Chapter 74: Summer Dream Trophy League
Bursting from the gate to seize position, battling for control in the opening stretch, settling into cruising pace, timing the final acceleration—
Makoto had felt that every one of these arrangements had been spot on—and that this had been the best performance Kitasan Black was capable of at the time.
Even so, when near the finish line, Kitasan Black had almost been caught by the relentless REAL STEEL.
Part of that was simply due to lack of experience.
With more race experience, perhaps he could have devised even more efficient training methods, and in the race itself he might have been able to choose even better tactics.
It also showed that both her training and race planning needed to move into the next stage.
After three months of steady effort, combined with the natural development that came with reaching her full competitive form, Kitasan Black's overall capabilities had seen significant improvement.
At this point, her previous training intensity was no longer enough—her regimen needed certain adjustments to meet the demands of upcoming races.
When he had first begun coaching her, Makoto had already had ideas and a range of backup plans for optimizing her training. Now it was simply a matter of arranging them according to her current condition.
But over these past few months, the good rapport his Umamusume had built with others had given him some new ideas.
So, while touring the mansion's collections, he kept mulling things over, and finally decided to talk with Kitasan Black about it during the evening banquet.
…
That evening, to celebrate Kitasan Black's victory in the Spring Stakes, Saburo had specially arranged a fairly large banquet.
In addition to Makoto, Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka, Gold Ship, and Special Week, most of the attendees were Kitasan Black's family members.
Only then did Makoto realize just how big Kitasan Black family was.
Counting from Saburo, there were around thirty to forty people in attendance.
The rest were the old man's disciples and students, numbering over a dozen.
With so many gathered together—most skilled in singing and dancing—there were prearranged performances during the banquet. A few Umamusumes even sang several songs, filling the hall with lively energy.
When everyone returned to their tables, the Umamusumes began chatting cheerfully about their days performing on the Winner's Stage during their active racing years.
"It's been so long since I've performed in front of so many people. I think I did okay, right?" Special Week—having sung last—asked with a smile.
Before anyone else could answer, Gold Ship smirked mischievously.
"Of course! You sang without even a hint of awkwardness, Spe. And even if there was, you're still miles ahead of your very first time on stage."
Special Week froze for a moment, then grew a little flustered. She covered half her face with her hand and muttered in embarrassment, "Gold Ship-san, that was ages ago. How do you even remember something like that…?"
"Because a Winner's Stage where you just stare at the sky, frozen like a statue, is just too unforgettable! Besides—mmph!"
Gold Ship's teasing was cut short when a golden piece of tempura found its way into her mouth.
Lowering her chopsticks after delivering the tempura, Vodka chuckled in exasperation.
"Alright, alright. Can't you at least stop talking while you eat, Golshi?"
"That's right—and honestly, wasn't your first time even funnier? You practically treated the stage like it was a circus act!"
Picking up Vodka's words without missing a beat, Daiwa Scarlet smoothly shifted the topic toward Special Week.
"Speaking of which, when I asked if you had time to come to Tokyo, I didn't expect you to agree so easily. Did you come here just to cheer for Kita-chan?"
"Of course! And I should be thanking you for telling me about it."
Turning to Kitasan Black, Special Week scratched her cheek sheepishly.
"I've been a pretty lousy senpai—I didn't even know you'd debuted. If you hadn't called me, I probably wouldn't have seen one of your races until the Satsuki Sho."
"Please don't say that, Senpai," Kitasan Black replied quickly. "Just having you here to cheer me on already makes me really happy."
"Besides, senpai must be pretty busy, right? It's normal not to pay attention to debut races. I don't watch many debut races myself," Kitasan Black said.
Kitasan's thoughtfulness made Special Week smile sheepishly.
"Actually… heh, I'm not that busy back in Hokkaido."
After thinking for a moment, Special Week added, "But if I had to say, aside from coming here specifically to cheer for you, I also have a race."
The people at the table froze for a moment. Daiwa Scarlet was the first to react.
"A race… oh, right, the Dream Trophy League, isn't it?"
"Mm! That's right. The Association called me last year, asking if I'd consider joining this year's Summer Dream Trophy League."
Special Week nodded. "At first, I was hesitating, since they didn't tell me exactly how this year's event would be arranged."
"But then you all told me about Kita-chan's race, so I decided to just say yes."
"That way, I could come cheer for her and start my preparations at the Academy a bit earlier.
"Oh, and I could even help Kita-chan train."
She clenched her fists with determination. "Kita-chan's heading into the Classic Triple Crown next, and I think I've got some experience with those three races."
At that, the other Umamusumes—Daiwa Scarlet included—nodded in agreement. Kitasan Black and Makoto, however, were a bit surprised.
"Dream Trophy League? That's…?"
Scratching her head, Kitasan frowned, trying to recall. "I think Crow-chan and the others mentioned it before, but… what was it again?"
"It's basically the All-Star invitational of the Twinkle Series," Makoto explained once he recovered from his surprise.
"Simply put, the URA Association holds two Dream Trophy Leagues every year—one in summer, one in winter—inviting well-known retired Umamusumes to compete."
As he spoke, Makoto's mind started turning over an idea.
That afternoon, while touring the estate with Saburo, he'd thought of a new training arrangement.
Training races.
This method was like an upgraded version of paired running.
Paired running isn't just "run however you want together"—it usually has a very specific purpose.
For example, chasing drills.
These train an Umamusume to master positioning and changes in form so that, in real races, she can adapt to the situation and shift the competitive balance to her advantage.
Typically, you have a "pacer Umamusume" run in a designated position ahead, while the "training Umamusume" follows for a while before adjusting speed and form at a specific time and place according to the trainer's instructions.
Each practice is divided into several sets, with the exact instructions varying.
This helps confirm adaptability and develops the ability to respond in different scenarios.
Training races also have a purpose, but they require completing more instructions within a single race.
For example, starting from the gate to secure a position according to a set standard, overtaking within a certain distance, reaching a target speed and distance in the final sprint, and so on.
This method is more comprehensive and develops multiple abilities more quickly.
From Makoto's perspective, all of Kitasan Black's rivals in the Satsuki Sho share one common advantage—
Without exception, they had already debuted last year, undergone longer periods of race-specific training, and competed in more races on average.
Compared to Kitasan Black, their experience was undoubtedly richer.
And training races, in his view, were the most efficient way within the next month to make up that gap.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1].
Latest Post In Patreon: Chapter 98: Even If It's Only This One Time, 2000 Meters[2]
Link to the chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/138848017?collection=1615744[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138848017?collection=1615744
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138848017?collection=1615744
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed