for not training the horse properly.]
[After multiple encounters with King Halo, he lamented... "This guy has probably rarely ever given his full effort."]
[That's why King Halo is called the "Purebred Young Master." It's said that if he had even half the temperament of horses like T.M. Opera O, Kitasan Black, or Equinox, his results would have been extraordinary.]
[However, King Halo didn't always slack off. On the contrary, he had high self-esteem. It was likely because of this pride that once he realized he couldn't win, he felt the cause was lost and stopped trying.]
[Deep down, he certainly wanted to win.]
[In the world of Uma Musume, it's actually quite hard to find a girl that doesn't try her hardest in training. Off the top of my head, Gold Ship is the only one I can think of.]
[King Halo certainly isn't the type to slack off. I know she tries her hardest.]
[If she actually met her horse-world counterpart, she'd definitely give him the scolding of a lifetime.]
[I really want to see it...]
[Returning to Special Week— after this Japan Cup ended, it brought immense inspiration to the entire Japanese racing world. After all, he had beaten Montjeu by several places.]
[Some fans even remarked: "Special Week's victory is the victory El Condor Pasa left unfinished!"]
[Unfortunately, these three legendary horses only had one race against each other. If they had continued to race or switched turf types, the results might have been even more suspenseful.]
[On the day of this Japan Cup, El Condor Pasa also retired. This great horse, the leader of the Golden Generation, gave his farewell at the Japan Cup venue.]
[El Condor Pasa wore the number tag from his Arc de Triomphe run and ran from the fourth corner to the finish line, showing the fans his final run.]
[Owner Takashi Watanabe said at the trackside: "We know from the fans and others that everyone hoped El Condor Pasa could participate in the Japan Cup or the Arima Kinen, but I believe that one day, everyone will understand our decision to retire him."]
[And so, the first horse of the Golden Generation officially retired.]
[Oh, speaking of which, I almost forgot the "war correspondent" Stay Gold. Stay Gold participated in the entirety of this Japan Cup and El Condor Pasa's retirement ceremony, once again completing his role as the "companion runner" in the race.]
[After this Japan Cup, Special Week was only one step away from the feat of the Autumn Triple Crown. Having won the Tenno Sho Autumn and the Japan Cup, Special Week's team announced he would retire after the Arima Kinen on December 26, 1999.]
[This Arima Kinen would be his final race. It would be his retirement battle. Could he achieve a grand victory?]
Inside Tracen Academy, countless people were stunned watching this scene.
Inside Team Spica:
"Is this Special Week-senpai? She's amazing! I love it, I love it! I'm going to be Special Week-senpai's biggest fan from now on!"
Buena Vista also breathed a sigh of relief. She liked Special Week a lot and often raced with her, seeing Special Week win now made her happier than if she had won herself.
Is this the power of an idol?
However, Buena Vista was very confused. Why was she called the "Junior General of Japan"?
'What a strange nickname. It feels so odd.'
But she would soon understand. The super-horse Special Week from the real world was her cool and dignified father.
If Special Week won the Japan Cup and became the "General," then Buena Vista winning the Japan Cup naturally made her the "Junior General."
Maybe in the future, there would even be a "Junior-Junior General."
"Yes, Special Week-senpai... carrying everyone's expectations, daring to confront the world's number one with her firm conviction and great strength. I... I am your fan too."
Cesario was also present, grabbing Special Week's hand with eyes full of admiration as she expressed her awe.
Not just the two of them— many admired Special Week's courage and strength. This was, without a doubt, the Supreme General of Japan.
"Special Week-senpai, our hero... that running form indeed has a hint of my own heroic grace," Contrail said.
"That's just backwards, Contrail! Is there anyone else these days who praises themselves so indirectly?" Liberty Island retorted.
"With skin that thick, I'll just be jealous in advance," Through Seven Seas added.
"Hmph, calling me thick-skinned... you're all bullying me," Contrail said poutily.
"Hmm? Who's bullying you? Tell Neicha-san. I never bully children," Nice Nature said with a grin, looking like a gentle older sister.
However, anyone who truly knew Neicha wouldn't believe a single punctuation mark of that sentence.
Nature, you're the one who bullies Mayano Top Gun and Twin Turbo every day!
"Neicha-san... doesn't bully kids? R-Really...?" Matikane Tannhauser took a step back, stunned.
'How could Neicha-san say that with such a straight face? She clearly teased the kids every day... right?'
Tannhauser was starting to doubt her own reality.
"That's a lie! I saw Neicha-san tricking Mayano last time, she tricked her right out of her snacks!"
Contrail was smart and didn't fall for Neicha's act.
"Neicha-san, how can you even trick children?" Through Seven Seas issued a stern condemnation.
"Oh my, oh my, that wasn't tricking! It's because Mayano is so cute, just like all of you~" Nice Nature didn't blush or skip a beat, she was clearly a pro.
"A-Am I cute?" Through Seven Seas got embarrassed, suddenly thinking Neicha must be a good person.
Her attitude flipped faster than a book's page. One "cute" and she was instantly defeated.
At that moment, Orfevre was also there. She muttered to herself: "Speaking of which, when I was little, I used to get bullied a lot too, hmph..."
"Ah? Who would dare bully a little brat like you?" Tamamo Cross had appeared out of nowhere, catching Orfevre's muttering.
"You... when did you get here?! Wait, did you hear everything I just said?" Orfevre's face turned red.
It was all because Tamamo Cross was so short that she hadn't noticed her.
She never told anyone this because it was too embarrassing— though she looked strong now, back when she was a "ittle kid, she was often chased and teased by the other members of the Gold lineage.
Her family status was rock bottom.
It was true, the real horse Orfevre couldn't win a fight against anyone— he didn't dare provoke Tosen Jordan, Gold Ship, or Gentildonna.
He wasn't like a powerhouse like Gold Ship, who would just walk up and give Tosen Jordan a hard kick.
There's no doubt that Orfevre often comforted himself, saying stuff like "It's not that I'm a coward, I'm just being prudent. Who wants to go around bullying folks like Gold Ship does?"
Still, Orfevre did have someone he could bully: Win Variation.
He could at least mess with the hardworking and cute "Variation-kun."
Poor Variation-kun was destined to never escape being second place, though he didn't have as many runner-up finishes as Meisho Doto.
Right now, the most excited person was Special Week herself.
"The General of Japan... did I really win? That's wonderful! But, but... it wasn't my credit alone. It's because everyone was willing to believe in me and give me strength that I could defeat Montjeu."
Spe-chan was overjoyed, with a high-energy smile hanging on her delicate face. Her tone kept jumping with excitement.
She was a bit overwhelmed but deeply loved the title, feeling that all her efforts were worth it. She was lucky, and surely she would become the pride of both her mothers.
However, she racked her brain and still couldn't figure out why Buena Vista was called the "Junior General."
"Don't say that, Special Week-senpai. To do what you did... everyone is proud of you. Might is justice, and you possess a formidable power that is worth my learning from."
Gentildonna walked over.She was still idling crushing a metal ball in her hand. After watching this Japan Cup, she resolved to protect the glory of the Japan Cup herself.
And indeed she did, winning the 2012 Japan Cup by defeating Orfevre and completing a back-to-back victory in 2013.
Not only did she win the Triple Tiara, but she was also the first horse in history to win the Japan Cup twice in a row.
As a daughter of Deep Impact, her strength was terrifying.
"Thank you, Gentildonna." Spe-chan blushed immediately at the praise, it hit her right in the heart.
"Special Week-senpai is getting shy! Gentildonna Onee-san, you're so smooth," Contrail said cutely.
It was technically correct for her to call Gentildonna "Onee-san," as they were indeed siblings.
