From Yasui Makoto's perspective, these two particular Uma Musume required special attention.
Furao Shinkou possessed an exceptional late kick. In her debut race, she blazed through the final three furlongs in an astonishing 33.3 seconds.
Her previous victory in the G2 Kyodo News Hai, a race filled with strong closers, further confirmed her formidable finishing ability.
In comparison, Noda Gold, ranked second in popularity, also had an impressive late kick, though not at the absolute peak for this race.
However, Noda Gold had won last year's Asahi Hai—a rare G1 before the Classic series, intended to determine the strongest newcomer. Any Uma Musume participating there had demonstrated outstanding talent and training potential, making the race exceptionally competitive.
Experiencing such a major event, Noda Gold's advantage in racing experience was unmatched among the field.
The emergence of competitors like this marked the fundamental difference between graded stakes and the OP or Pre-OP races.
Once entering the Twinkle Series, especially at the Central level, every participant already stood among the best of their generation.
Advancing into graded races meant that on top of excellent fundamentals, they had specialized strengths capable of securing victories.
At this level, you either directly confronted your opponent's strengths head-on, leveraged your own strengths tactically, or carefully strategized to neutralize your opponent's advantage entirely.
Bringing Kitasan Black to this point, Yasui naturally had a comprehensive strategy, but he didn't plan on revealing everything to his Uma Musume.
Not because he wanted to hide things deliberately, but because Kitasan had only debuted three months ago. Her theoretical foundation wasn't fully developed yet, and she still had many things left to learn.
Rather than overloading her with exhaustive explanations, it was far more effective to focus clearly on how she should run the race.
Besides, even without fully understanding theory, her ability to execute strategies and techniques in training and races was already remarkably good.
Yet out of caution, after reviewing opponents and strategy, Yasui still tapped on the whiteboard with its track diagrams, markers, and notes, asking:
"How about it, Kita-chan? Any questions left? The race doesn't start until tomorrow, so we still have plenty of time. Feel free to ask anything."
"Oh, um…questions, huh?"
Kitasan hesitated briefly.
"Maybe about the final stretch strategy…"
"Actually, Trainer, I've wanted to ask for a while now. In both training and races, the closer we get to the finish, the simpler your instructions become."
"I kept wondering if you'd explain more clearly today, but it turned out pretty much the same as before."
"In that case…"
She trailed off uncertainly.
Seeing Kitasan remain silent, Yasui gently smiled.
"You feel those simplified instructions aren't enough to guarantee a win?"
Kitasan hesitated again before nodding slowly.
"I see…"
Yasui pondered briefly, then shook his head with a slight smile.
"This might sound discouraging, but the truth is—guaranteeing victory…is something I just can't do."
Kitasan's ears shot straight up in shock, her mouth dropping open.
"You can't do it, Trainer?!"
"Exactly. Why, did you think otherwise?"
Yasui glanced around casually, pulling over a chair and sitting next to Kitasan.
"Did you really think I could predict every outcome of a race?"
"Well…" Biting her lip, Kitasan rubbed the back of her head.
"But in the last race, and my debut too, Trainer, you accurately predicted so much. And now, even though this race hasn't started yet, all your analyses about the start and potential developments made perfect sense."
"Oh right! Even for Gold Ship-senpai's race, I think your prediction is spot on—she'll definitely win tomorrow."
"If that's the case, then why are the instructions for my final stretch…still unclear?"
"That's because…"
Yasui smiled again, his tone becoming slightly more serious.
"Kita-chan, you've overlooked one important thing."
"You debuted less than three months ago, and you've only raced twice."
"During this time, you've been extremely diligent and steady, winning both races."
"But you're not the only hardworking one. The other Uma Musume are also doing their absolute best—and so are their trainers."
"As Daiwa and Vodka pointed out, it's indeed impressive that you're already thinking about surpassing senpai at their level. Your courage and ambition are admirable."
"But from another perspective, don't you think other Uma Musume feel the exact same way? Aren't they equally determined to win?"
Like a lightning bolt striking her mind, Kitasan's ears and tail instantly stood straight up.
That's right…
The desire to win, the drive to succeed, the determination not to disappoint those who cheer us on…
I'm not the only one with those feelings.
Shouldn't I have realized this earlier?
When I'm training, so are they.
After class, walking past the training grounds, I see them practicing just as hard.
When I'm running laps in my backyard at home, aren't they doing something similar?
Their trainers, too…must be feeling all kinds of pressure, and putting forth every effort.
Seeing the changing expressions on Kitasan's face, Yasui sensed his Uma Musume had understood his point. He continued gently:
"Seems like you've figured it out. So now, let me explain clearly why the instructions for the latter half were so simple."
"It's very straightforward—because that's both my limit, and yours."
"If my predictions are correct, the early positioning and mid-race phase in this race will be far more complicated than anything you've experienced so far."
"A complex start usually leads to unpredictable developments."
"At times like this, rather than guessing how opponents might act, it's best to focus all your energy on yourself, fully utilizing your own strengths."
"This is exactly why I've always emphasized timing and rhythm in races."
"As for the later stages—especially the final stretch…"
Yasui paused, shook his head, and shrugged.
"I'll be honest, even if it might disappoint you."
"Compared to some of your rivals, your most obvious weakness is your late kick."
"And unfortunately, that's precisely what's crucial in the final stretch. So tell me, what other instructions can I give you?"
He finished jokingly, not wanting his Uma Musume to feel discouraged.
Yet, contrary to his expectations, Kitasan became suddenly energized.
"Oh—I get it now!"
Yasui blinked in confusion.
"What exactly did you get…?"
"As long as I perform well in the early and middle stages, my opponents might never even get the chance to use their late kicks!"
With eyes bright and fists clenched tight, Kitasan declared confidently:
"If I don't do well early on, even if I had Vodka-senpai's incredible finishing speed, it'd be useless!"
"That's exactly what you were thinking, right, Trainer?"
…Oh, wow.
It's not the first time I've noticed, but still…
Momentarily speechless, Yasui broke into a genuine smile and reached out to affectionately ruffle Kitasan's hair.
"You really are something, Kita-chan. That's precisely what I was going to remind you of just before the race. But it seems like there's no need now."
"Hehehe~ Sometimes I do manage to think things through, you know!"
Visibly excited, the black-haired girl's ears and tail began swaying energetically—clearly signaling she was in absolutely perfect form.