Frankel, the monster with a perfect 14-for-14 career record, was currently deep in thought.
'Who were my father and mother? Would I ever have children of my own?'
In reality, Frankel's father belonged to the Sadler's Wells line— the mighty sire Galileo.
The Sadler's Wells line was one of the three most successful European branches of Northern Dancer, effectively ruling European racing.
It was significantly more dominant than the Danzig or Storm Cat lines.
In terms of bloodline prestige, it generally went: Sadler's Wells > Danzig > Storm Cat.
However, while the Danzig line was behind Sadler's Wells, it was still terrifyingly influential.
For instance, the Danzig line included the likes of Agnes World, Fine Motion, Nishino Flower, Grass Wonder, and Agnes Digital.
The specifics of these would be detailed later.
Looking even higher up the Northern Dancer lineage, and one eventually reaches the very origin of horse racing: The archetypes of the Three Goddesses.
The Goddesses in Uma Musume aren't just fiction made up by Cygames, they have real historical counterparts.
It is because of those three stallions that the modern racing world exists.
Of course, Northern Taste was also a son of Northern Dancer. His primary contribution was laying the foundation for modern Japanese racing.
His contribution to the JRA was immeasurable— he was practically a savior.
However, in terms of sheer progeny strength, Northern Taste's children couldn't hold a candle to those of Sadler's Wells, they were in completely different leagues.
The story of Northern Taste was about to be exposed, and the Chairwoman's backstory was destined to cause unprecedented shock.
Yet, that was just the Chairwoman.
When the truth of the Three Goddesses eventually came out, the sensation would likely make the entire world tremble, as these were the deities all Uma Musume revered.
But that was a story for another time.
At this moment, Frankel knew nothing of the Three Goddesses. She was simply contemplating her future.
'If I had children, what would their bloodline be like? How would they perform?'
She had seen King Halo's story. Despite carrying a royal bloodline, King Halo had suffered endless ridicule and insults due to her early failures.
Yet, she marched forward until her glorious moment at the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, shattering all doubts.
Frankel was not arrogant.
Even though the world called her the undisputed peak of the racing world, she didn't act like it, she only used the title to spur herself on.
But she realized that even if she didn't care about the "Horse of the Year" title, her children— from the moment they were born— would face immense external pressure and expectations, just like King Halo.
Would she be able to properly care for her children's hearts?
If they truly failed, could she provide the right support and comfort?
She truly didn't want them to be known merely as "Frankel's child." They had their own names.
As Uma Musume, winning isn't the only "correct" thing to do. As long as they run with all their might, they are radiant beings.
"I hope that in the future, you won't be swayed by the outside world. I hope you can firmly walk your own path of happiness and joy."
"If you want to run, I will support you with everything I have. If you want to do something else, I will stand firmly behind you. Because I am your father, I will guide you toward the path you want to take."
Frankel looked into the distance.
After reading the stories of the JRA horses, she felt immense love and respect for them. She even wanted to meet them.
Like King Halo, who never gave up despite ten defeats.
Or Tokai Teio, who achieved a miracle comeback after three fractures, surpassing Biwa Hayahide and moving an entire generation.
Or Rice Shower, who stepped out from the boos of the crowd to become a legendary hero despite being labeled a villain.
And, of course, Haru Urara. She was a horse who gave her absolute all. She really tried her best, she just never won.
But her spirit was worthy of respect.
Frankel had only known the path of victory. She hadn't experienced those struggles, and she was deeply moved.
She even felt that if she experienced failure, she might not be as strong as them.
If she were like Urara, losing every time, would she still be able to lift her head and optimistically enter the next race?
She thought she might not be able to. She might have wallowed in self-pity and lost the courage to move forward.
"Enable, I'll need you to do me a favor in the future," Frankel said.
"Oh? Let's hear it." Enable was curious about what Frankel would ask.
"Since I've never lost a race, I don't quite understand the feeling of failure. If my future child suffers a defeat, could you help me talk to her and cheer her up?" Frankel rubbed her head sheepishly and smiled.
"Uh... I mean, sure, but why does that sentence make me want to punch you so bad?" Enable's temper flared.
