Chapter 101: Key Tactics
After agreeing to Almond Eye's request, Makoto could see the flash of joy in the young Umamusume's eyes, while Kitasan Black beside her was equally excited.
"Great! That means from now on I'll get to run together with Ai-chan just like today!"
"Mm, I'm looking forward to that too." Almond Eye couldn't help but smile as well.
Makoto also smiled, but inside he remained calm.
It was certainly delightful that Almond Eye had asked him to train her.
Deep down, he sincerely hoped he could coach this Umamusume.
Even setting aside the impression he carried from his original world, her performance in the previous race alone was enough to prove her talent.
He was confident he could take on such talent and help her break through to an even higher level.
But that didn't mean he would necessarily be able to sign a contract with her in the future.
Earlier, when talking with the doctor, he had casually asked about Almond Eye's maturation, and the answer he got was that she would probably enter that stage in about one to two years.
That was still quite a long time, and a lot could change by then.
Kitasan Black had also mentioned that Almond Eye's family wanted her to focus on sprint and mile races.
It was hard to say whether her family would even allow him to just snatch away the child they had pinned such hopes on.
So, rather than thinking too much about the far future, for now he needed to keep his attention on Kitasan Black.
After telling Almond Eye to rest well, Makoto took Kitasan Black back to the schoolyard.
Even though the race event was over, the spectators hadn't left yet.
Like the winner's stage after an official race, the schoolyard that had served as the track earlier was now hosting various performances, with the performers being elementary students just like Almond Eye.
After finishing her post-race checkup, Almond Eye and the other young participants, once confirmed to be fine, returned to the schoolyard and performed the finale song and dance.
Staring fixedly at the stage, the moment Almond Eye appeared, Kitasan Black—standing right beside Makoto—clapped excitedly and cheered:
"Wow~! Ai-chan looks so pretty! Both she and her outfit are gorgeous!"
Clapping along with her, Makoto nodded with a smile.
Thanks to being blessed by the Three Goddesses, every Umamusume possessed outstanding beauty.
But even among such beauties, Almond Eye's looks stood out.
Though she's still young, her features were already refined, and she carried a unique aura.
At first glance, her aura seemed calm and quiet—but if you looked closer, there was a hidden heat buried deep within.
That contrast unconsciously made Makoto recall how, in the previous race, Almond Eye had been able to unleash a mad sprint down the final stretch.
Talent really couldn't be hidden. For someone so young to already be touching the threshold of a closing kick…
Just as he was quietly marveling at that thought, Makoto suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve.
Following the pull, he met the shining red eyes of Kitasan Black.
"Hey, Trainer, Ai-chan's performance in the race earlier—that was a closing kick, right? I heard the announcer and everyone else calling it that."
A bit surprised at the question, Makoto thought for a moment.
"Strictly speaking, it was only the prototype. She's still lacking in a lot of fundamentals and technique… but yes, you could call it that."
"I see…"
Nodding in satisfaction, Kitasan Black drew in a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling.
"I didn't expect Ai-chan to be that amazing. I wonder just how strong she'll become once she really debuts…"
"All right! Since I've got such an incredible kouhai, as her senior, I can't afford to lose either!"
"Trainer, once this event's over, let's head back to the Academy and train, okay?"
…
Of course, there was no way training was happening. From Makoto's perspective, practicing on a rest day was absolutely out of the question.
In his training program, every single task he set for Kitasan Black each day was measured with clear precision.
Too little, and it wouldn't achieve the intended effect; too much, and it would place unnecessary strain on her body.
Still, seeing the girl this motivated was obviously a good sign—and it seemed that was one of the purposes of holding the event in the first place.
So after calming her down, Makoto simply told Kitasan Black that they could come earlier tomorrow and do a bit more training.
The next morning, arriving at Tracen Academy's track, he saw Kitasan Black already waiting there as expected. Without wasting words, Makoto had her warm up and then immediately began the final stage of special training.
Pointing to the track, he asked, "Do you remember what we said your weak point was?"
"I remember! My sprinting ability—especially my final straight sprinting ability!" Kitasan Black quickly answered.
Makoto nodded.
"Mm. And since yesterday you trained Almond Eye, you should have gotten a better sense of the advantage a rival with a closing kick has on the final stretch."
"So from now until the Satsuki Sho, you'll be practicing the corresponding tactics."
"They are curved positioning, gradient acceleration, and airborne lead change."
"Before, you practiced them separately. Now, run 2000 meters and try to combine them together."
After giving his instructions, he watched the highly motivated Kitasan Black dash off toward the starting point of the track. Adjusting his stopwatch, Makoto raised his hand and began the countdown.
Soon, the swift figure of the girl appeared on the track.
Every tactic he had prepared was designed specifically for Kitasan Black, tailored to the circumstances of the Satsuki Sho, with the key points all centered around the turns.
Curved positioning was to ensure she could secure a front running or near-front running during the opening phase.
Judging from her performance in the previous training race, there was a real possibility that her rivals might try to block her right from the start.
In other races, that kind of situation could be handled by fighting for position on the straight.
But in the Satsuki Sho, the race immediately entered a steep curve right after the gate. From reviewing past race footage, it was clear that instead of direct competition, the key there was how effectively one could handle the slope.
At that point, rather than exhausting herself by fighting for position head-on, taking a slightly arcing route allowed her to use that energy on the slope instead—avoiding direct clashes while conserving stamina.
Gradient acceleration was to progressively increase speed through the curve and into part of the straight.
First, from the curve's entry to its apex, she would use the gradually building centrifugal force to initiate acceleration.
Then, at the curve's turning point, she would push her speed further, creating momentum.
Finally, on the exit, she would ride that momentum and the lingering centrifugal force for one more burst of speed.
This step-by-step acceleration avoided the sudden exhaustion caused by a single explosive burst, while the conversion of centrifugal force at the exit improved acceleration efficiency, consuming less stamina overall.
The ideal points of application for this tactic were the first and second turns.
If she could seize the timing and use it successfully there, the distance advantage would be substantial.
If she repeated it again at the final corner, her lead would only widen further.
As for the airborne lead change, it's more accurate to call it a technique—the key to making gradient acceleration reach its full potential.
During a race's sprint phase on a straight, the leading leg was usually kept consistent. But during curves and directional adjustments, switching leads became necessary.
When entering a curve or changing direction, shortening the stride of the inner leg could effectively reduce the impact of lateral inertia. The torque difference created by switching leads further accelerated the turn.
"Airborne" meant completing the switch when both feet left the ground in mid-stride.
This ensured all the intended effects while avoiding the interference of ground friction.