After a moment of reflection, Kitahara sincerely looked at Dr. Kokubo and nodded:
"Thank you for your guidance, Dr. Kokubo. I understand." This time, he didn't rush to ask about Oguri Cap.
"Hmm, you really are a remarkable trainer, very talented. Perhaps you should consider taking the Central exams. With your talent, staying at Kasamatsu is such a waste." Dr. Kokubo didn't bring up Oguri Cap yet, instead offering a few words of advice:
"Enter the Central soon. That's where your abilities can truly be showcased."
Kitahara thought for a moment and didn't hide the truth:
"Actually, I'm already preparing for the exams, and I've passed the written test this September. Thank you for your concern, Dr. Kokubo."
"Very good. Looks like that old man Musaka finally misjudged you. You're no unambitious sap, haha."
With this casual remark, Dr. Kokubo revealed why he cared so much about Kitahara.
Before Kitahara could express his gratitude, Dr. Kokubo finally got to the main topic:
"As for Oguri Cap, her physical abilities are so strong that I can hardly believe she's a local Uma Musume."
"I've never seen a local Uma Musume with such outstanding metrics. Some of her data is rarely even seen in Central Uma Musume."
Dr. Kokubo showed a look of astonishment as he picked up a color ultrasound and indicated to Kitahara:
"Look, this is Oguri Cap's cardiac ultrasound. You don't need to focus on the images; look at the data here." He pointed to a few rows of letters and numbers along the edge:
"These rows aren't important. The key line is this one."
"This line represents the heart rate, the number of heartbeats per minute."
"For humans, it's generally between 60 and 100. Generally speaking, the lower the heart rate, especially during intense exercise, the stronger the heart."
"In simple terms, the heart must supply oxygen, nutrients, and other essentials to the body. During intense exercise, fewer beats mean less load on the heart, allowing it to operate at a higher level efficiently."
"You're a trainer; you should understand what a strong, low-heart-rate heart means."
"Uma Musumes' heart rates differ from humans', but the principle is the same. What I just explained applies to them as well."
"The majority of racehorse girls have heart rates around 30 to 40."
"Oguri Cap's is different. Her heart rate is only 24 to 27."
"This kind of heart has a specific term in medicine: an 'athlete's heart.' As the name implies, it's a heart built for athletic performance."
"I've said it: she is the strongest local Uma Musume I've ever seen. Even in the Central, she would be outstanding. I'm not exaggerating."
"Because the last time I saw such a heart was in a legendary racehorse girl—you should know her name."
"She's Symboli Rudolph, the Emperor."
"Besides an exceptionally strong heart, Oguri Cap's digestive system is also special. She possesses many digestive enzymes that most Uma Musume lack, allowing her to absorb nutrients far beyond average levels…"
"Hmm? Looks like you already knew this," Kitahara's expression confirmed to Dr. Kokubo that he understood the significance.
After patiently explaining a long list of medical details about Oguri Hat, Dr. Kokubo originally wanted to elaborate further, but seeing Kitahara's expression, he realized it was unnecessary.
Of course Kitahara already knew that Oguri Cap possessed the same kind of "Emperor Engine" as Symboli Rudolph. The checkup was just to confirm it.
Moreover, among this generation, only one other Uma Musume had such a powerful heart:
Tamamo Cross.
No wonder she's Oguri Cap's rival…
There are even others later on, like a certain undefeated "Overlord"…
But, since other world doesn't have Uma Musume like in this universe, the rest of Oguri Cap's details still needed Dr. Kokubo's careful explanation.
After a moment of thought, Kitahara didn't outright acknowledge Dr. Kokubo's assessment:
"Accurately speaking, I know Oguri Cap's strength. After all, I've seen her train and achieve ten wins in ten races."
"I just didn't know the exact data on her physical abilities, so I brought her for a checkup to provide better training."
"So, Dr. Kokubo, I'd appreciate it if you could explain the other test results in detail."
Dr. Kokubo, being responsible, had already hinted in conversation that he was on good terms with Musaka and was specifically looking out for Kitahara on his behalf.
Thus, for nearly an entire day, Dr. Kokubo and Kitahara discussed matters extensively, even sharing lunch and dinner together.
The primary focus of the discussion, naturally, was Oguri Cap.
Dr. Kokubo thoroughly analyzed all of Oguri Hat's metrics, objectively pointing out her strengths and weaknesses, and combining his years of experience examining racehorse girls, he gave many training recommendations from a medical perspective.
This gave Kitahara a new appreciation for the scientific and technological level of racehorse girl management in Japan.
Much of what Dr. Kokubo explained was well-structured and clinically effective, which Kitahara had previously only known in theory in his own world.
In this world, such concepts exist mainly in Europe and America, occasionally in places across the Pacific, like New Zealand.
And in those regions, the overall standard of racehorse girls consistently surpasses Japan's, providing a target for Japanese trainers to learn from and catch up.
Kitahara realized he needed to adjust his study methods.
Listening to Dr. Kokubo's patient explanations, Kitahara reflected:
Previously, when preparing for exams, he had mostly relied on gathering information alone, a bit like working behind closed doors.
He had also underestimated the level of Uma Musume expertise in Japan. While the overall level might lag internationally, there are outstanding experts, like Dr. Kokubo.
He resolved to seek guidance and build connections with such professionals. Dr. Kokubo even knew his uncle Musaka, who likely knew many other specialists and was himself highly skilled.
Kitahara silently vowed to be more humble and proactive in learning.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kokubo silently praised this young man.
When entrusted by his old friend Musaka, he had worried about how best to guide the nephew.
He had often heard his friend complain about his nephew being unmotivated and wayward.
Dr. Kokubo feared that failing to understand the young man could trigger rebellion, wasting effort and disappointing his friend.
However, Kitahara completely exceeded his expectations.
Calm, competent, experienced, diligent, and ambitious.
While sharing examples of examining racehorse girls, Dr. Kokubo thought:
"Such an outstanding young man is rare even in the Central. Previously, I underestimated him."
"Perhaps I can teach him more…"