At Tracen Academy, it wasn't just the peerless Orfevre who was shocked. Even the usually boisterous Gold Ship was at a loss for words.
Gold Ship's mind usually worked in mysterious ways.
When she found out McQueen was her "grandpa," her first reaction was that it was hilarious.
She'd often play the "fragile maiden" to annoy her "cute grandpa," nearly giving McQueen a breakdown multiple times.
McQueen was adorable. Kicking her was like kicking a big fat marshmallow, and despite the weirdness, she tried to show "grandfatherly" affection.
But Stay Gold?
Gold Ship knew if it were Stay Gold, that wouldn't work.
Stay Gold was even crazier than her children!
Who had ever seen a father more unhinged than their own kids?
Stay Gold was the ultimate collection of "difficult temperament" factors: Biting horses, refusing training, veering, late starts, attacking people, and general rage.
She was more absurd than Gold Ship, Orfevre, Nakayama Festa, and Blast Onepiece combined.
Gold Ship thought:
'As crazy as I am, I don't chase Special Week around trying to bite her butt, and I don't give up a championship mid-race just to bite someone's tail!'
'Stay Gold prioritized attacking other Umas over winning G1s.'
Gold Ship had a sudden epiphany. "I get it now. Stay Gold... you're the source of all evil!"
"It was you! My gate issues, my 'high-stepping' antics, Orfevre's ridiculous veering and her habit of trying to kill Kenichi Ikezoe, and Nakayama Festa's temper— we all inherited it from you!"
Gold Ship's sharp mind connected the dots to the "Golden Bloodline" mentioned earlier.
The source of it all was the "Golden Dad" standing right in front of them!
"This is really..."
Beside Gold Ship, Gentildonna was so startled she accidentally crushed the iron ball she was holding into a pancake.
She never expected Orfevre to be Stay Gold's child, along with Gold Ship and Nakayama Festa.
But then Gentildonna wondered...
'If they are all Stay Gold's children... who is my father? And whose mother am I? Who sired me, and whom did I sire?!'
She couldn't wrap her head around the idea. She just realized that everyone around her could be her parent or her child.
It was bizarre.
But Gentildonna, don't you worry. Your father is a name that strikes fear into the JRA— a monarch standing at the peak, looking down upon all creation.
Her father is the legendary Deep Impact!
The Deep Impact bloodline continues to dominate JRA history to this day, even expanding its influence across the globe.
The impact it brought to Japan is far from over.
Nakayama Festa wore a similar expression— she was trying to play it cool, but the shock on her face betrayed her.
She actually liked Stay Gold quite a bit because they got along well, but her reason for being startled was the same as Gold Ship's: Stay Gold was truly more unhinged than all of them.
What kind of father is crazier than their own children?
Nakayama Festa had some self-awareness, she knew she had a gambler's temperament, but she had mellowed out a lot after meeting her trainer.
As for Stay Gold?
Her personality could be summed up in three words: "Fight, feel good!"
Festa found it hard to reconcile the most chaotic girl in Tracen, Stay Gold, with her real-world father.
Furthermore, she, Gold Ship, and Orfevre were actually siblings?
Based on debut dates, that made her the "Big Brother"— the eldest among the three.
Thinking of it this way, Nakayama Festa suddenly straightened her back, feeling that this arrangement was actually quite excellent.
According to Trainer Mizuki's log, Orfevre was older than Gold Ship, which meant Orfevre was her younger brother.
As for Gold Ship?
She was the youngest of the three. Once Festa's perspective shifted, she started grinning.
Being the boss of the trio felt pretty good.
As for Orfevre, she recalled her childhood, when Stay Gold would often take her along for crazy stunts that terrified her young heart.
She suddenly felt a bit worried: How did Stay Gold actually raise the three of them in the real world?
Their "Dad," Stay Gold, had eyes sparkling as she declared:
"I see! No wonder Orfevre, Nakayama Festa, and Gold Ship are all so powerful. They must have inherited my strength and becoming as strong as me!"
In one sentence, Stay Gold managed to praise her kids while making it all about herself.
Stay Gold immediately pulled Orfevre and Gold Ship into her arms, resting her head on Festa's shoulder.
For a moment, it was a very touching scene.
Stay Gold was marking her territory, excitedly telling everyone: "See these? These are my great kids! Together, the four of us have won a total of 14 G1s, hahaha!"
From now on, Stay Gold could hold her head high. Who dares call her the "Silver-Medal Collector" now? She and Orfevre combined for 7 G1s!
She and her three kids combined for 14 G1s!
"The four of us are truly amazing!"
However, Stay Gold's bloodline was indeed absurd.
His grandfather was the irritable old man Halo, his father was the temperamental Sunday Silence, his mother was the fierce Golden Sash, and his uncle was the hot-blooded Soccer Boy.
It was practically a novel waiting to be written:
"The Uma Musume Who Put All Her Skill Points Into Rage Because She Was Afraid of Being Too Kind!"
Meisho Doto was timid as usual, stuttering: "A-wa-wa-wa! Then it's over! Does everyone in my family stay timid and lacking in confidence like me?"
"What... what should I do, T.M. Opera O-san!"
Opera O laughed: "Ha— hahahaha! Don't worry, Doto! You've grown to be quite formidable. As one of the shining leads in my opera, you are a radiant star!"
Deep Impact added a rare comment: "The Gold family is a special case... but their stories truly are one more absurd than the last."
"Haha, I know this, I know this!" Kitasan Black was there too, her eyes sparkling as she listed the Gold family's "shining" achievements:
"For example, Stay Gold-senpai tried to turn her head and bite Special Week-senpai twice during the '98 Japan Cup! It's said that because of that, she forced out 'the strongest Spe-chan,' making Special Week run an S-curve in a high-stakes G1 race just to get away!"
"And Stay Gold-senpai's debut race! Supposedly, she ran all the way to the outside rail by herself, trying to kill her jockey. She got banned for three months and only continued after passing a re-test!"
"Also, for a long time, Stay Gold-senpai would only take 2nd place in G1s and G2s. Later it was found out she just liked biting the butts of the horses in front and had no interest in being the champion!"
"And Gold Ship-san is very interesting too. Especially the 12.1 billion yen 'high-kick' at the Takarazuka Kinen!"
"And Orfevre-san had a hilarious moment at the Kyoto Daishoten too! She thought the race was over after the first lap and slowed down, only to realize the race was still going!"
"Orfevre also has a history of trying to kill her jockey, Kenichi Ikezoe. But Orfevre was incredibly strong and even went to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
"Sadly, she veered inward at the end, hit the railing, and lost in a massive upset to Ireland's Solemia."
"Nakayama Festa-san is the same, it's said she'd kick her jockeys too. But compared to Gold Ship and Orfevre, she was already the well-behaved one."
Kitasan Black was chatting happily, but she didn't notice the expressions on the Gold Family's faces.
The Gold Family Quartet unanimously decided: This kid knows too much to be left alone.
Kitasan Black immediately froze, sensing the atmosphere shift. She waved her hands frantically, her social IQ kicking in:
"Ahem! No, no! I wanted to thank you! Because... because think about it! It's because you were there that so much joy and laughter was brought to this boring world!"
Orfevre, being somewhat simple, found this explanation much more pleasant and forgave her, but Gold Ship wasn't fooled.
She rushed up and put Kitasan in a headlock: "Hmph! Orfevre is a dummy, but I don't believe a word of that! Let me punish you. 'Bringing laughter'? You mean mocking us, right!"
Of course, Gold Ship and Kitasan Black were just playing around. Gold Ship wouldn't actually hurt little Kitisan.
Although considering the kind of stuff Kitisan goes through in the Anime... it's unclear if Gold Ship even can hurt Kitisan.
Orfevre, unhappy at being called a dummy, turned red. She was completely flustered.
Even though Gold Ship was the youngest of the three, she was the smartest.
It was extremely embarrassing for her.
At that moment, Tosen Jordan laughed.
"But out of the three of you, one of you couldn't even get in the top ten at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, right?"
Jordan was grinning. Having been teased by Gold Ship for so long, she finally found an opening.
Orfevre was also happy inside. She couldn't win an argument against Gold Ship, so she welcomed Jordan joining the fray.
Meanwhile, Neo Universe, Zenno Rob Roy, and Air Shakur watched the drama unfold.
Gold Ship paused, not expecting Jordan to have this card up her sleeve.
But she remained shameless, coolly stating:
"Ahem, the one who lost the Arc was 'Gold Ship.' What does that have to do with me, 'Golshi'?"
Gold Ship's defining trait was her thick skin. Even Tosen Jordan was at a loss for words.
Laughter filled the air, and even Jordan and Gold Ship eventually smiled.
Though Gold Ship messed around with Kitasan, deep down she actually agreed with what the girl had said.
After all, her motto for running was this: "If my existence can bring a little happiness to everyone, then that's wonderful."
Meanwhile, in America:
"Hahaha! I'm dying! I spit my cola all over Seabiscuit's face!"
Sadler's Wells couldn't stop laughing.
At first, she didn't care much about Stay Gold having three kids. She knew Mizuki was writing about bloodlines, and having three notable children was normal.
But once she saw the names clearly, she lost it.
A veering Orfevre, a high-kicking Gold Ship, and a temperamental Nakayama Festa— every one of them was an eccentric!
Stay Gold, as the "Golden Dad," was truly unmatched when it comes to raising troublemakers.
"At least it was just cola," Secretariat appeared, also laughing uncontrollably.
"By the way, I noticed something," Sadler's Wells said, suddenly acting serious.
"When Trainer Mizuki wrote about Orfevre earlier, she mentioned she was part of the 'Gold' lineage. We thought it was just a family, but now we know it's direct blood."
"So... do you remember who is in my Sadler's Wells lineage?"
Secretariat's laughter stopped. She looked at Sadler's Wells, her heart racing.
After a long silence, she whispered: "You mean... the World King of Horses... Frankel!!!"
In an instant, the American Uma Musume fell into a profound silence.
They had been so entertained by the Gold family that they hadn't immediately connected the dots.
Flightline swallowed hard.
Was the most legendary horse in history, Frankel, actually the child of Sadler's Wells?
Of course, having Sadler's Wells blood didn't necessarily mean being a direct child— it could be a grandchild.
But given Mizuki's log, the possibility was high. And even as a grandchild, it was incredible.
Furthermore, the Sadler's Wells line included the "Overlord of the Century's End," T.M. Opera O, in the JRA.
While there was a gap between Opera O and Frankel, it proved the absurdity of the bloodline.
But why was one child in England and another in Japan?
"That Frankel..." Seabiscuit murmured.
It was a terrifying thought. Could it be a namesake?
But among registered horses, there was only one Sadler's Wells of this caliber.
If she was Frankel's father, it was staggering.
In truth, Sadler's Wells was actually Frankel's Grandfather.
If Sadler's Wells was the grandfather, then who was the grandmother?
They could never have guessed that she was the most legendary broodmare in history, Urban Sea.
She didn't just give birth to Frankel's father, but she was also the mother of another world-peak horse, Sea The Stars.
Flightline said excitedly: "Unbelievable. If this is true, you have to bring Frankel over. I want her to know that if I get serious, I'm also someone who can't be surpassed."
She knew Frankel was hailed as the "king" of racing, with a record that was unprecedented.
Flightline respected that, which was exactly why she wanted to challenge her.
They kept reading, as many international horses wondered if Mizuki would mention them next.
They guessed that in less than a month, images of the real horses would appear, and they might even see themselves racing.
They were curious about the jockeys and owners too. No matter how much they learned, they wanted more.
In Tracen, Yayoi Akikawa was nervous. Was her turn coming next?
She felt it might not be quite yet, since the Gold family and the Sunday Silence line still had much to explore.
Mizuki's log continued:
[The Gold family, to be honest, isn't something an ordinary JRA jockey can handle.]
[Famous jockey Kenichi Ikezoe said: "Indeed, riding such a horse isn't for the faint of heart. But if you do survive the first one and think it's finally over, you'll find you've been labeled as a "specialist for difficult horses." From then on, all the difficult horses are yours."]
[Among all of Stay Gold's children, the strongest was Orfevre. He was nearly perfect.]
[And although Orfevre couldn't beat Treve, in the 2013 evaluations, the 5-year-old Orfevre's rating was still very high. His Timeform Rating reached 129, higher than his 127 in 2012.]
[The reason was that although he lost to Treve in 2013, he gained immense recognition in Europe.]
[Europeans knew that in the Arc, the weight carried by a 5-year-old Orfevre was quite heavy, while Treve, as a 3-year-old filly, had a massive weight advantage.]
[For Orfevre to carry that weight gap and run against a terrifying Treve like that was impressive. So Europe gave Orfevre a TL of 129, while Treve was 130 that year.]
[In comparison, what was Treve's score when she was 5? It was 126.]
[You can see how much weight that 129 for a 5-year-old Orfevre carried.]
[However, Treve's score was low at 5 because her domestic performance that year was poor, she only exploded in the final Arc but failed to get the three-peat.]
[Conversely, the 5-year-old Orfevre was not only 2nd in the Arc, but in his retirement race at the Arima Kinen, he won by a staggering 8 lengths.]
[That Arima Kinen win really boosted his score, though at her peak, Treve was indeed hard to beat.]
[There's an interesting phenomenon: Most European horses peak in rating at ages 3 or 4 and decline at 5, while many Japanese horses peak at 4 or 5 and are lower at 3.]
[Because Japanese 3-year-olds are busy with the Triple Crown and the Arima Kinen and don't race abroad, Europe doesn't give them high scores.]
[In Europe, 3-year-olds race internationally everywhere. In Japan, they develop at home during the classic year, and start international campaigns at 4.]
[At 4, they take the weight debuff of a senior horse, and by 5, their physical peak might be sliding while they take even more weight.]
[In those conditions, the difficulty of the Arc naturally rises.]
[However, this doesn't mean a Japanese 3-year-old would definitely win the Arc. The strength gap between a senior and a classic horse is large, and the weight allowance is fair.]
[But for the 5-year-old Orfevre to run like that against Treve was truly powerful.]
Tracen Academy:
"Orfevre's 5-year-old season was truly impressive. Winning her last race by 8 lengths... that's the second-largest margin in Arima Kinen history," Symboli Kris S said quietly.
"If 8 lengths is only second, I wonder how strong the first place was," Tap Dance City marveled.
'To pull a 9-length gap in a G1 race... is that person a monster?'
What Tap Dance City and Symboli Kris S didn't know was that in 2003— their era— they both set staggering 9-length G1 margin records in the same year.
If the ones who took the baton from Opera O's generation in 2001 were Jungle Pocket, Agnes Tachyon, and Manhattan Cafe, then the ones who shone brightest in 2003 were Symboli Kris S and Tap Dance City.
Tap Dance City was a late bloomer in 2003.
He exploded in the Japan Cup and, to everyone's shock, set a record-breaking 9-length victory margin.
And before the shock could fade, another thunderbolt struck. In the 2003 Arima Kinen, Symboli Kris S reigned supreme.
In the final sprint, he unleashed a speed that defied belief, pulling a terrifying 9-length gap on second place before 100,000 screaming fans, breaking the Arima Kinen speed record previously set by Dai Yusaku.
Fans of the JRA back in 2003 were likely staring at their screens in disbelief— didn't they just see this exact scene a month ago?
The stories of Symboli Kris S and Tap Dance City became one of the JRA's most classic legends.
There was another story about Symboli Kris S: He was the second famous horse to be sent to auction because his coat was "too dark," only to be passed over because no one believed in him.
The first horse to suffer that fate was, as mentioned before, Sunday Silence.
"Treve's peak... who says I can't defeat her?"
Orfevre took a step forward. She acknowledged Treve's strength, but on JRA soil, she didn't believe she would lose.
"Treve, you are indeed powerful. You pushed me into such a corner at age three and sent me home defeated from the Arc. But, just as Special Week defeated Montjeu, I will make it so you can only see my back!"
Katsuragi Ace asked, "Air Groove, have you seen Orfevre's recent training?"
Air Groove nodded. "Her running is the same as always— beautiful to the extreme and practically flawless. But now, after reading the diary, her stride is more aggressive, sharper than ever."