'What do you mean "I don't understand failure"?! Don't be too cocky, Frankel!'
'You're strong, sure, but remember, I'll be the one to hand you your first loss.'
Enable didn't have time to argue. Her priority was finding Snowfall to renovate her sleeping area so she wouldn't hit her head again.
What was Snowfall doing?
She was currently in the middle of a very cute prayer.
Snowfall was an absolute darling. Her face looked very much like Deep Impact's— after all, she was Deep's shining biological daughter.
However, compared to Deep Impact, her face had a more innocent and gentle girlish quality, lacking Deep's unapproachable sharpness.
Why was Snowfall praying?
Because earlier, when she saw Mizuki writing about the "Gold family," she had burst out laughing.
Seeing the antics of Stay Gold, Gold Ship, Orfevre, and Dream Journey, she thought they were the ultimate entertainers.
Especially Orfevre— thinking about the meaning of life in the middle of a race?
Snowfall had almost fallen off her bed laughing. She thought Orfevre was strong but maybe a bit empty-headed.
And Gold Ship's high-kicks in the gate?
Pure comedy.
However, she never expected that Deep Impact was her dad!
Since Stay Gold was also a child of Sunday Silence, that made her her uncle.
So the "Gold family" she was mocking... Stay Gold was her uncle, and Gold Ship, Orfevre, Nakayama Festa, and Dream Journey were all her cousins!
So she began to pray: "Stay Gold-san, Gold Ship-san, Orfevre-san... when I said you had comedic bones, it wasn't my heartfelt thought!"
"I wasn't mocking you! I just love to laugh by nature! I meant no offense, please forgive me!"
She looked very pious, but if people had seen her rolling around laughing the other day, they wouldn't have believed her for a second.
But honestly, you couldn't blame her.
Anyone who saw the Gold family would laugh. Their whole lives were just one big comedy show, especially when paired with the unlucky jockey, Kenichi Ikezoe.
Snowfall was now paying close attention to her father, Deep Impact.
She was smart, she suspected the real-horse world held even more shocking secrets. She wanted to see her real-world counterpart and see what surprises were in store.
But she felt that the first thing she'd do upon meeting her real self was to pat her on the head.
'This time, you can't die. You have to keep running.'
"Is Equinox the Horse of the Year? I'll have to perform well too. If I were still alive, I wouldn't let the 2023 Horse of the Year title go without a fight," Snowfall said with a giggle.
In reality, Deep Impact was one of the most prolific studs in Japan. If Mizuki wrote about Deep Impact like she was writing about Sunday Silence, one can only imagine how Snowfall would react.
However, even with such ability, Deep Impact occasionally failed.
For instance, when paired with Oriental Art, he missed three times in a row.
This forced Oriental Art's team to find an emergency "budget version" of Deep Impact, Stay Gold.
And that resulted in the birth of Orfevre, the one horse who could challenge Deep Impact's legacy.
Many people joked: "Orfevre, you were almost Deep Impact's kid!" But that was just a joke.
Even if Deep Impact had been successful, the odds of Oriental Art producing another Orfevre were astronomically low.
It was fate. Orfevre was born to challenge Deep Impact and fight for a place in JRA history.
Many believed Orfevre had more physical talent than Deep Impact but lost out in the "brains" department.
But that's a matter of opinion, as comparing across eras is difficult. Deep Impact's greatness was beyond words.
He was incredibly stable, a pure warrior whose straight-line long-distance late-stage kick could destroy anything.
Orfevre was a legend too, and certainly a match for Deep, but saying he would definitely win even with a lacking brain is nonsense.
The debate over which of these two legends is stronger will rage on for decades.
Of course, the JRA also has Equinox, T.M. Opera O, El Condor Pasa, Symboli Rudolf, and Shinzan who are constantly compared to one another.
One wonders what the next name to shock the world will be.
In the Tokyo countryside:
"Snowfall... it seems I have a powerful rival in the future." Equinox showed a determined expression, much like Kitasan Black's.
She smiled. This time, she would settle things fairly with Snowfall. She had to keep getting stronger.
If she didn't, she couldn't surpass her rivals. If she didn't run faster, she couldn't fight.
She, Equinox... would be the protagonist of this generation!
In Tracen Academy, the horses who debuted around 2021— Titleholder, Liberty Island, Do Deuce, Geoglyph, and Ask Victor More— all had sharp glints in their eyes.
They had a new, powerful rival. Snowfall, whose running was like an avalanche.
Just how fast do you have to be to pull a 16-length gap in a high-caliber British G1 like the Oaks?
Furthermore, Snowfall was set to hit her peak in 2022, her limit was far beyond that.
The thought of Equinox and Snowfall clashing was enough to make anyone's blood boil.
Do Deuce said, "We have to work hard too. We can't bring shame to Tracen, especially after the recent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe..."
"...I can't believe we were all at the back... it was so embarrassing."
Liberty Island asked, "Do Deuce, will you participate again this time? Are you confident you'll win?"
Do Deuce nodded firmly: "I will win."
Indeed... without a single moment of mourning for Titleholder's bottom-tier finish, the one arriving at Longchamp next is the Japanese Derby record holder, Do Deuce!
In fact, the entire history of Japanese challenges at the Arc could be described like this:
Without a single moment of mourning for Orfevre's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the Hegemon of Takarazuka, Gold Ship!
Without a single moment of mourning for Gold Ship's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the King of Miles, Just a Way!
Without a single moment of mourning for Just a Way's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the most radiant star, Harp Star!
Without a single moment of mourning for Harp Star's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the young noble of the Satono family, Satono Diamond!
Without a single moment of mourning for Satono Diamond's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the triple-Grand Prix champion, Chrono Genesis!
Without a single moment of mourning for Chrono Genesis's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the Hanshin Triple Crown winner, Titleholder!
Without a single moment of mourning for Titleholder's failure, immediately arriving at Longchamp is the Derby record holder, Do Deuce!
Under the curious gaze of countless onlookers, Mizuki's log updated again.
[As a horse under Sunday Silence, the Stay Gold branch is indeed powerful, but his other sons were also exceptional.]
[Specifically, we must talk about the Deep Impact branch.]
[Deep Impact's father was Sunday Silence, and his mother was Wind in Her Hair.]
[As a side note, Deep Impact wasn't the first child of Sunday Silence and Wind in Her Hair. Their first child was named Black Tide.]
[In 2002, the reason Masahiro Kaneko bought Deep Impact was actually because he thought he could grow up to be big and sturdy like Black Tide. That's why he was the only bidder.]
[At the time, Kaneko believed that if Deep Impact could just become a big horse like Black Tide, he wouldn't lose money and might even make a profit.]
[Until his debut, Deep Impact was referred to as "Black Tide's little brother."]
[Little did Kaneko know that due to this error in judgment, he bought the most elite horse in JRA history for a mere 70 million yen.]
[The moment the hammer fell at the 2002 auction, the petite Deep Impact was startled by the sharp sound and jumped high on all fours.]
[No one knew then what a massive impact he would bring to the racing world.]
[However, to talk about Deep Impact, one must talk about Black Tide— the true winner of life.]
[Black Tide has a lot to say: "The undefeated Triple Crown winner Deep Impact? Just a little brother in front of me."]
["Kitasan Black, the 7-time G1 winner of 2015? He calls me 'Dad.'"]
["The Horse of the Year Equinox, Kitasan's son? When he sees me, he has to politely call me 'Grandpa.'"]
[In the JRA, there's a saying to describe Black Tide: "He relied on his father as a youth, his brother as a man, his son in middle age, and his grandson in old age. He lives a life of pure success."]
[This saying isn't just reasonable, it's staggeringly accurate!]
[In reality, Kaneko's judgment that Deep Impact would be like Black Tide was a mistake.]
[Black Tide growing that large was actually the anomaly. Deep Impact took after their mother, Wind in Her Hair, and was more petite.]
[Black Tide's racing career was decent. His bloodline was suited for long distances and heavy tracks— a trait Kitasan Black inherited perfectly.]
[But Black Tide was weighed down by his own mass, leading to constant injuries that prevented him from winning a G1.]
