Perhaps just as the commentator mentioned, even though this race did not belong to any event in the Twinkle Series, it was still destined to leave an important mark among the horse girls.
Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate again. Aside from not being in the lead at the very beginning, before the first turn, Secretariat and Tokino Minoru seemed as if they had agreed beforehand, beginning an acceleration that looked as though it would never stop.
And the audience and commentators grew increasingly excited along with this relentless pace.
"A runaway lead! No—no, no, no! Two runaway leaders!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I know that description sounds strange, but as you can all see, that's exactly what's happening!"
"The two horse girls' lead can no longer even be described as a lead. The distance they've opened has practically split the race, the track, and even the screen into two halves!"
"Our cameras have already split into two groups, otherwise we simply wouldn't be able to capture the entire race."
"In the footage from the second group, the horse girls behind are still running, but clearly, 'barely holding on' is the only way to describe them."
"They were probably affected by the seniors ahead. Their earlier acceleration came too soon and consumed too much stamina. Now they've already slowed down."
"Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they've entered a deceleration state."
"And right now only half the race has passed. Of course—what I mean is—the halfway point of Secretariat and Tokino Minoru's race!"
"In the other footage—the first camera group—the duel between the two horse girls continues!"
"A one-on-one battle that began from the first corner!"
"We have no way of knowing what's happening between them at close range. Perhaps they said something to each other, but more likely, facing such a powerful opponent, they had no time to say anything else."
"They must both be running with everything they have, which is why we have such an incredibly spectacular race!"
"At present, Secretariat and Tokino Minoru are running side by side. They've already opened a gap of over seventeen lengths—that's the distance measured in the previous reading!"
"The gap is still widening—still widening! The two horse girls' lead is still increasing! The third corner has already passed, and the distance is still growing!"
"Just like the commentator once said during the Belmont Stakes, she—"
"No, they are moving like tremendous machines!"
"They are like flawless machines!"
"Perhaps I should correct myself again. With such overwhelming strength and such astonishing speed…"
"Perhaps in our eyes they are engaged in an intense—even frantic—competition…"
"But perhaps! For them, beings so powerful and astonishing, this is merely a performance!"
"Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen! This is a race called an 'education race.'"
"As the name suggests, this race is a demonstration from two immensely powerful, world-class seniors to their juniors."
"What true strength is, what true speed is—I think Secretariat and Tokino Minoru have given countless horse girls a wonderful lesson!"
"Be grateful, youngsters present here—especially those running on the track right now. What you are witnessing, racing toward the fourth corner and then down the final straight…"
"That—is the world! That is the summit of the world!"
It had to be said that American commentators were very different from Japanese ones.
Not only the language—the choice of words, the momentum, and the perspective were all quite different.
The commentary of this race seemed to elevate the event itself to a higher level, much like America of this era—filled with a sense of being at the very top.
But listening to this commentary while looking toward the fourth corner on the left in the distance, Kitahara suddenly felt the urge not to keep watching.
Of course, it wasn't because the race wasn't exciting.
Before the race even began, he had been so eager for it that he'd shown a bit of impatience toward the two women beside him.
When Secretariat and Tokino Minoru overtook others early in the race and his viewing was interrupted, he had even shown that impatience slightly.
Afterward, whether it was the roaring cheers from the stands or the passionate voice of the commentator, he had cheered and grown excited just like any other spectator.
But now, as the race gradually approached its conclusion and the two leading horse girls entered the final corner, he truly felt reluctant to keep watching.
Because just as he had worried halfway through the race, the "educational" effect had been too strong.
He didn't know whether the other spectators were paying attention to what was happening behind the leading pair. Although he cheered with the crowd, he had been watching closely the whole time.
And it was very clear to him that his three participating horse girls were not in the right condition.
Not just one detail wrong—their entire condition was completely off.
As a trainer, he knew exactly what the most basic requirements were for a horse girl to complete a race.
Running form: using the standard "stride run," landing on the toes rather than the full sole, with each step touching down between heel and toe.
Arm movement: naturally swinging along the body, elbows bent within roughly ninety degrees, without crossing or swaying.
Body posture: the upper body upright, the head slightly leaning forward, shoulders relaxed rather than stiff, abdomen and hips strong but not tense.
Breathing rhythm: ideally using the "long exhale, short inhale, synchronized with steps" method—long exhalations followed by quick, rhythmic breaths.
On top of these fundamentals, each horse girl had her own adjustments.
For example, Oguri Cap had a naturally low center of gravity and remarkable flexibility while running, which allowed her stride to be much longer than other horse girls. This helped reduce wind resistance and conserve stamina when changing positions.
Super Creek and Mejiro Ardan were similar. One had a respiratory system stronger than most horse girls, while the other had superior oxygen supply and brain efficiency. These differences were reflected in their breathing rhythm and posture adjustments.
Not just the three of them—every horse girl who had trained with the Eternal Team had undergone such personalized training.
But right now, Kitahara could clearly see that the abilities and techniques built through day-after-day training and races… had been forgotten by his three horse girls.
He could see it very clearly.
Before the second corner, Oguri Cap had already lost her usual low-center running style. Not only that, the direction of her upper body was wrong, and even her face was turned oddly.
With that posture, she could easily suffer a stitch or waste stamina.
Super Creek had used her strength too early. Her endurance talent was indeed extraordinary, but the 3000-meter track was the longest she had ever run. The acceleration she used to rely on during the middle or final stages simply wouldn't work here.
Mejiro Ardan was even more obvious. If her mind were clear, she would understand even better than Creek that accelerating between the second and third corners wouldn't just make victory impossible—it might even prevent her from finishing the race at all.
And in Kitahara's eyes, the three of them indeed wouldn't be able to finish normally.
Whether it was running form or timing of acceleration, those wrong choices led to one simple result—insufficient stamina.
Without stamina, there could be no speed.
The three of them… had clearly begun to decelerate.
Those were his horse girls. As a professional trainer, Kitahara knew the exact moment they began to slow down even more clearly than the commentator.
Not when the commentator said.
But precisely when their two seniors rushed into the final corner.
Which was now.
And Kitahara also knew exactly why this had happened.
…So that's how it is…
The effect of this race…
Really… was a bit too much.
Perhaps from now on, he would have to start worrying about how to comfort them.
With a complex feeling that was hard to tell whether it was regret or helplessness, Kitahara raised a hand to his forehead, closed his eyes, and forced a bitter smile.
Even with his eyes closed, he could still hear everything happening on the track.
Just like the strange silence after the race began, the entire grandstand had once again grown unusually quiet.
Against this silence, the heavy yet swift pounding of hooves striking the ground on the track sounded even clearer.
As if to emphasize those footsteps, the previously passionate commentator lowered his voice significantly, his tone becoming calmer.
"The race has reached its most critical moment."
"I believe everyone here shares the same thought."
"That we originally came to witness once again the legendary Secretariat running on the track."
"However, the mysterious and equally legendary Tokino Minoru from Japan has joined hands with Secretariat to present a spectacle far beyond our imagination."
"A one-on-one duel lasting over a thousand meters—no, over two thousand meters—indeed almost the entire three thousand meters of the race…"
"This is a level of excitement never before seen in the entire world or in the URA Twinkle Series!"
The commentator's voice grew slightly excited again, but the stands seemed even quieter.
"And now, yes, ladies and gentlemen, I know what you're waiting for."
"This is, after all, a race."
"And where there is a race…"
"There is victory and defeat."
"You're all staring toward the final corner, aren't you? I understand. Very well. You all want to witness with your own eyes the final moment of this unprecedented and breathtaking race."
"And at this very moment…"
The commentator paused briefly.
Just as mentioned earlier, although the race screens around the stadium showed everything clearly from multiple angles, no one was looking at them now.
Even the commentators were doing the same—the commentary booth had suddenly gone quiet because they were all staring at the camera feed focused on the final corner.
Beyond that corner, both the audience and commentators could see the rapidly approaching silhouettes of the horse girls.
The rails and track markers blocked most of their bodies, but nothing could hide their blink-and-you-miss-it speed.
At that speed, they were about to end the final corner battle.
Suddenly—
"They're here!"
"The first to burst out of the final corner is—"
"At the same time!"
"At the same time!"
"Side by side!"
"That's right, everyone! This time I didn't misspeak! This time I don't need to correct myself or apologize!"
"This truly is a one-on-one duel lasting the entire three thousand meters!"
"From the start, through the early stages, the middle, and all the way to the end, Secretariat and Harvest Time have been locked in a one-on-one duel!"
"And it's not over yet—not over!"
"They've exited the corner together!"
"They've exited the corner at a level never seen before!"
The entire stadium erupted.
Shrill whistles, wildly waving signs and flags of every color, cheers and screams burst upward as if detonated all at once.
"Go, Ms. Tazuna!"
"Come on! Secretariat!"
"Go! You can do it, Tokino Minoru!"
The cheering sounded chaotic, but in reality every voice was celebrating the astonishing sight of the two horse girls emerging from the corner side by side.
Even in such circumstances, Kitahara still didn't open his eyes.
He was listening.
He believed the commentator wouldn't end it so unprofessionally—the commentary certainly wasn't finished.
And as if understanding his thoughts, the commentator continued rapidly.
Kitahara opened his eyes at that moment. His gaze briefly swept over the two figures charging toward the finish line before shifting far behind them.
"Twenty lengths! It seems like twenty lengths!"
"Secretariat and Tokino Minoru have entered the final straight with a lead of twenty lengths!"
"Behind them is… Oguri Cap! She appears to have fought for position and secured third place!"
"Behind her is Super Creek, and behind her is Mejiro Ardan!"
"Come on, ladies and gentlemen, let's give all the horse girls equal applause!"
"And now back to the race itself…"
"The distance still seems to be growing! I mean, the gap between Secretariat and Tokino Minoru and the others is still widening!"
"Jesus! This is already beyond what the track's measuring instruments can calculate in real time! The actual gap might be even larger than the previously recorded twenty lengths!"
"They're heading for the finish line!"
"They're heading for the finish line!"
"Four hundred meters left… three… just over two hundred meters! My God, they're too fast!"
"Two hundred meters left—almost at the line!"
"Wonderful! Unbelievable! Amazing performance!"
"These two 'secretaries' have given us an incredible, astonishing performance!"
"50 meters!"
"The finish!"
"A gap of more than twenty lengths—possibly even over thirty!"
"Perhaps this reflects the gap between seniors and juniors, but this is still a race among horse girls, and it is truly an unbelievable performance!"
"And the winner is… oh! Not too surprising. Since they crossed the line almost simultaneously, we'll need to check the replay…"
By the time he heard this, Kitahara had already lost interest in the rest.
He rushed to the edge of the stands, vaulted over, and jumped onto the track, sprinting toward the course.
Between the grandstand and the track was usually a stretch of grass, and further inside was the safety rail along the track.
Kitahara ran straight toward that rail.
As he ran, he didn't care whether it was safe or whether anyone was calling out to stop him.
The only feeling in his heart now was regret.
This race… had gone far too far.
Actually… it shouldn't have been this extreme.
If the goal was simply to show them the world's top level, there had been many other ways.
There had been no need to do it like this.
Perhaps another trip to Europe.
Perhaps asking powerful runners like Seattle Slew to help.
There had been so many methods.
Why did I choose the most extreme one…?
I should have known.
Whether Secretariat or Tokino Minoru—anyone at their peak in that generation was an opponent that couldn't be beaten.
And this was a world of horse girls.
They weren't limited like the historical records of another world, only able to run "those" results.
If given enough preparation and the right stage…
They could run speeds that the other world could never even imagine.
So why did I arrange such a race so urgently, so extremely…?
There had clearly been many other options.
These thoughts swirled uncontrollably in Kitahara's mind.
He didn't know what expression he had now as he stood by the trackside rail.
All he felt was an indescribable blockage in his chest, as if the upper part of his lungs had lost all sensation from lack of oxygen.
I probably look completely blank right now, he vaguely thought.
But whether it was regret, the suffocating feeling, or that numbness, there was still one thing he knew for certain.
His horse girls had not finished the race yet.
As long as they had not finished—so long as they were still running—then he, their trainer, had to keep watching.
No matter what happened, he had to watch.
Cheer for them. Believe in them. Do everything he could for them.
Support them, encourage them, let them run on the stage of their dreams and run the race they dreamed of.
Yes. That's right. So—
The strange numbness in his upper body faded slightly.
He clenched his teeth hard, fists tightening at his sides, and turned his head toward the final corner that had been the center of everyone's attention moments ago.
Thirty seconds ago, it truly had been the center of attention.
Everyone in the stadium who had their eyes open and could see had been staring there in anticipation.
But now, they were no longer looking at it.
Their gazes had shifted either to the two figures beyond the finish line or to the scoreboard across the track.
Whatever happened at the final corner no longer interested them.
What they wanted to know was only the result of the race.
As for anything else—
They probably didn't care.
"…It doesn't matter how others feel… it doesn't matter…"
With his back to the entire grandstand, facing the opposite direction of every gaze, staring tightly at the final corner hundreds of meters away, fists clenched, Kitahara parted his lips slightly.
"…I care."
…
Beyond the finish line.