Katsuragi Ace laughed.
"Yeah, if even someone as strict as you says so, Orfevre has truly improved. Now, I actually believe she has a chance to beat Treve. I'm really looking forward to their race."
Air Groove replied, "She is an Uma from our Tracen Academy, after all. At this point, of course I believe in her."
Katsuragi Ace nodded. "Naturally. Nothing is impossible. Back then, no one believed I could defeat Symboli Rudolf and Mr. C.B."
On a plane from France:
"Treve, going to Tracen Academy this time... are you confident?" Workforce asked.
Orfevre's strength was terrifying, and this time they were on Tracen's home turf. They had the example of Montjeu's failure before them.
A win wasn't guaranteed.
A smile appeared on Treve's face.
"Don't worry about me. She's not the only one who has improved. We'll land in about five hours, right? I'm looking forward to it."
They continued reading. Mizuki's log proceeded:
[Of course, Stay Gold had one most important son: the "Big Brother," Dream Journey.]
[In truth, without Dream Journey, Stay Gold would never have received the JRA's attention, and the "Golden Spirit" would never have been passed down.]
[If Dream Journey hadn't won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in 2006, and the G1 Takarazuka Kinen and G1 Arima Kinen double Grand Prix in 2009, Stay Gold's value would never have been realized.]
[Gold Ship and Orfevre would simply never have existed.]
[That is why countless fans of Gold Ship and Orfevre hold "Big Brother Dream Journey" in such high respect.]
[You could even say that if there's no Dream Journey, there's no Golden Bloodline, and no "Ikezoe's Diary of Suffering."]
[Because of Dream Journey's success, Mejiro McQueen's daughters were sought out by McQueen fans from all over the world.]
[But there's something absurd about Dream Journey: He was so crazy that you could never figure out if he was an early-bloomer or a late-bloomer.]
[You'd say he's late-maturing, but he hit his peak at debut by winning the Asahi Hai FS. You'd say he's early-maturing, but then he won the GP double in '09.]
[Truly the hot-tempered Big Brother of the Gold family. his whole life was pure entertainment.]
[Many people say that with Dream Journey's top-tier temper, if he found another aggressive mare and had a child for Kenichi Ikezoe to ride, it would be hilarious.]
[The public consensus, however, is: "Let Ikezoe go. The man just wants to ride a horse, you don't have to try and kill him."]
[As the Golden Bloodline continued, the most enthusiastic one about "passing it on" was Gold Ship. His "hit rate" and efficiency were maxed out.]
[Unlike Special Week, who didn't seem to care much for that sort of thing, Gold Ship was delighted by it.]
[Of course, there is another even more terrifying branch of Sunday Silence's bloodline: The one named Deep Impact.]
[Speaking of Deep Impact, I still feel a bit of regret— he truly passed away in his prime.]
[And not only did Deep Impact die young, looking at the real-horse data, I see one of his daughters died young as well. That daughter is Snowfall.]
[After her debut, she won the 2021 Epsom Oaks, the 2021 Yorkshire Oaks, and the 2021 Irish Oaks. Three Oaks G1s in one year... it was a display of absolute talent.]
[Even more shocking, Snowfall won the 2021 Epsom Oaks by an overwhelming 16 lengths! After the "Queen of Mares" Treve and Enable, many believed this filly from England would become the next Queen at the world's peak.]
[However, like her father Deep Impact, she passed away too soon— and not from a racing injury.]
[In 2022, while Snowfall was sleeping against a wall, she turned over, got stuck, panicked, and hit her head, leading to her death.]
[You could say it was a tragic, bizarre accident similar to Seiun Sky's. At least Seiun Sky had retired, but Snowfall hadn't even reached her peak.]
[If she hadn't left early, she would be in her absolute glory today.]
At Tracen Academy, everyone was stunned.
"Wait, I'm not the Big Brother? Dream Journey is?" Nakayama Festa was dazed.
But she didn't understand— what did it mean that Gold Ship and Orfevre were born because Dream Journey performed well?
Stay Gold explained, "Maybe because Dream Journey won races and helped with the family expenses, we had the money to keep having kids. Dream Journey, my good son!"
