[If Badrinath or Gene King wins the 2025 Hopeful Stakes, extra chapters]
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The weather forecast mentioned by Maruzensky quickly drew the team members' attention, but it didn't affect the relaxed atmosphere during dinner.
Trainers like Kitahara had always handled arrangements for training and competition, and they had already been keeping an eye on tomorrow's weather.
More importantly, just as Maruzensky had said, since the weather is something that can't be predicted far in advance, the way to respond to it was by preparing multiple race plans.
Preparing contingency plans was not particularly difficult. The major racetracks were all fixed locations, and the condition of the track under various circumstances could be measured in advance.
As the team's technician, Belno Light had always been doing exactly this kind of work.
Track conditions, also known as ground conditions, are primarily determined by one key parameter: the hardness of the ground.
Generally speaking, when there is soft turf growing, a grass track provides landing cushioning when horse girls run. This both helps them reach high speeds and allows for quick acceleration after landing.
By comparison, dirt tracks are only easier to run fast on when they are dry.
Moreover, because these tracks are usually a mix of sand, soil, and a certain asphalt or concrete base, their condition doesn't change much unless it rains.
Once it rains, however, both turf and dirt tracks undergo drastic changes. Turf and soil that have absorbed water make sustained running extremely difficult.
This is especially true during the final straight sprint, where even the simple act of lifting and placing one's feet requires great effort.
In addition, different levels of moisture lead to completely different degrees of exertion, which in turn require major changes to race strategies.
This is precisely why ground conditions need such close attention.
Normally, when there was no training demand, Belno Light would carry various professional "ground meters" to different racetracks to measure indicators such as penetration depth, stickiness, friction coefficient, and so on.
As the competitions approached, this measurement and analysis work became even more intensive, with the focus concentrated on the venue of the target race.
Ever since Inari One began preparing for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, Belno Light had been responsible for measuring and analyzing various parameters of the Chukyo Racecourse.
Thanks to her efforts, the team was fully able to prepare race plans in advance for all kinds of track conditions, such as poor, bad, or heavy ground.
However, even with thorough preparation, weather changes still affected the schedule.
According to the original plan, this trip to Kasamatsu could have been a leisurely one, with time to relax until tomorrow and even wait until late morning or noon before returning to Nagoya.
Now that circumstances had changed, the plan had to change as well.
Dinner was still lighthearted and cheerful, but once it ended, both trainers and horse girls returned to their rooms to pack their luggage.
With preparations completed ahead of time, early the next morning the group bid farewell to White Narubi and took the same bus they had arrived on, heading straight to Chukyo Racecourse.
"The rain is really heavy. It looks like today's track will be much worse than expected…"
After entering the venue in their soaked raincoats, Komiyama couldn't help but complain.
"Honestly, the weather forecast was totally inaccurate. They said 'heavy rain,' but this is basically a torrential downpour, right?"
"There's nothing that can be done about it. July weather is like this."
Shaking his head helplessly, Kitahara gazed at the continuous streams of water flowing down the floor-to-ceiling windows, his expression gradually growing serious.
"But based on experience, this kind of downpour usually doesn't last very long. The rainfall should ease up soon. Averaged out, it probably still counts as heavy rain…"
"Hey! Senpai, why are you defending the meteorological department? It's clearly a wrong forecast, okay?!"
Before Kitahara could finish, Komiyama immediately changed the direction of his complaints.
"Uh… that's not what I meant. I'm saying that if the rain really does ease up a lot, then the impact on Oguri Cap and the others will be much smaller."
After explaining, Kitahara continued in a low voice:
"And in terms of preparation, we still have to assume that this level of rainfall will continue, even though there's no typhoon approaching the coast right now."
"Although this kind of weather has a major impact on competitors, judging from the association's past arrangements, races generally won't be canceled."
Racing on rainy days was nothing unusual for horse girls. In fact, any trainer would treat rain training as a routine part of preparation.
When it comes to rainy races, one name inevitably comes to mind: Taiki Shuttle.
As Japan JRA's greatest sprinter, best male horse aged five and over, Horse of the Year, winner of the Prix Jacques Le Marois, and a Hall of Fame horse, Taiki Shuttle's career record of 11 wins and 1 third place from 13 races was outstanding across the board.
And when it comes to the most iconic race, there is no doubt it was the 1998 Yasuda Kinen.