[Kitasan Black inherited Black Tide's weight and looks, but Kitasan "evolved." Despite that massive weight, his body was as durable as iron, allowing him to power through to 7 G1 wins.]
[Furthermore, both Kitasan's dad and uncle had explosive late-stage kicks. So Kitasan's kick was actually very strong, but due to his weight, he mostly ran as a front-runner, so the speed change wasn't as obvious.]
[You could call it a "stored-energy kick." In the context of JRA history, Kitasan was incredibly fierce.]
[Why do we say Black Tide won at life? Because of his bloodline, he was extremely well-cared for. He didn't have to breed frantically, he could stroll around every day, take the occasional "job," and enjoy life.]
[In contrast, Deep Impact, Kitasan Black, and Equinox were practically worked to the bone in the breeding shed. Thinking about it that way, Black Tide is the ultimate winner.]
[Many also say Kitasan Black's greatness comes from inheriting Sakura Bakushin O's blood. Kitasan's mother was Sugar Heart, daughter of Sakura Bakushin O. So the "King of Sprinters" is Kitasan's maternal grandfather and Equinox's maternal great-grandfather.]
In Tracen Academy, many were stunned.
First, the news about Black Tide was shocking enough.
"Relying on father as a youth, brother as a man..."
She really figured it out!
They wanted to scream at how absurd it was.
Then, the information about Kitasan Black and Equinox made everyone's head spin.
Black Tide's ancestors must have done some great deeds and gotten a ton of good karma for her to have this kind of luck.
What kind of "successful life" is this?
And the fact that Kitasan Black was Equinox's father?!
That made everyone's jaw drop.
They knew Kitasan and Equinox were close, but they never imagined that was the relationship.
But at this point, what wasn't possible? They should have expected it, given how the two had been together since Equinox was small.
It must have been the guidance of a special father-son bond.
As for Kitasan Black, she had turned into a living emoji.
"Black Tide-senpai is my dad?! That Black Tide-senpai? And Equinox... Equinox is my child? I... I... what do I do, Dia-chan?!"
Kitasan's eyes turned into straight lines, and her head lolled back and forth as her brain began to smoke.
She had several holes cut into her outfit, but even that couldn't vent the steam.
Satono Diamond was also dazed.
"Kitasan, so your father was Black Tide? I thought it was Tokai Teio."
Tokai Teio was stunned, making the same face as Kitasan.
"Eh? Dia-chan, you actually thought that?"
But Diamond realized that wouldn't make sense. Trainer Mizuki had said Teio's children didn't have great records, but Kitasan had 7 G1s.
If that's a "bad record," everyone else should just quit.
Black Tide herself was enjoying the chaos.
"Hahaha! It seems I have a successful life? Truly, success can't be forced, it's all about things falling into place."
She laughed. "Knowing my brother, my son, and my grandson are all so successful puts my mind at ease. I worked hard my whole life, why shouldn't I enjoy myself now? Hahaha!"
Biko Pegasus felt something was off.
"Wait, 'worked hard my whole life'? You didn't seem to work hard at all! According to the log, you stepped into your peak life right from the start, Black Tide-senpai!"
Biko Pegasus was speechless. Everyone thought the JRA was hard, but Black Tide seemed to find it quite easy.
Black Tide grinned.
She was quite beautiful— after all, Kitasan's handsome looks came from her.
She said smugly: "You can't say that. I didn't have the genius talent of Deep Impact. As the saying goes, 'with great power comes great responsibility, with little power comes little responsibility.'"
"It's not that I didn't want to help, I just did the best I could within my limited capacity!"
Hishi Akebono nodded cutely. "That actually makes sense."
Deep Impact was slightly surprised but found it normal upon reflection. She had been very petite as a child, and Black Tide had always protected her from bullies.
In her heart, she acknowledged Black Tide as her big brother.
Black Tide said, "Deep Impact, do you have any money? I want to take Kitasan Black and Equinox out for some non-alcoholic beer!"
She grinned. "Little sister, drop some gold coins for me."
Deep Impact sighed helplessly. "Fine. Here's my Tracen supplementary gold card. Go have fun."