Dream Journey was fuming. She hadn't been paying attention for one second and her seniority had already dropped, yet she couldn't find a reason to argue because it was technically true.
Gold Ship started her "delicate maiden" act again.
"Arigato, Dream Journey~"
Dream Journey: "I think you should control yourself, Gold Ship-san."
Gold Ship knew Dream Journey was "all bark and no bite," so she wasn't scared at all.
Being the genius she was, she never messed up, and within a few rounds, she had skillfully made Dream Journey lose her cool.
By now, almost everyone had gathered, and intense discussions about the log broke out.
"But I have a question. What does Dream Journey's performance have to do with my daughter?"
Mejiro McQueen was suddenly worried. She did have a "daughter," since Gold Ship was her grandson, but she found it strange— why were her fans looking for her daughter?
She couldn't figure it out, but eventually decided that since they were her fans, they wouldn't make her daughter do anything weird, right?
Or else she, as the "Grandpa," would have to give them a beatdown.
Mayano Top Gun asked curiously, "It says here that Gold Ship was 'delighted' by 'that kind of thing' and her hit rate was maxed out. What 'kind of thing' is it?"
Nice Nature understood immediately. She coughed, blushing slightly.
"There are many explanations for that, Maya... I'll tell you when you're older."
Maruzensky suddenly realized, "Could it be... ahem, actually, I don't really know, don't ask me."
Mejiro Ramonu just hummed.
As for Special Week, she truly didn't understand, but the group didn't dwell on it and quickly moved on.
However, when they saw the content regarding Deep Impact and Snowfall, they were so shocked they couldn't say a word.
Snowfall wasn't in the JRA, but they had heard of her. They never expected she would die in such a way.
Fortunately, with the "Training Goals" now in place, there would be help.
They knew Deep Impact had died young, but they hadn't expected the father and daughter to share such a fate.
"G1 Epsom Oaks, crossing the line by 16 lengths... just how strong was Snowfall?" Gentildonna asked.
Being a mare herself, she paid more attention to the fillies. She knew that in the JRA, Orfevre's 8-length lead in the Arima Kinen was the second-best record in history.
But Snowfall had pulled a 16-length gap in a G1. Gentildonna was left speechless.
Almond Eye felt the same. If she had raced Snowfall, what kind of pressure would she have felt?
And that was only Snowfall's first year— how strong would she have become if nothing had happened?
Almond Eye wondered what her own chances would have been.
She became fired up. She didn't want to deny her own strength, but she desperately wanted to race Snowfall. The world was truly vast.
She wanted to be like her idol, Lord Kanaloa, traveling to a wider world and leaving her hoofprints in every corner.
Seiun Sky was stunned too. She hadn't expected Snowfall to be even more careless than herself.
Fortunately, this was exposed early.
At the same time, she was curious: Mizuki said Deep Impact's bloodline was even more exaggerated— what kind of progeny did she have?
She knew it had nothing to do with her, as she was much older than Deep Impact, but she looked forward to what was next.
In England:
"Snowfall reached such a level in 2021? Good, very good."
Enable was shocked.
Enable's own strength was legendary. When Snowfall put up those numbers, people only said she might have the potential to challenge Enable, as three Oaks G1swere still not enough to match Enable's record.
This showed just how powerful Enable was.
But now, Enable was happy to see such talent.
As a British Uma Musume, she understood the importance of generation-to-generation succession. She had been waiting for the next British star to emerge while watching horses like Equinox climb to the top of the world rankings.
Now, Snowfall was finally here. In this timeline, she would never let Snowfall fall and hit her head.
But she still had to wonder...
'Is this girl a bit dumb? How do you scare yourself into hitting a wall while turning over in your sleep?!'
'If you can't handle it, come sleep with me!'
"If Snowfall had grown properly until 2023, she might have stolen a lot of Equinox's spotlight. Who knows who the Horse of the Year would be."
"I was getting anxious watching the JRA develop step-by-step, but finally, we have one too. Speaking of which, Frankel, why aren't you in a hurry at all?"
Enable snapped at her, but she didn't know that Frankel was currently pondering the same question as Gentildonna.
'Who sired me... and whom... did I sire?!!'