"They crossed almost at the same time…"
After walking slowly for a short distance, Secretariat gradually stopped, turned around, glanced over the cheering crowd, then at the still-blank results board, and smiled faintly before looking to the side.
"At the same time…? No…"
--
Standing beside her was Tazuna Hayakawa, who had also been walking slowly just now.
Shaking her head, her gaze sweeping across the spectator stands and the results board before meeting Secretariat's eyes, Tazuna smiled.
"At our level, I think there's no need to wait for commentators to announce many things anymore."
"You won."
"By about ten centimeters or so. I could feel it—and I believe you could too."
Secretariat fell silent for a moment.
"If you had been given a little more time to adapt to American tracks… or if I had raced in Japan instead, perhaps this victory—"
"A win is a win, and a loss is a loss. There's nothing more to say."
Before Secretariat could finish, Tazuna shook her head and brushed her long hair back with one hand.
"Not every race I ran back in my day was one I was perfectly prepared for. But I still won them."
"I think the same should apply to you."
"I remember American horse girls being the kind who say exactly what they mean. I didn't expect you to hesitate like this."
"It's not hesitation, it's just—"
Halfway through her sentence, Secretariat suddenly widened her eyes and pointed at the top of Tazuna's head.
"Your… your ears…"
"And your tail…"
"Can they really… disappear?"
She pointed behind Tazuna.
From the moment they first met until the race ended just now, Tazuna had looked unmistakably like a horse girl.
Brown ears.
A brown tail.
Those were distinctive traits of horse girls.
But when she had just brushed her hair back, both the ears and tail had vanished.
Now she looked exactly like a human woman, with no trace of a horse girl's appearance.
"Yeah… my situation is a bit complicated."
Tazuna tapped her chin thoughtfully, then raised a finger and smiled.
"I suppose you could say I exist somewhere between a human and a horse girl."
"I don't fully understand it myself. But Chairman Kitahara once speculated it might have something to do with the Three Goddess."
"And the horse girl state only appears when emotions reach a certain level."
"Normally… I look like what you see right now."
"But in this state, even though I'm still fast, I definitely couldn't compete with you."
"That's why I had to become a horse girl again."
"Now that I think about it, there's really no need for you to say things like 'if I had more time to adapt' or 'if you raced in Japan.' I only managed to keep up with you because of this unusual condition."
"Now that the race is over, there's no need to maintain that state anymore."
As she spoke, she glanced toward a corner of the spectator stands.
"Something I've never heard of…"
Even though Secretariat had heard Tazuna's explanation before, seeing the transformation with her own eyes after initially thinking of her as a horse girl still left her stunned for a moment.
Then she suddenly straightened her posture.
"I think I owe you a sincere apology."
"I admit that earlier I truly thought you were being 'overconfident'… or 'reckless.' I sincerely apologize and hope you can forgive me."
She extended her hand.
"…You don't need to take it so seriously."
Smiling gently, Tazuna shook her hand and sighed lightly.
"This is because of Sham, isn't it?"
"I mean your comment about being 'overconfident.'"
"…How did you know?"
Secretariat looked puzzled.
"Yes… I couldn't find a good word for it. Maybe Japanese has one, but I couldn't think of one in American English."
"What I meant was… a horse girl like you trying to chase someone like me might end up like Sham—getting injured."
"When I first met you, I thought you were like her, someone who simply wanted to challenge me."
"Sham… was actually an extremely talented horse girl."
"It's just… perhaps she shouldn't have been born in the same era as me."
"When I first heard about your situation, even though it was unique and unbelievable, I still thought the same thing."
Her tone remained calm as she spoke these somewhat arrogant words, then she sighed.
"If I said that to her face she'd explode with anger… sigh. That's just her personality."
"Otherwise…"
"She wouldn't have insisted on keeping up with me during the Belmont Stakes and ended up breaking her leg."
Her expression dimmed slightly as she remembered the past.
"…Not just a fracture."
Tazuna quietly added,
"She insisted on finishing the race."
"And because of that, the injury worsened, forcing her to retire."
"How do you know that…?"
Secretariat asked again, surprised.
Then she sighed.
"Yes… if she had withdrawn mid-race and gotten treatment, with the medical technology here she could probably have recovered."
"But she insisted on finishing."
"So…"
She raised three fingers.
"In the end, three screws had to be inserted to fix the broken bone."
"And those three screws… are still there even now."
"No one ever brings this up in front of her. Or rather, no one dares to."
"Otherwise she'd definitely explode in anger."
"That's just how she is."
"I remember there's an Eastern phrase describing this kind of personality… something like 'rather break than bend.'"
"Something like that."
After giving that complicated assessment of her former rival, Secretariat looked curious again.
"So injuries, the details of Sham's condition… very few people know about them."
"How did you know, Tazuna… or wait, if you're racing now… what should I even call you?"
Hayakawa Tazuna was Tazuna's English name.
But during the race, the name used in announcements and commentary was Tokino Minoru.
"Just call me Tazuna Hayakawa."
Tazuna shook her head.
"My old name… isn't really necessary anymore."
She slowly turned around and looked toward the finish line they had crossed earlier.
"As for knowing about Sham… officially, I am the secretary to the chairman of Japan Central Tracen Academy."
"It's part of my job to investigate famous horse girls around the world and understand them thoroughly."
"So you could say it's work-related."
Seeing Tazuna turn, Secretariat stopped and turned as well.
"Work?"
Secretariat thought for a moment.
"So there's also a personal reason."
"Yes."
Tazuna nodded.
"I already told you and Ms. Penny earlier about what happened to me."
"Accumulated injuries, extreme fatigue, and then an accident during the Japanese Derby. I was infected with tetanus and almost died."
"Even though in many senses I didn't truly 'die'…"
"That feeling still terrifies me even now."
"Injuries are what concern me most. Especially injuries to younger horse girls."
"I know what that feels like."
"To have once felt the speed of the wind, to crave that speed…"
"And then never be able to run into the wind again."
"That…"
"Is something that fills every horse girl with despair."
"I know that feeling."
"So when I gather information on horse girls, I pay special attention to injuries."
"That's how I learned certain things that aren't publicly known."
"I see…"
Secretariat said softly.
Then her gaze shifted.
Like Tazuna, she looked toward the finish line.
Three figures were approaching from afar, crossing the finish line one after another just like they had earlier, gradually slowing down to cool down.
"The juniors… speaking of which, since you care so much about injuries…"
Secretariat tilted her head slightly.
"You don't seem particularly worried about those three."
"If I remember correctly… Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan, right?"
"Yes."
Tazuna nodded, then shook her head.
"It's not that I'm not worried."
"But actually… I don't need to worry."
"You probably find that hard to understand, so…"
She suddenly changed the topic.
"Your trainer, Penny Chenery, and every trainer you've ever met—they all have hobbies, right?"
"I mean outside of training and racing."
Secretariat blinked.
She didn't understand why Tazuna asked that, but answered instinctively.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"For trainers, training and racing are work."
"And work is work. No one can keep working endlessly without rest."
She suddenly laughed and shrugged exaggeratedly.
"You're a chairman's secretary, and I happen to be a chairman."
"So you should know how busy the job is."
In Tazuna's mind appeared the image of a certain small, energetic person she had known for a long time, and she couldn't help smiling.
"Yes."
"From morning until night—sometimes even until late at night."
"Association matters, academy matters, family matters…"
"Being chairman feels like work that never ends."
"Correct. Absolutely correct."
Secretariat shrugged again.
"To be honest, I really dislike all those messy administrative things."
"If Penny didn't help me, I probably would've quit long ago."
"If I could choose freely, I'd rather just run around and enjoy myself."
"But there's no helping it."
"Taking over some of the Tracen Academy responsibilities was part of the contract Penny and her team signed back then."
Thinking about the past, Secretariat frowned slightly before shaking her head and steering the conversation back.
"So yes, most people wouldn't want to keep working nonstop."
"I'm like that."
"As for Penny… she once told me that if her father hadn't passed away suddenly and forced her to take over the team, she might've become a housewife or a pastry chef."
"Even now, her hobby is baking desserts."
"Oh, and by the way, Penny's desserts are excellent."
"If you ever have the chance, you're welcome to try them."
"Of course…"
She shrugged again with a helpless smile.
"That's after I finish my work."
"Thank you for the invitation."
Tazuna nodded with a smile.
Her gaze passed briefly over the three approaching juniors and moved to the railing near the finish line.
"So whether human or horse girl…"
"Very few people would accept working nonstop forever."
"You and Penny both have hobbies outside work."
"You work, then you do what you enjoy."
"I'm the same. I like movies. On my days off, I go watch films."
"That hobby was actually introduced to me by Kurokawa—"
She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head.
"In any case, even if someone becomes a trainer because they love horse girls, I doubt many trainers spend every moment thinking only about training, racing, and horse girls."
"Even the uncle who introduced him to this industry, Ginjiro Musaka, spends his free time going to bars, vacationing in Hawaii, buying colorful Hawaiian shirts."