That race was held in the rain—an exceptionally rare torrential downpour.
The track conditions at the time could no longer be described as merely "poor." It was essentially a mud track rarely seen in Japan.
With every step, mud splashed up to the height of a person.
Yet under such weather and track conditions, Taiki Shuttle unleashed a devastating final 200-meter burst, overtaking five opponents in one go with a last sectional of 33.7 seconds, winning in 1 minute 37.5 seconds and finishing 2½ lengths ahead of second place.
That race became one of the most representative Yasuda Kinen races in Japanese racing history, and one of the most classic examples of a bad-track race.
Because of it, Taiki Shuttle earned the nickname "Invincible in Heavy Rain."
In the game, earning this title also requires winning the Yasuda Kinen in rainy conditions.
That legendary race hadn't happened yet in the present timeline. In this parallel world, Taiki Shuttle was born in the United States, trained in Ireland, and only later came to Japan to compete.
Judging by the timeline, she was probably still in the U.S. or already in Ireland, but in any case, there was no registered competitor record for her with the Japan URA Association.
Even so, despite the race not yet existing on this timeline, Kitahara would not overlook it.
Setting aside pedigree and adaptability, what mattered most to fans and spectators about that Yasuda Kinen was its sheer spectacle.
For trainers, however, everything about that race—the rare Japanese rainy conditions, the poor track, the start, cruising pace, cornering, and final sprint—was invaluable reference material.
While horse racing in the other world differed from horse girl racing here, given the similarity in physical ability, and combined with the team's equipment, it was entirely possible to simulate such conditions during regular training.
By now, Oguri Cap and the others had developed solid adaptability to rainy weather and poor tracks, along with good techniques.
What remained were details in race-day arrangements.
The team had arrived early, and aside from Kitahara's group, only staff and a handful of trainers and horse girls were present, making it convenient to inspect the track and adjust race conditions.
"Shoes and clothing—Light, check them thoroughly again."
As he led the team toward the track, Kitahara assigned tasks.
"We're not sure what the rain conditions will be like by the time Oguri Cap and the others race, so it's better to prepare everything."
"I remember you adjusted both water-draining shoes and waterproof ones, right? You should have everything ready?"
"Yes, no problem at all!"
Belno Light walked just beside Kitahara, nodding repeatedly. "If the rain is really heavy, we'll go with the water-draining shoes."
"That way, even if their feet are still very wet, the water gets flung off when they lift their feet, reducing discomfort and weight."
"For the waterproof ones, I specifically reduced the weight by using very light composite materials."
"Normally, waterproof running shoes are heavier than standard ones to ensure dryness inside."
"But with the ones I adjusted, that's not an issue."
After quickly reassuring him about the shoes, she thought for a moment and added proactively:
"The clothes are ready too—non-permeable, non-absorbent materials, and the designs are a bit smaller than usual."
"These can really only be worn on rainy days. The texture isn't as comfortable as regular cotton sportswear."
"Ah, if only they could wear their victory outfits in today's three races. Then we wouldn't have to worry about water permeability or absorption at all."
"That's impossible. All three races today are OP class—there's no way the URA Association would allow it."
Hearing her remark, Kitahara couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
In terms of regulations, both in Japan and worldwide, only G1 races allow victory outfits. All other races require standard sportswear.
It wasn't that associations didn't want to allow victory outfits in all races. After all, with the blessing of the Three Goddesses, victory outfits could prevent many adverse conditions and help horse girls perform even better.
For an industry with idol-like elements, better performance in races was naturally desirable.
However, precisely because of the Three Goddesses, victory outfits only function in G1 races.
In ordinary races, it's technically possible to wear them, but their special effects disappear—and may even produce negative effects.
After all, from a scientific standpoint, every single victory outfit worn by horse girls is utterly unsuitable for racing.
Take Oguri Cap, for example. A significant portion of her victory shoes are made of metal, the kind that clank loudly on concrete or indoor floors.
And the overall design is more like winter boots.
Without the G1 enhancement, wearing those shoes wouldn't just make winning impossible—running an entire race with a horse girl's leg strength might even injure her feet and legs.
Similarly, Super Creek's dress with a shoulder bag, Mejiro Ardan's gown, and Inari One's kimono—once removed from G1 races, none of them look remotely suitable for winning.
If anything, Tamamo Cross's victory outfit is the exception. It's sportswear in style, with parkour-style sneakers that are actually race-capable, making it possible to compete outside G1 races.
Even so, such clothing would still be inferior to shorter, lighter standard sportswear.
Since Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Ardan were all competing in OP races today, the idea of wearing victory outfits was clearly just Belno Light joking.
After casually responding to her joke, Kitahara was about to continue giving instructions when he suddenly thought of something and looked at the juniors following behind—Oguri Roman and the others.
This group of junior horse girls had been training with the team for some time, but they hadn't debuted yet and had no actual race experience.
Every time they came to a racetrack, they would look around as they walked, just like now, their small faces filled with faint but unmistakable longing and anticipation.
It was as if they were imagining the scene of stepping onto the track themselves after officially debuting.
"Little Oguri, and you too—Teio, McQueen—take part in the pre-race preparations this time as well."
At his words, the little ones froze in unison. Kitahara smiled and continued:
"Go with your senpai, Light. While preparing the shoes and clothes, also brew some cola ginger soup, and prepare some petroleum jelly."
"Light, take them with you to prepare."
"As for the rest of us, we'll go take a look at the track. Maruzensky, you come too."
After giving these instructions, Kitahara didn't explain much further. Amid the juniors' bewildered expressions, he adjusted his raincoat and umbrella and led the way toward the rain-soaked track.
"Uh… um, Light-senpai…"
After standing there stunned for a moment, Tokai Teio scratched her head in confusion.
"I can understand the shoes and clothes."
"But what exactly is cola ginger soup? Ginger soaked in cola?"
"And what on earth is petroleum jelly? That's so weird…"
It wasn't just her—Oguri Roman and the others also looked puzzled, all the juniors turning to Belno Light.
At first, Belno Light felt a bit awkward. She was introverted by nature and usually preferred quietly helping the team prepare equipment. She rarely attended press events or the like.
For a moment, she didn't even react to being called "senpai" by Kitahara and Tokai Teio.
"Ah… ah! You don't have to call me senpai. I actually… huh? Wait, I guess I really was a horse girl before becoming a trainee?"
Only then did she recall that before becoming a trainee, she had indeed raced herself—and with a record of two wins in two races, she'd done quite well.
She laughed awkwardly.
"Well… I guess I do count as a senpai."
After hesitating for a moment, she finally responded to Tokai Teio's question. Since it was something she handled often, her spirits lifted.
"Cola ginger soup is a very important way to prevent catching a cold. Didn't they teach this in your classes?"
She asked back, then waved her hand with a bit of seniority.
"Come with me to the competitors' preparation area first."
"They have all the equipment there, and there are pots too."
"Let's prepare it over there."
"Cola ginger soup… I've heard my older sisters talk about ginger soup—it's useful for keeping warm."
As they followed Belno Light toward the preparation area, Mejiro McQueen pondered aloud.
"I've also heard of cola. It's similar to chocolate and bananas—it provides a good amount of sugar for energy."
"But cola ginger soup…"
"Actually, when cola was first invented, it was meant to refresh the mind, relieve fatigue, and treat colds."
Seeing the juniors' confusion, Belno Light smiled.
"So besides what you mentioned, McQueen, cola can also be very helpful in rainy races if used properly."
"The trace amounts of caffeine help improve alertness and focus. When brewed into soup with ginger, it greatly reduces the chance of Oguri and the others catching a cold from getting soaked during warm-ups or races."
"Of course, after the race, they still need to change out of wet clothes, take a hot shower, and dry their hair. Those are all essential."
"I see—that makes sense."
Tokai Teio nodded, then asked again in confusion: "But what exactly is petroleum jelly?"
"Does that really help with racing?"
"Of course it does."
Belno smiled and nodded, now truly sounding like a senior as she patiently explained.
"With our physiques, even during normal running, there's a lot of friction on the body, which can cause chafing in many areas, right?"
Instinctively glancing at her friend Mejiro McQueen, then touching her own arms and rubbing her thighs, Tokai Teio nodded unconsciously.
"That's true…"
Nearby, Oguri Roman and Narita Brian made similar gestures, their expressions thoughtful.
"That's exactly it. The kind of chafing I just mentioned actually becomes more severe in rainy weather."
As she spoke, Belno Light pointed to various parts of her body.
"Elbows, armpits, inner thighs, toes—and, well… the chest."
"When soaked by rain, the skin wrinkles, right?"
"With our strength added to that, it's very easy for blisters to form in those areas."
"They might even burst during the race."
"If that happens, continued friction or rainwater irritation will be very painful—and more importantly, it will affect race performance."
"That's why applying some petroleum jelly to these areas before the race can effectively prevent such problems. It's a very important measure."
As she spoke, Belno Light grew a little proud.
"Most training teams don't pay much attention to this detail. Usually, they only treat chafing after it happens, rarely thinking about proper prevention."
"And whether it's cola or petroleum jelly, neither is prohibited by the URA Association—oh, right, they're not even considered medicine, so there's no risk of violations."
Her final point touched on a subtle yet crucial detail in training and competition.
After all, medication is the most effective way to prevent colds, but some drug components may be banned in competition.
A small oversight could lead to issues in pre- or post-race inspections, resulting in disqualification or even suspension.
"Such… unbelievably meticulous preparation…"
While Belno Light continued explaining to Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, who listened with interest, Narita Brian suddenly murmured on the side.
"With a team like this, it's hard to imagine what there is left to worry about…"
Her voice was very low. The others chatting enthusiastically didn't hear it, but Oguri Roman, standing nearby, caught part of it.
"Huh? Brian, what did you say?"
"Ah… nothing."
Facing Oguri Roman's puzzled gaze, Narita Brian instinctively shook her head, then paused and corrected herself.
"No, I was just saying that training like the Eisei Team's is probably the most comprehensive and detailed in all of Japan."
"With this level of preparation, I think there's little need to worry about many races."
"And for today's three races, I heard a bit earlier—it doesn't feel like the opponents are overwhelmingly strong."
"In that case…"
She pressed her lips together, frowning slightly.
"Why does it feel like Chief Kitahara is still somewhat worried…?"
"You noticed that too… Maybe he's still thinking about my sister's request."
Oguri Roman showed a hint of surprise, then smiled softly.
"Uncle Kitahara just looks old-fashioned. I feel that he actually cares a lot about my sister and the others."
"And of course, he cares about us too."
"He just isn't very good at expressing it."
"I agree. Even though I've only been here for less than a month, I can feel that Chief Kitahara is actually a very attentive trainer, both in life and in training."
After nodding in agreement, Narita Brian pondered further.
"If, as you say, Roman, Chief Kitahara wants to help Oguri-senpai perform even better in this race…"
After thinking for a while, she shook her head in frustration.
"It feels like there isn't much that can be done."
"Even though today's weather is bad, we already rehearsed in advance, and now we're analyzing the track on-site. In such a short time… it should be hard to improve the plan, right?"
"I… don't know either."
With a slight wry smile, Oguri Roman slowly looked through the stadium window at the rain-blurred track.
"But somehow, I feel that if it's Uncle Kitahara, he might be able to think of a better solution."
"Maybe in today's three races, whether it's my sister, or Super Creek-senpai, or Ardan-senpai, they'll all show even better performances…"
While Oguri Roman and Narita Brian were talking, out on the track outside the venue—
"Should we do a simple practice race…?"
Wearing a raincoat and looking through the relentless curtain of rain at the trainer whose face was slightly blurred, Oguri Cap shook her head, flicking water droplets off the hood.
"Now, Kitahara?"
Kitahara had indeed mentioned holding a practice race, or rather, a simple test.
Since last night—more precisely, since the phone call with his uncle—he had felt as though there was something in his heart that he couldn't quite grasp.
He couldn't say exactly what it was, only that his intuition told him it was probably related to what he'd heard from the Secretariat during the video call.
But it didn't seem to be just that. It also felt like during daily training and race preparation, he had somehow overlooked something important.
He knew that, according to the original plan, there wouldn't be any major issues with today's three races.
Yet that subtle sense of unease told him there might be something that could be changed.
And the best way to confirm that—especially before the races—was naturally to have the horse girls on the team conduct a training test.
"Not right now."
After slightly correcting her, Kitahara gazed at the track shrouded in white rain mist and said in a low voice:
"With this amount of rain, there's no way to hold a practice race. There's a risk of catching a cold."
"But all three of your races are in the afternoon. After the morning races end, there will be a gap of about two hours around noon."
"In an ideal situation, the rain should be much lighter by then. We can conduct a training test, and also use it to adapt to the track and confirm the conditions on-site."
"I think I need to confirm some ideas through this test."
(End of chapter)