"Again! Again! Incredible! Oguri Cap is accelerating once more!"
"She's at the 200-meter mark to the finish! Remarkably, she's speeding up again!"
"Oh my! I've never seen a horse girl capable of a second acceleration like this! What kind of monster… no, what kind of genius is she?! Even after already giving her all, she can accelerate again!"
"She's overtaken Fujimasa March!"
"Oguri Cap has surged ahead!"
"Oguri Cap is in the lead now!"
"It's Oguri Cap!"
The commentator's words reflected the actual race and what the audience was witnessing.
Two silvery-gray figures raced, separated by half a horse length, approaching the 200-meter mark to the finish.
After passing the 200-meter marker, the trailing figure suddenly accelerated with explosive speed visible to the naked eye, overtaking to take the lead!
The sparsely seated spectators were initially silent, then erupted into cheers as if the stands were full.
"Incredible! That ticket wasn't wasted!"
"Go, Oguri Cap! Amazing!"
"Oguri Cap! Oguri Cap!"
The noise lasted only a moment, then the cheers from Kasamatsu Racecourse became unified and orderly, all chanting the same name: Oguri Cap.
The atmosphere around Kitahara, however, contrasted sharply with the crowd.
Shibasaki was stunned, completely in awe of the race unfolding before his eyes, forgetting any embarrassment from celebrating prematurely.
Equally shocked were Kawamura Hina, Yan Genichi, and Norn Ace; the fans supporting Fujimasa March didn't even realize their banners and fans had dropped.
Belno Light forgot to cheer as well.
Kitahara, initially dumbfounded, stared at the track—this was the first time since arriving in this world that he had seen a Uma Musume race in person.
And the most spectacular Uma Musume in the race was one he had trained.
Quickly snapping out of it—or maybe not entirely—he leapt from the stands to the walkway, stumbling slightly toward the edge of the track.
The sparse crowd in Kasamatsu allowed him to run freely. Without obstacles, he dashed straight to the railing nearest the finish line.
On the way, one thought ran through his mind:
"Congratulations, Oguri Cap!" He wanted to cheer her on for winning her very first race.
As if fate had planned it, just as he took a shortcut toward the finish, the commentator announced the race result:
"Oguri Cap! First place!"
"The champion of this race is Oguri Cap! Let's cheer for her spectacular performance! Incredible! This is the pride of Kasamatsu Racecourse!"
…
After crossing the finish line and taking a few steps forward, Oguri Cap realized the race had ended. She panted lightly, staring at the nearly empty stands, listening to the exhausted cheering, and suddenly felt the emotions she had never experienced before.
…First place… winning… it really feels different from just running; even simulation races didn't feel like this.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but clench her fists tightly.
"Congratulations, Oguri Cap!" Suddenly, she heard a familiar cheer. Instinctively, she looked over and saw Kitahara, brimming with excitement, near the finish line.
"Kitahara… thank you, Kitahara," she murmured with a smile.
Since the beginning of her debut race at the start of the school term, some time had passed. During that period, Oguri Cap had clearly felt how much Kitahara, as her trainer, had devoted to her training.
The basics—running techniques, rhythm coordination, stamina management, timing for sprints—were one thing. Though she wasn't good at listening to theory, always finding it boring, Kitahara patiently taught her, and she gradually mastered a lot.
Beyond basics, the strategy for the track, situational tactics, and practical race tips—all came from Kitahara.
Interestingly, theoretical lessons made her sleepy, but when it involved specific, practical content, she picked it up instantly.
She didn't quite know why, but she naturally excelled in practical, hands-on learning.
Kitahara must have poured an incredible amount of effort into teaching both theory and practice.
Without him, she would probably still be running casually, never feeling what it was like to win like this.
So before, she ran for her mother's wish, to become an outstanding horse girl.
Now, she ran for Kitahara—to repay his effort.
With that thought, she smiled and began walking toward Kitahara.
But a voice filled with frustration came from behind, making her turn.
"Haa… haa… haa… why?! Oguri Cap! Why?!"
Turning, she saw Fujimasa March, panting heavily, sweat covering her face. Hearing those words, Oguri Cap paused:
"What do you mean, why?"
"Haa… haa… are you pretending to be clueless?!"
Grabbing her chest, twisting her uniform, Fujimasa March's calm demeanor from the showcase was gone, replaced with shock, disbelief, and frustration.
"You should have reached your limit on the first sprint! I could hear your footsteps! That was your maximum speed!"
"Then why could you sprint again?!"
"And… and… why can you breathe so evenly now?!"
Oguri Cap was momentarily stunned.
Fujimasa March's words made her realize: though she was tired, her breathing was much steadier than Fujimasa March's, and after the finish line, her breathing quickly began to recover.
"…I don't know either," Oguri Cap shook her head. "I mean, about the breathing, I really don't know."
"Maybe Kitahara knows. He's amazing; he knows everything."
She glanced at Kitahara by the finish, exchanged a look and a smile, then looked at the bewildered Fujimasa March:
"As for the second sprint, Kitahara probably knows, but I think I know a little too."
Following Fujimasa March's example, Oguri Cap grabbed her chest, "It's probably thanks to March."
Fujimasa March froze: "…My credit…?"
"Yes."
Looking sincerely at Fujimasa March, Oguri Cap's face glowed with gratitude.
"When I was around the 300-meter mark, I had already given my all. The gap between us couldn't be closed no matter what."
"It wasn't because I just wanted to win."
"My mother hoped I'd become an outstanding horse girl. Kitahara devoted so much to me. Kōki carefully chose my shoes. I had to win."
"And you're strong. No matter what, I wanted to beat you."
"Thinking of all that, I somehow found the strength to surpass you and win the race."
Smiling at the astonished Fujimasa March, Oguri Cap took a few steps forward:
"By the way, before the race you mentioned the 'Tokai Pen.' Strange name, but it must be a race."
"So…"
"Let's run together at the Tokai Pen, March!" She extended her hand, her beautiful face full of a bright smile.