Black Tide scoffed and said, "Are you telling me how to do things?"
At that moment, the crowd was staring in disbelief.
Black Tide-senpai, you are so arrogant and cocky! You feel even more powerful than Deep Impact with her 7 G1s.
Is this the prestige of Tracen's number one delinquent?
Deep Impact was so annoyed she was speechless.
'This guy was getting more and more full of herself. '
'She looks almost exactly like Kitasan Black, but her personality was nowhere near as down-to-earth as Kitasan's.'
Afterward, Black Tide put her arm around Kitasan Black's shoulder, grinning with a dimple showing.
She said happily: "Let's go, Kitasan! I'll take you to get something delicious. Dia-chan, follow us! In a few days, I'll take out my secret savings and treat everyone to a meal!"
"We'll invite Trainer Mizuki and everyone from Spica too."
Kitasan Black stood at attention and said, "Ye... Yes! Black Tide-senpai! But I have some money too— let's invite Equinox and Sakura Bakushin O-san as well."
Sakura Bakushin O was also dazed, laughing loudly at the same time.
Kitasan Black was actually her grandson, and Equinox was her great-grandson? They were truly incredible!
She felt that in her wildest dreams, she couldn't have imagined her descendants would be so successful. She was overjoyed.
Biko Pegasus said, "I wonder what my descendants will be like? Hehe, I just hope they're happy. Do you think I'll have a child who can transform into a Masked Hero like Carrot Ranger?"
Biko Pegasus began to daydream. She felt that even if it were just a dream, she was willing to have it.
In the Tokyo countryside:
After learning about Snowfall, Equinox had been training hard.
She had actually suspected the relationship between Kitasan Black and herself, but finding out the truth still shocked her so much she tripped and did a face-plant.
Fortunately, her body was durable, and she was perfectly fine.
Equinox said, "It's pretty much what I thought, but it's still a huge surprise. Kitasan Black-senpai is actually my father in the real-horse world..."
"I heard we were together after retirement— it seems my post-retirement life will be full of fun too."
Equinox giggled, Kitasan Black was very interesting, so she was sure her days would be happy.
Titleholder was a bit sad. "It seems... Duramente-senpai had already passed away by the time we retired."
Liberty Island said, "That's why we have to work hard and run our best. Titleholder, next time we run the Arc together, let's get a good result to prove the strength of Duramente-san's bloodline."
"And you can't come in last again!"
Being bullied again, Titleholder turned beet-red.
"Ahem! That time was an accident! An accident!"
But internally, Titleholder was cheering herself on.
She would prove it— she would prove that Duramente definitely had a long-distance bloodline.
She would win the Classic Triple Crown, especially the Kikka Sho, which Duramente missed, and she would win the Arima Kinen and Tenno Sho Spring, completing the classic long-distance Triple Crown just like Symboli Rudolf and Manhattan Cafe.
Furthermore, Titleholder glanced at Equinox.
Among those present, several were Duramente's children, but without a doubt, Equinox was running ahead of them all.
They weren't satisfied, not just because they lost, but because it represented Duramente losing to Kitasan Black.
They would push forward with everything they had. Their Royal Road would continue to unfold.
At that moment, they began their intense training runs again.
Meanwhile, Mizuki's log continued to update, and every subsequent piece of news shocked everyone at Tracen Academy.
[After finishing with Black Tide, let's go back to Deep Impact. First, let's talk about his two greatest daughters born in 2009: The love-hate rivals Verxina and Gentildonna.]
[If the Tyrant Orfevre bullied Win Variation his whole life, Gentildonna was, by no coincidence, the bane of Verxina's existence.]
[First, Gentildonna and Verxina were both sired by Deep Impact in the same year. They grew up on the same ranch, both were fillies, and Gentildonna was only 13 days older than Verxina.]
[You could say their growing conditions were very similar.]
[However, after they debuted and met in their three-year-old Classic year, major sparks flew between them.]
[In the races where Gentildonna and Verxina competed together since 2012, Gentildonna won them all.]
[In the battle for the Triple Tiara, Gentildonna won three consecutive G1 titles and four Graded stakes.]
[Verxina watched Gentildonna's back cross the finish line four times, taking four second-place finishes.]
[When the Shuka Sho, the final leg of the Triple Tiara, ended, Gentildonna became the fourth Triple Tiara winner in JRA history. She and Deep Impact also became the first father-daughter Triple Crown pair in JRA history— a glorious achievement.]
[As for Verxina, she also made a tragic bit of history: She became the first horse to ever take "Triple Seconds" in the Fillies' Triple Crown.]
[The name "Verxina" means the highest peak in the world.]
[But in front of her stood a mountain she could never cross. Its name was Gentildonna.]
[In Verxina's heart, Gentildonna was likely her fated rival— an existence she had to surpass. But would Gentildonna think the same?]
[She might say: "Verxina, why do you crave that? Why would I consider someone who has never beaten me to be a rival?"]
In Tracen Academy, a group of Uma Musume was completely stunned by the log.
Meisho Doto rubbed her eyes, looked at T.M. Opera O, then at Gentildonna and a very pale-faced Verxina.
She said: "Awa-wa-wa-wa! This familiar feeling... what is going on? Verxina-san, are you okay...?"
If anyone understood Verxina's feelings right now, it was undoubtedly the Vice-Overlord, Meisho Doto.
Though the JRA has many hidden talents, there was another: Win Variation, who had also been bullied by Orfevre for a year.
However, even though Win Variation had seen Orfevre's log and knew she missed out on the Triple Crown because of her contemporary, she didn't yet realize she had a record mostly consisting of second places.
And to be honest, Win Variation was actually more pitiful than Verxina.
After all, Verxina eventually won two G1 titles later on, she was just screwed over during her three-year-old year with 5 seconds in one year, including 4 losses to Gentildonna.
But Win Variation, despite working incredibly hard and giving his all until the very end, remained one step away from a G1.
Therefore, many people judged that hard workers like Win Variation should join Team Canopus alongside Nice Nature and the others.
Some even suggested Black Tide should join them to single-handedly crush Spica and suppress Kitasan Black and Equinox.
Honestly, that wouldn't be a problem at all. Black Tide never won a G1, but she won big on seniority— she towers over Deep Impact, Kitasan, and Equinox.
No matter how many G1s you've won, you'll still be a little kid in her eyes.
"I feel like Verxina-san is a bit unlucky," Meisho Doto said weakly, being her usual timid and cute self.
"Wait, Doto-san, you clearly have way more G1 second-place finishes than Verxina. It feels weird hearing you call her unlucky," Twin Turbo said, hands on hips.
"Is the competition for second place in G1s so fierce these days?" Nice Nature was losing it.
First Doto, now Verxina. As a "Third-Place Professional," she felt she really had to work hard.
If the second-placers were this competitive, she had to step up too!
Furthermore, Nice Nature saw the last paragraph Mizuki wrote:
[In Verxina's heart, Gentildonna was her fated rival. But would Gentildonna think the same? She might say: "Verxina, why would I consider someone who has never beaten me to be a rival?"]
To be honest, Nice Nature didn't know if Verxina was hurt, but she knew those words were like needles piercing her own heart.
She immediately thought of herself.
Although she didn't do it on purpose, in her heart she always viewed Tokai Teio as a fated rival she had to beat.
But in Teio's eyes, did she even notice her?
'Ah, it's so frustrating! Is this the leisure of a genius?'
Nice Nature put her hands on her hips, her delicate face showing a look of frustration.
She was always one step away, but this time, with her recent good luck, maybe... just maybe, she would win once.
"Hey~~~ Nature-san! What are you thinking about?" Tokai Teio called out, hands on hips with a smug grin, happening to greet her.
"Eek!!!!" Nature was startled.
To think the day would come where she was the one getting jump-scared.
However, the most tense atmosphere was between Verxina and Gentildonna. A terrifying aura spread between them as the two Uma Musume stared each other down.
With them at the center, the air turned freezing, making it hard to breathe.
Gentildonna's expression was relatively indifferent, while Verxina's was sharp, her fists clenched.
The Uma Musume watching nearby were stunned by the pressure.
For instance, Matikane Tannhauser: "So... so scary..."