"Uncle? Ginjiro Musaka…?"
Secretariat repeated the words in surprise.
Then she suddenly realized something.
"'Him'…?"
"You mean—"
She followed Tazuna's gaze toward the finish line.
A figure stood there, strangely out of place with the surrounding racecourse atmosphere.
By now the race had fully ended, and the results board had announced the final result.
It displayed a dead heat, something extremely rare in horse girl races.
Whether it was the judges' decision or a compromise since this was a non-official exchange race, no one knew.
But both Secretariat and Tazuna knew the real outcome.
At the moment the result appeared, the stadium erupted into the loudest cheers since the race began.
The celebration was unmistakable.
Just from the names being shouted and the direction of people's gazes, it was clear the entire stadium's attention was focused on the two horse girls who crossed the line together.
Or perhaps not the entire stadium.
The figure standing by the finish line clearly wasn't watching them.
Instinctively, Secretariat thought that.
Even though she couldn't clearly see the man's eyes, she somehow felt he wasn't just ignoring them—
He seemed to be completely indifferent to them.
As if their fierce duel, their astonishing performance, and even their existence meant nothing.
That figure was looking only at the three horse girls standing just a dozen steps away.
"That's… Chairman Kitahara?"
Recognizing him, Secretariat shifted her gaze toward the three juniors and then back.
"You mean that Chairman Kitahara…"
Realizing what Tazuna meant, Secretariat couldn't help twitching her mouth.
"So whether it's work or entertainment…"
"He only thinks about training, racing, and horse girls?"
Her voice carried a faint laugh, as if saying that's impossible.
But Tazuna didn't laugh.
Her voice remained calm, though slightly louder.
"Yes."
"That's exactly the kind of person he is."
"You could say he doesn't really have work."
"Or entertainment."
"More precisely, his work is his entertainment, and his entertainment is his work."
"I don't know what he was like back when he was a local trainer, or even earlier."
"But now…"
"It feels like there's nothing in his mind except horse girls."
"Training. Racing."
"Discovering talent."
"Challenging limits."
"Winning."
"That's all he thinks about."
"But it's not only that."
"True top-tier horse girls are often so strong that races become boring, which is why the major URA associations rarely organize such matches."
"And before full maturation, a horse girl's talent is almost impossible to judge, so there are no races for that either."
"But running…"
"A stage to display oneself."
"A race where one can feel proud and make supporters happy."
"That is something every horse girl longs for."
"You could even call it…"
"A dream."
"Right?"
This time Secretariat didn't answer immediately.
Instead she glanced toward the three juniors again.
They stood about a dozen steps away.
Their heads were lowered, bangs covering their eyes, making it impossible to see their expressions.
As chairman of the American Federal Tracen Academy, Secretariat had plenty of experience.
She instantly understood.
Tazuna wasn't really talking to her.
She was speaking to those three girls.
"…Yes."
Secretariat finally nodded.
"That really is every horse girl's dream."
"And that young man over there…"
"That's exactly what he's trying to achieve."
Tazuna nodded heavily.
"Solid training."
"Winning race after race."
"That's just the basics."
"He achieved what could only be called a miracle."
"None of his horse girls have ever been injured in training or racing."
"He even healed injuries they had before debut."
"He already did that."
"And the relay race he started…"
"And the unprecedented Youth Cup he's about to create…"
"And the club he's building…"
"These are things he's doing now."
"He probably has many more ideas I don't even know about."
"But I'm sure he does."
"And I'm sure he'll accomplish them."
"Secretariat… to be honest, neither you nor I had particularly good trainers."
"Otherwise I wouldn't have nearly died from my injuries."
"And you wouldn't have been forced into retirement at your peak because of a contract."
"But in this world…"
"There really are trainers as outstanding as the one I just described."
"So you understand now why I'm not worried about those three juniors getting injured."
"With such an excellent trainer looking after them…"
"That kind of concern…"
"Isn't something I need to worry about."
"Don't you think so?"
As she spoke, Tazuna's words gradually became less directed at Secretariat and more scattered.
"Actually, you're not the only one who can be a little proud."
"I just don't usually say these things anymore."
"They happened a long time ago."
"How should I put it…"
Suddenly she turned around and waved her hand.
"My former name wasn't only Tokino Minoru."
"It was also…"
"Arrogant Above All."
"You've probably heard that name from him."
"So losing to me…"
"Isn't something strange."
"And if you have something to say…"
"You shouldn't be coming to me first."
(End of chapter)