Chapter 92: The Sharp Uphill of the Satsuki Sho
"Corner positioning" and "corner blocking"—the principles behind these two tactics are basically the same, with the difference being that the former has lower requirements to execute.
To pull off corner positioning, just one or two Umamusume working together is enough. For corner blocking, however, it usually takes more than two opponents.
At turns, due to the subjective desire to "stick to the inside rail" combined with the objective effect of centrifugal force, the leading Umamusume often ends up cutting off the path of those behind her. The second-place runner and those further back are forced into positional shifts.
As a result, if you draw an arc outward from the leader's position, the inside runners become stuck—either being boxed in or outright sealed.
If the second-place and subsequent runners happen to be in acceleration phases, then the Umamusume trapped on the inside ends up both blocked and forced into a draining cycle of correcting her line and trying to break free from the pack.
For an Umamusume like Kitasan Black, who performs best in front running positions like first or second, this tactic becomes a very effective way to restrict her strengths.
Veterans like Daiwa Scarlet and the others all knew this about their kouhai, which is why they deliberately employed these techniques in the training race.
To deal with this situation, one of the most effective responses is exactly what Kitasan Black used in the opening stages: gradient acceleration.
Entering the turn, rounding it, and exiting—using different levels of acceleration at all three points. Because of this staggered rhythm, gradient acceleration easily causes opponents to misjudge, giving opportunities to gain position or overtake.
Kitasan Black handled the opening corner just fine, successfully executing this technique with excellent timing and effect.
But when she faced the much more complicated final turn, her performance suddenly became clumsy—like a complete novice who had never raced before, leaving the impression of being utterly at a loss.
The reason for this was that she had not yet truly mastered the technique. Her successful use in the training race was, in a sense, largely a coincidence.
This was exactly why Makoto had said her performance was "beyond expectations."
"I see… That makes sense. At the time, I didn't really think too much, I just felt like it was time to sprint, so I dashed forward all at once."
After listening to Makoto's explanation, Kitasan Black nodded with an enlightened look. Then, after a moment's thought, she said:
"Then my next training should be repeating this gradient acceleration technique, right? I've got no problem with that—no matter how many times I have to practice!"
"Good spirit."
Makoto agreed, then shook his head, pointing to the sloping track along the steps nearby.
"But it's not just gradient acceleration you need to train. Do you see that slope?"
When Kitasan Black turned to look at it, he explained:
"Your performance in the training race made me very satisfied, and I can see your finishing speed has improved enough. So now we can move on to advanced practice."
"You've covered this in your academy classes, and I've mentioned it to you before—the greatest difficulty of the Satsuki Sho lies in its two sharp uphill turns."
"That's what you need to train for next, along with gradient acceleration."
The place he was referring to was the famous Nakayama slope—the "Slope of Nakayama."
The turn there is extremely tight, with the slope beginning immediately after the corner and continuing uphill.
This requires an Umamusume to deal simultaneously with the centrifugal force of the turn, the resistance of the incline, and then immediately face the stamina drain of climbing—all of which place heavy demands on step control, stamina distribution, and core strength.
Based on the training race as reference, and assuming her Satsuki Sho opponents can analyze her strengths and weaknesses just as well as Daiwa Scarlet and the others…
She must also be prepared for rivals to use positioning and acceleration techniques to adjust tempo or launch attacks, and have countermeasures ready.
From her past race performances, Kitasan Black's stamina, stride, and power are not real problems.
The real issue lies in refining her finishing power in light of the unique course conditions, and mastering the specific techniques needed to handle them.
After hearing all this, Kitasan Black looked dumbfounded.
"Th-this… Trainer, why does the Satsuki Sho have so many more things to deal with compared to previous races…?"
"What else did you expect?"
Amused at his Umamusume's reaction, Makoto quickly grew serious again.
"This is the Satsuki Sho. It's a G1, a prize among prizes, the first battle of the Classic Triple Crown."
"I never explained all this before because, until now, you didn't yet have the ability or the experience to handle it."
"But don't be discouraged."
"You may lack ability and experience, but so do your opponents—because everyone in the Classic year is the same."
"What it comes down to now is: who can make the most preparations in the limited time available."
After her initial shock, Kitasan Black slowly began to understand.
Having already raced three times, she had come to realize that watching and hearing about races in the past was nothing like actually running them herself.
Her surprise just now was because of that gap.
She had only known in theory that the Satsuki Sho was important—but after listening to all of Makoto's special training plans, she finally began to faintly grasp why it was so important.
Seeing her expression settle down and resolve return to her eyes, Makoto nodded silently to himself and began the formal training.
Just like before, Kitasan Black still had a parachute strapped to her back.
The difference this time was that instead of running on the flat track, her course was a "simulated sharp uphill turn", stretching from the school track onto the slope.
Using a line of traffic cones, Makoto had laid out a mock version of Nakayama's Slope, based on the Satsuki Sho course.
Kitasan Black's task was to repeatedly run through this simulated route, following sprint-training requirements.
Before long, the field was filled with the black-haired girl's energetic shouts of "Hoyaah!" along with Makoto's frequent corrections.
. . .
"Your outside foot landed at the wrong angle this time, too far outward. That'll make you drift several meters off the inside, wasting precious strides."
"Got it! I'll pay attention next round!"
. . .
"Good, your footing was fine this time… but don't celebrate yet—your body tilt is off. Remember: at this segment, the slope begins immediately after the turn. You must lean forward before exiting the curve so you can carry momentum into the uphill."
"Exit is uphill, exit is uphill… forward lean, forward lean… okay! I've got it! I'll run it again!"
. . .
"Step rate… stride length… heart rate changes… yeah, nothing major here. This is your current endurance threshold for sprinting. Run one more set, and while you do, pay close attention to that limit—try to memorize it with your body."
"Right! I'll go again!"
. . .
"Heart rate at 180 bpm… yeah, that's close to your limit…"
"Limit? But Trainer, I feel like I can still go a bit further!"
"You probably can. But think carefully—does your brain still feel sharp right now? Don't forget, thinking itself consumes stamina."
"M-my brain? Now that you mention it… it does feel kind of tired, I mean mentally. So… does that mean morning practice is over?"
"No. One last set. This exact state of fatigue is perfect for sharpening your decision-making ability. Let me adjust the course, then you'll run the final set."
"Okay! No problem at all!"
. . .
By the end of the morning session, the grass stretching from the track to the slope was packed with deep, firm footprints.
Makoto's tablet and notebook were also filled with page after page of meticulous records.
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