"Tch, Gentildonna," Orfevre glanced at her.
These two did not get along at all. Orfevre really wanted to see Gentildonna's entry in the log, if that woman suffered a setback, she'd be very happy.
"Contrail, make sure you keep up with your training. If you need any help, tell me, I'll do my best to assist you," Gentildonna said.
After all, she had spent time with Contrail when they were younger, though Gentildonna's habit of dragging her into muscle training had traumatized the younger girl.
Somewhere at a Tokyo fashion exhibition:
"King Halo... was her real-life counterpart's temper really that bad? But here, she's such an obedient child, she even helps me with laundry and cooking sometimes, even though she doesn't have to..."
"Perhaps raising her in Japan was a mistake. I should have taken her abroad sooner, or better yet, not let her run at all." King Halo's mother said while looking at the log.
She claimed she didn't want King Halo to race, but in truth, she followed her daughter closely. Seeing her daughter's nearly ten consecutive defeats, she didn't call to scold her.
Instead, she thought: 'After losing this much, surely she'll give up? She won't keep calling herself "first-rate" anymore, will she? Or... will she choose to continue?'
She fell silent. If such failures couldn't break her daughter, perhaps there was no need to keep trying to stop her.
She also couldn't help but wonder: 'As a mother in that world, how exactly did I raise King Halo? How did she end up with such a 'Purebred Young Master' complex? I was so incompetent!'
If she ever went to the real-horse world, she'd have to settle that problem properly.
Elsewhere in Tracen Academy:
"Dammit! What do you mean 'war correspondent'?! I'm furious!" Stay Gold was fuming, but there was nothing she could do.
She knew her own ending, she only got her G1 win in Hong Kong, which meant she was a "companion runner" for every race before that.
She was annoyed, but couldn't find a way to argue back.
Blast Onepiece, however, was dying of laughter.
"Trainer Mizuki, please, keep the Stay Gold jokes coming! The 'war correspondent' is a joy to see every time she appears!"
Stay Gold was so mad she wanted to pick a fight with Blast.
"The tables will turn one day! Don't let me find a chance to laugh at you!"
Meanwhile, at Team Spica.
"I didn't expect that El Condor Pasa would be the first of us to retire in the world of real horses. But here at Tracen, I won't retire that easily! I'll keep running, and even if it's Montjeu, I'll find a way to defeat her!"
El Condor Pasa was brimming with ambition, her victory was not something she would let be snatched away so easily.
King Halo continued to watch, her heart racing slightly.
El Condor Pasa's retirement meant their era was drawing to a close. In a corner where no one was looking, could she truly make it to the end?
She shook her head. She remained steadfast in her belief that she was a first-rate Uma Musume and that she would surely win.
As for Seiun Sky, she was feeling more relaxed. She knew she would be in recovery until the year 2000, so she could peacefully go fishing and watch the upcoming Arima Kinen as a spectator.
Special Week, on the other hand, was incredibly nervous. Because of the Arima Kinen, Grass Wonder was likely making her comeback.
She looked at Grass Wonder beside her, finding her still calm, strong, and radiating a powerful aura.
Deep down, Special Week knew that if she faced a Grass Wonder at full strength, she wouldn't have any advantage.
But the reverse was also true. She would never let Grass Wonder just walk away with the victory.
Fate had brought them together at the Arima Kinen, giving her a chance for revenge against Grass Wonder. There could only be one winner.
At this moment, words were no longer necessary.
Let the result of the final race, let the sound of hoofbeats that poured everything onto the track take the place of their conversation.
Special Week and Grass Wonder's expressions turned resolute, both eager to see what kind of conclusion the upcoming race would reach.
The Phoenix vs. The Supreme General! The legendary match of 1999!
The highly anticipated 1999 Arima Kinen!
Grass vs. Spe: Round Two, the battle begins again!
[After the Japan Cup, Special Week entered a short rest period. At the same time, Grass Wonder announced his comeback for the 1999 Arima Kinen.]
[The competition was fierce, with famous horses like T.M. Opera O, Narita Top Road, Mejiro Bright, and Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi also participating.]
[Time flew by, and it was soon December 26, 1999. The high-profile G1 Arima Kinen officially began.]
[This race was the famous second encounter between Grass Wonder and Special Week, and their final battle. It was a moment of immense significance.]
[Before the start, among so many famous names, Special Week's old rival Grass Wonder, who excelled at clockwise tracks and had beaten Special Week by three lengths in the Takarazuka Kinen, was unsurprisingly the 1st favorite at odds of 2.8.]
[However, Special Week had just beaten Montjeu by several lengths in the G1 Japan Cup, so he followed closely as the 2nd favorite at 3.0.]
[One could say there was virtually no gap between the winning probabilities of Grass Wonder and Special Week.]
[This victory meant everything to both of them.]
[If Special Week won the Arima Kinen, he would achieve the first Autumn Triple Crown in JRA history. If Grass Wonder won, it would be his third consecutive Grand Prix. A "Grand Prix Triple Crown."]
[As such, this race garnered extreme levels of attention.]
[Under the expectations of the masses, the race began.]
[After the gates opened, the pack rushed out together. As the formation unfolded, both Grass Wonder and Special Week chose rear positions during the early stage, with Special Week positioned directly behind Grass Wonder, keeping a death-grip gaze on his rival.]
[It was clear that Yutaka Take had changed his tactics. This was the exact opposite of the previous Takarazuka Kinen, he chose to save the opportunity for the final spurt for himself.]
[The race was steady at the start. Led by horses like Daiwa Oshu, Going Suzuka, and Narita Top Road, they reached the mid-stage. Stay Gold (No. 5) and T.M. Opera O (No. 11) were in the Late Surger group, while Grass Wonder and Special Week maintained their strategy, staying very far back.]
[After passing the third corner, Grass Wonder began to move forward, accelerating past horses like Narita Top Road. Seeing this, Special Week followed suit, launching a massive pursuit.]
[Grass Wonder burst into the final straight on the outside, and Special Week refused to let go. The defeat and regret from the Takarazuka Kinen transformed into a powerful closing speed at this moment.]
[However, Grass Wonder was equally determined to achieve his consecutive Arima Kinen victory.]
[The scene was chaotic, Nakayama Racecourse was deafening as the crowd fell into a state of extreme frenzy and cheering over the duel between the two horses.]
[The Final Straight!]
[Grass Wonder was still sprinting, but halfway through the straight, the gap between him and Special Week grew smaller and smaller.]
[Behind them, T.M. Opera O, Narita Top Road, and Mejiro Bright were also accelerating, but they couldn't catch up. T.M. Opera O did show a flash of closing speed, but having raced too frequently, he was already exhausted.]
[In the final moments, the last 200 meters became a death match between Grass Wonder and Special Week!]
[They raced neck-and-neck toward the finish line. Amidst the cheers of over a hundred thousand spectators, they exerted everything to cross the line...]
[And it was a finish decided by a hair's breadth.]
[The race ended. It was impossible to judge the result between Special Week and Grass Wonder, they had crossed the line almost simultaneously.]
[Although the official result wasn't out, Special Week's jockey, Yutaka Take, was very confident. Believing he had snatched the win by a narrow margin, he pumped his fist and waved his arm, riding Special Week in front of the stands to celebrate.]
[Influenced by this scene, Hitoshi Matoba also thought he had lost. He himself felt that Grass Wonder seemed a bit slower than Special Week in the final moment.]
[He could only wait for the scoreboard to announce the final verdict.]
[Third and fifth place were already posted.]
[For the 1999 Arima Kinen: 3rd was T.M. Opera O, 4th was Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, and 5th was Mejiro Bright.]
