When Kitahara learned that Oguri Cap wanted to participate in the Tokai Derby, he felt a bit disappointed. What he had really hoped for was for her to run in the Tokyo Derby.
If the top-tier races of the Twinkle series represented the honor of Uma Musume, then the Tokyo Derby, which every Uma Musume could only enter once in her lifetime, was the most dazzling jewel of that crown.
To put it bluntly, Japanese Uma Musume could be divided into two categories: ordinary Uma Musume and Derby Uma Musume—those who had won the Japanese Derby.
Eligibility for the Tokyo Derby was strictly limited to horse girls within two years of their full bloom (prime racing readiness). And no matter how talented, a Uma Musume needed months of training and actual races after reaching full bloom, otherwise she would not accumulate the experience and fan base required to qualify.
The preparation process for this race was different from all others. In other words, the actual time a Uma Musume could truly prepare for the Tokyo Derby was less than a year.
And within such a short span, defeating other Uma Musume couldn't be done with speed and strength alone.
After all, if a Uma Musume could complete training and win enough races in about a year to qualify, she clearly wasn't lacking in speed or strength to begin with.
Thus, the consensus in the racing world was that winning the Tokyo Derby required something intangible—luck.
The luckiest Uma Musume were the ones who could win the Derby. That was the nation's common belief.
Kitahara had sincerely hoped Oguri Cap could become such a Uma Musume. But the truth was—she wasn't a lucky one.
Because, no matter the world, she had never even qualified for the Tokyo Derby.
In Kitahara's original world, in Oguri Cap's era, the URA (Japan Uma Musume Racing Association) had rigid, outdated rules. To even register for the Derby, one needed the right pedigree, a solid record, and to apply before a strict deadline. Once the deadline passed, no matter the achievements afterward, late registration was impossible.
Oguri Cap, coming from a modest local ranch, had only been noticed by Central after consecutive victories, but by then the registration period had already closed.
In this world, it was the same story—Oguri Cap had no realistic path to the Derby.
Kitahara had calculated it carefully: to qualify for the Tokyo Derby, assuming Oguri Cap kept an undefeated streak, she would need at least 20 local races won.
And all victories.
But even in the best-case scenario, before next year's Derby, he could only arrange about 15 races for her.
This already included her two wins so far, and assumed she would continue undefeated.
From June to the end of May next year, roughly 12 months, that meant a race every two weeks on average. Even if Oguri Cap's diet and training kept her body at peak condition, and even though most local races were only 800–1400m and relatively low intensity, this was already the absolute limit.
And local races simply didn't build up enough fans. Without Central's spotlight, under URA's current rules, she had no chance at the Tokyo Derby.
There was only one possible loophole: if Central recognized Oguri Cap right now and she immediately joined G3-level or higher races, then just five wins would be enough to qualify for the Derby.
In Central, with its massive spotlight, gaining fans was effortless. And Oguri Cap was both strong and uniquely captivating in personality—if she won a few top races, she would draw attention whether she wanted to or not.
"...As for the Tokyo Derby, let's just take it one step at a time. After all, this world's Oguri Cap is different from the original—her goal is the Tokai Derby. And with me here, Belno Light's debut shouldn't be a problem either."
That was Kitahara's final thought. "It's not impossible for me to qualify as a Central trainer either. So right now, what matters is steady accumulation and working hard with them."
Once Oguri Cap and Belno Light set their sights on the Tokai Derby and debut race respectively, they followed Kitahara's training and race schedules day after day.
Both girls were straightforward in nature. They had no complaints about the arrangements and threw themselves into training earnestly.
As time passed, other Uma Musume also grew much closer to them.
For instance, although rivals, Fujimasa March did not treat Oguri Cap coldly; on the contrary, she often sought her out to train together, and the two gradually became friends.
Even Norn Ace, Rudy Lemono, and Mini The Lady, who had once ostracized Oguri Cap, began to soften. They had initially been Fujimasa March's fans, but now they cheered for Oguri Cap as well. During victory stages, the three would shout themselves hoarse supporting both horse girls.
These improved relationships brought unexpected benefits.
Noren Ace's family ran a dance studio. The ballroom ticket Belno Light had once received came from her. Later, Oguri Cap often went with Belno Light to Norn Ace's place to practice, sometimes with other friends too. They would rehearse and even choreograph routines together.
Thanks to this, both Oguri Cap and Belno Light improved their dancing rapidly. Each victory stage performance surpassed the last. Oguri Cap was no longer limited to the traditional "Kasamatsu Dance," but had begun mastering stylish, idol-like routines.
The Uma Musume' days were full of training, racing, and fun, rich with variety. In contrast, Kitahara's life was rather monotonous.
By day he busied himself arranging training and studying race strategies. By night he prepared for Central's trainer exam, scraping together professional knowledge by any means he could. He had no days off at all.
Only his dream—to help Oguri Cap, Uma Musume, and more horse girls—kept him tirelessly pushing forward.
Their combined effort and talent naturally bore fruit.
By September, Kitahara successfully passed Central Tracen Academy's written exam. Meanwhile, over those months, the two horse girls achieved remarkable records: Oguri Cap 9 wins out of 9, Belno Light 2 out of 2.
After resting for over half a month following her 9th win, Oguri Cap stepped onto the field again on October 4th—her 10th race.
The Youth Crown.
As promised, she once again faced Fujimasa March
And just like their debut match, the result was the same: Oguri Cap first, Fuji Sho Conductor second.
This time, however, the gap was far wider—three horse lengths. Two lengths more than last time.
In this world, race margins were measured in "horse lengths," each being 2.5 meters. In the other world, the unit came from the average length of a horse. In this one, it came from the outstretched arms of the "Three Goddesses" turned to stone.
But unlike the other world, where Oguri Cap had won by a mere nose length (20cm), here she had crushed her rival by 7.5 meters.
None of this surprised Kitahara.
He knew better than anyone: in the other world, Fujimasa March may have had hidden talents that eventually let her surpass Oguri Cap, only to be buried in obscurity as a local racer.
But here, with no guiding hand for her, while Oguri Cap had him as her "cheat code," the gap would only grow wider.
What did surprise him, however, was one thing.
His uncle had returned home for vacation.
His uncle—Musaka Ginjirō, a trainer at Central Tracen Academy.
(End of Chapter)