Chapter 67
The race had already passed its opening stage. The Uma Musume had reached the first turn, and the commentator delivered a lively, spot-on report.
"A fierce battle right from the start. After the gates opened, the field bunched up tightly."
"Most of the runners are focused on Manhattan Cafe and Danon Platina. Both of them must be feeling the pressure."
"Manhattan Cafe has broken clear. She avoided getting boxed in."
"Danon Platina is trapped in the middle of the pack right now."
"And the third favorite, Glory Link…"
"Wait. Musee Sultan has taken the lead."
"Currently in front is Musee Sultan."
"Entering the first turn, and Musee Sultan still holds the lead."
"Kitasan Black."
"Kitasan Black has charged forward."
"Leading is Musee Sultan, with Kitasan Black right behind in second."
"Is Kitasan Black trying to take the lead? No, Musee Sultan has picked up the pace."
"One length… two lengths… Musee Sultan has opened up a three-length advantage."
"Musee Sultan remains in front, with Kitasan Black holding steady in second."
At that point the commentator continued, "It looks like she wants to repeat the same tactics from her last two races. Kitasan Black has shown she's excellent at sitting just off the pace before striking for the lead. It seems she has chosen Musee Sultan as her target today. I hope she can perform as strongly as she did in those previous outings."
Just like a broadcast switching between play-by-play and analysis, roughly two hundred meters after the start the Uma Musume on the track began jostling for position.
By the time they reached the turn the early fights had settled down. Musee Sultan had pulled away in front, opening up roughly seven or eight meters on Kitasan Black in second. After that the rest of the field, mostly hugging the inside rail, stretched out into a long single file.
The crowd in the stands had been excited from the very first stride, erupting in cheers for the intense battle unfolding before them.
Yet in the front row Yasui Makoto's expression remained noticeably calmer than everyone else's.
He had gone over the opening plan with Kitasan Black in detail. She had executed it perfectly, staying unaffected by the early chaos. The moment they hit the first turn she seized the chance to move up and establish her own rhythm.
Now all she had to do was maintain that pace…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a thoughtful voice spoke up beside him.
"She's following… No, Kita-chan is clearly running her own race."
Yasui Makoto turned to Special Week in surprise and asked instinctively, "Her own rhythm?"
"Yes. Can't you see it right away?" Special Week nodded, her usual innocent look replaced by a focused expression. She pointed toward the swiftly moving pack on the track. "Most of the time the leader sets the pace, but if you have a really strong sense of rhythm you don't need to worry about whoever is in front. It feels like Kita-chan and the leader are…"
"She runs her race. I run mine."
"That's probably exactly what Kita-chan is thinking. And the horses behind are actually following Kita-chan, not the one at the very front."
"Kita-chan is incredible. That ability… I feel like she's almost on the same level as Seiun Sky."
Special Week nodded with satisfaction, then suddenly looked over at him, scratched the back of her head, and flashed her usual bright, silly grin.
"Ah, I was just talking without thinking. If I said anything weird, please don't tease me about it, Yasui. Hehehe…"
How could I possibly tease you? I'm too impressed to even speak.
Yasui Makoto really was amazed.
Unlike her previous races, this Spring Stakes was a G2 event. The competitors and trainers were noticeably more experienced and skilled. Simply following the same pace as before would not work here. Everyone had complicated race plans, and Kitasan Black would not be able to react to every move.
Take the opening scramble, for example.
Yasui Makoto had seen it clearly. Just as he had expected, the moment the gates opened Daiwa Major, starting from gate two, pressed right up against Kitasan Black. It was a blocking move, but not a foul. The goal was to stop the opponent from settling into her preferred rhythm.
The problem was that Daiwa Major lacked experience. She had focused too much on Kitasan Black and failed to notice that Musee Sultan, starting from gate four, was in a perfect position.
Then, exactly as predicted, when Musee Sultan surged to the front Daiwa Major lost concentration for a split second. That was the opening Kitasan Black needed. She instantly slipped into second place.
This was precisely what Yasui Makoto had stressed before the race: make full use of what she does best.
That meant rhythm and stamina.
Kitasan Black excelled at the Great Escape style. Or rather, at a very special version of it.
Great Escape referred to position, but there was another important factor: pacing. Different pacing created different kinds of Great Escape runners.
Among the famous ones, Silence Suzuka and Mihono Bourbon were high-speed Great Escape types. Their strategy was to build a big early lead using plenty of stamina, then adjust pace in the middle and late stages to save energy for a strong finish. They also had the option of simply staying in front all the way, giving them flexible choices.
Sakura Bakushin O, Mejiro Palmer, Daitaku Helios, and Twin Turbo were also high-speed Great Escape runners, but they were more accurately called explosive leaders. These types did not really care what was happening behind them. As long as their stamina lasted, they would simply sprint flat out to the finish.
Those two styles were relatively rare. The more common Great Escape runners were the conventional ones like Katsuragi Ace, Ines Fujin, and Seiun Sky. Their leading focused on securing good position and keeping enough reserve to handle a late charge.
But Kitasan Black was different from all of them.
In Yasui Makoto's eyes, the Great Escape style his black-haired girl had mastered was a rare hybrid that combined elements of both high-speed escape and explosive leading.
"Slow Runaway."
She did not chase a huge lead. As long as she was in front, that was enough. If the others wanted to close the gap, she would accelerate. If they stayed back, she would simply lead at a comfortable pace, conserving energy, then surge over a long distance at the perfect moment and carry that momentum all the way to the finish line.
That was "Slow Runaway."
This running style had three main challenges.
First was precise decision-making: reading the footsteps from behind, instantly judging the opponent's speed, the distance gap, the remaining race distance, and her own stamina, then deciding in a split second whether to accelerate.
Second was an outstanding sense of rhythm: never losing stride even when chased from behind.
Third, and most important, was exceptional stamina.
Accelerating always costs more energy than cruising, and repeated accelerations are even tougher. Most Uma Musume simply could not handle it, which is why "Slow Runaway" was rarely seen.
Fortunately, aside from judgment that still needed polishing, Kitasan Black's rhythm and stamina were already among the best in her generation.
Yasui Makoto had not yet explained these details to her, yet this Uma Musume had already grasped the basic requirements of Slow Runaway on her own.
For this Spring Stakes his plan had been to let her fully establish the "Slow Runaway" style in real competition, and the way she handled the opening stage was part of that plan.
What surprised him most was that Special Week had completely understood the strategy he had given Kitasan Black. She had seen it at a single glance.
Yet in the next moment, he felt a quiet sense of relief.