[Yutaka Take was ecstatic. This year, he had won the Japanese Derby for the first time, the Japan Cup for the first time, and now he was about to become the first jockey in the JRA to achieve the Autumn Triple Crown.]
[However, a scene no one expected occurred.]
[In the end, the scoreboard flashed the final result: The winner was No. 7, Grass Wonder.]
[After a comparison of 38 photos, he had beaten Special Week by a mere 4 centimeters. He became the third horse to win consecutive Arima Kinens (after Speed Symboli and Symboli Rudolf) and the second horse to achieve three consecutive Grand Prix victories (after Speed Symboli).]
[At that moment, Yutaka Take was stunned.]
[You can't really blame him. It's said that in this 1999 Arima Kinen, there were 38 photos used for the photo finish. In 37 of those 38 photos, it looked like Special Week had won, only in the very last one was Grass Wonder ahead. This led to Yutaka Take's infamous early celebration.]
[It's even said that except for the exact moment of crossing the line, Special Week was leading both before and after. But precisely at the finish, Special Week tucked his neck while Grass Wonder happened to lunge forward. Just like that, an incredibly important championship was lost.]
[One could say that by losing this race, Special Week lost much more than just an Arima Kinen title. What he lost far exceeded his imagination, and the impact was profound.]
[If Special Week had won this race, he would not only have secured the Autumn Triple Crown and a guaranteed spot in the Hall of Fame, but he would also have completely demolished the "El > Grass > Spe" ranking theory and undoubtedly become the Horse of the Year.]
[He wouldn't have been kept from the Hall of Fame, a situation that later affected many other horses, including Buena Vista.]
[Because if even Special Week couldn't get into the Hall of Fame, how could Buena Vista?]
[But the result was what it was. Grass Wonder won beautifully, and he left behind a famous quote: "No matter which day's Spe-chan it was, she was no match for me."]
[However, if Special Week and Grass Wonder ran counter-clockwise or over long distances, Special Week still had the advantage. It was just a pity he couldn't challenge Grass Wonder again.]
[Furthermore, Yutaka Take has to take some responsibility for this race. His bad habit has always been there: Accelerating too late. From Special Week's Kikuka Sho, where he failed to catch Seiun Sky due to late acceleration, to this Arima Kinen, he was at fault.]
[Even later, with Deep Impact losing to Heart's Cry, it was also due to late acceleration.]
[In a much later race, where he rode Do Deuce in the Classics, his performance was even more of a war crime.]
[He has actually improved a lot and truly deserves the title of the JRA's genius jockey— the genius among geniuses— but there are always regrets. If he didn't have this flaw, his tally of honors would likely be even higher.]
[After missing this chance, he has never achieved the feat of an Autumn Triple Crown jockey to this day.]
[Instead, Ryuji Wada became the first jockey to claim the Autumn Triple Crown.]
[Grass Wonder stood at the end, their duel ended with Grass Wonder's complete victory. He was truly the "Spe-Slayer."]
[In the Horse of the Year voting that year, Special Week— with three G1 wins and two runner-ups— received the highest number of journalist votes, but because it didn't reach half, the decision went to the committee.]
[Ultimately, the Horse of the Year title was given to El Condor Pasa, the runner-up of the Arc de Triomphe, while Special Week and Grass Wonder both received the JRA Special Award.]
[In reality, this result caused significant controversy. After El Condor Pasa was inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame in 2014, Special Week's reputation as the "perpetual second" for the Hall of Fame and other top awards was completely solidified.]
[So, Spe-chan was indeed full of regrets. He defended Japan's honor but lost almost all supreme titles because of 4 centimeters.]
[But Special Week's mother likely didn't care about those things. Spe-chan would always be his mother's pride.]
[On January 5 and 6, 2000, Special Week's retirement ceremonies were held at Kyoto and Nakayama Racecourses respectively. Subsequently, he headed to Hokkaido to begin his life in retirement.]
[On February 3, 2017, Special Week retired from stud duties and returned to his birthplace, Hidaka Taiyo Farm, to spend his final years in peace.]
[With this, the Golden Generation's Special Week and El Condor Pasa had both completed their retirements.]
[The "Overlord of the Century's End" T.M. Opera O, Admire Vega, and Narita Top Road began to emerge. However, Admire Vega fell like a meteor, and our Doto was about to have a historic meeting with T.M. Opera O.]
[At this moment, Ryuji Wada was worrying about the future.]
[At this moment, Yutaka Take didn't know he was about to face the reign of the Overlord.]
[At this moment, Fukunaga didn't know that, perhaps through a cruel twist of fate, he was also about to face a race he would never forget for the rest of his life.]
[The gears of fate continued to turn quietly...]
Countless people saw this, and their hearts could not be stilled for a long time, as if they themselves had been the ones racing instead of Special Week and Grass Wonder.
Somewhere in Tracen Academy.
"4 centimeters? That's even more regrettable than my 7 centimeters."
Air Shakur was filled with mixed emotions as she read the log.
Sometimes racing is just like that— when pushed to the absolute limit, it comes down to a hair's breadth.
But she felt Special Week was different from her, she had calculated everything yet couldn't cross that 7cm barrier, whereas Special Week's 4cm still felt like something that could have been surpassed.
However, Air Shakur was also thinking: 'Is the Hall of Fame the supreme honor of the real-horse world? If one fails to get in, it truly is a pity.'
Having read so much, Air Shakur was overwhelmed with emotion. She felt as though she had witnessed the passing of the torch through various eras.
Around 1984: The era of Katsuragi Ace, Mr. C.B., and Symboli Rudolf.
Around 1988: The era of Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One.
Around 1992: The era of Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Nice Nature, and Daitaku Helios.
1993: The emergence of Narita Brian, Mayano Top Gun, and Sakura Laurel, featuring the brilliant duel and the moving story of the "faded cherry blossom" at Nakayama.
Around 1998: The story of the '95 Golden Generation, which was incredibly moving.
Around 2000: The emergence of the Overlord of the Century's End— T.M. Opera O, Meisho Doto, Narita Top Road, and Admire Vega.
Around 2005: The era of Deep Impact's dominance.
Around 2007: The emergence of the Two Empresses.
Around 2010: Orfevre, the miraculous Triple Crown horse of the earthquake year, hailed as one of the JRA's most perfect horses.
Around 2012: Gold Ship and others wreaking havoc.
Around 2015: Kitasan Black, Duramente, Satono Diamond— countless famous horses emerging.
Around 2022: Equinox, the world's number one horse, leading the way along with Titleholder, Liberty Island, and Efforia.
Air Shakur loved recording data. She knew she had seen countless stories, but she also understood there were many eras of horses she didn't know yet.
She looked forward to Trainer Mizuki writing more.
Of course, she also wondered which era she belonged to, and who would her rivals be.
Inside Team Spica.
Contrail glanced at Grass Wonder. The title "Spe-Slayer" was no joke. Spe-chan really did have bad luck in that race, but it also proved Grass Wonder's immense strength.
Maybe Special Week was just destined to never beat Grass Wonder. It was a true natural counter.
"Regardless, it was a legendary match. Both will be remembered. It seems Grass Wonder was the one who stood until the end," Admire Vega said.
"A-wa-wa-wa-wa..." Meisho Doto's heart ached for Spe-chan.
Since she was always coming in second herself, she understood the feeling perfectly.
'Only one step away from the Hall of Fame and those supreme honors... no, even closer than a step. Only 4 centimeters...'
Meisho Doto felt that such a regrettable second place would likely never be forgotten.
And it was true. While people generally only remember the winner, there are two exceptions:
1: People only remember the winner, unless you are always second.
2: People only remember the winner, unless you celebrate too early.
Doto and Spe-chan had seemingly covered both categories.