**Chapter 42: Out of Control Gate Break**
August 17th.
Even Hokkaido, the northernmost part of the country, had officially entered summer.
Kitano wiped the continuous drops of sweat from his forehead.
The afternoon was very muggy, and the figures in the stands were sparser than usual.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Kitano."
The jockey of the lead pony passing below the stands greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Minai."
Kitano nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The dark bay lead pony under Minai suddenly reared, letting out a short whinny.
"This child is cheering on its juniors," Minai said with a smile, patting the dark bay horse's back.
"Ah, yes."
Kitano nodded somewhat distractedly.
The lead pony named Mejiro Gozen was one of Mejiro Ranch's last foals.
Like the Tumi flower whose fate was sealed after spring, Mejiro Gozen did not create the miracle people had hoped for.
With two losses, the dark bay horse saw its racing career canceled in 2011.
Perhaps it was the final blessing from its name, or perhaps it was the horse's own luck.
In any case, Mejiro Gozen remained on the track after being delisted, serving as a lead pony.
Not long ago, it inexplicably saw a rise in popularity.
Occasionally, on race days, enthusiastic Horse Owners would even try to feed it.
Swishing its tail, Mejiro Gozen slowly walked towards the parade ring.
It still looked quite energetic.
Withdrawing his gaze, Kitano followed the lead pony towards the parade ring.
The parade ring was much livelier than usual.
"I'm counting on you again today."
"Please leave it to me."
Raising its head, Mejiro Pegasus's shoulder muscles trembled slightly.
"I'm counting on you too," Kitano silently said in his heart.
Then, he watched the Jockey and racehorse disappear into the distance.
Until they completely faded from sight.
Back in the stands, the Ogawa family from the producing ranch had all arrived.
And all three were dressed in formal attire.
They were sweating as much as Kitano in such weather.
Of course, aside from Ogawa Masaru, who was always a bit too enthusiastic, there was a reason for the producers to be at the racecourse.
This race was set up to encourage producers in Niikappu Town.
Therefore, only horses produced in Niikappu Town itself were allowed to run.
In addition to the normal prize money, the winning producing ranch would also receive priority breeding rights for War Declaration, a stallion belonging to the Light Horse Association, for the following year.
For many small and medium-sized ranches, this seemed to be quite an attractive offer.
"Pegasus looks to be in great condition, and its coordination with Ochiai Jockey is definitely not an issue," Kitano said first after meeting the three from the ranch.
"But the 1500-meter distance… I'm still a bit worried," Ogawa Masaru said with a concerned expression.
"Just do your best," Ogawa Take said, wiping sweat with a handkerchief.
Although he chose to attend in formal attire, he also didn't have much hope for Mejiro Pegasus winning today's race.
The previous 1200-meter race seemed to be a struggle.
The limit of its range was probably around here.
Physically, it had grown one kilogram since the last race.
On a gray horse, the change was completely unnoticeable.
And the competitors it would face might have already experienced rapid growth in the months after their debut.
"Number four, Maou O; number five, Santo Jitsugetsu; number six, Mejiro Pegasus."
On the broadcast, the commentator had already begun introducing the gate positions of the horses before the race.
"It certainly has grown, and its understanding of the race has matured quite a bit," Ogawa Kanna said, resting her right hand on her chin and pointing to the track with her left.
"Really? How can you tell?"
Ogawa Masaru looked at her with some suspicion.
While he could somewhat feel Pegasus's physical growth, wasn't "understanding of the race" something that could only be perceived once it started running?
"Of course, it's because you're not as good as I am," Ogawa Kanna said calmly, as if stating a fact.
"Damn it… Even though I…"
The boy's mumbling was instantly drowned out by a huge wave of sound.
"Mejiro!"
The cheer, conveyed by many voices, was precisely this.
Whether it was Kitano, the Horse Owner, or Ogawa Take, representing the producing ranch, or the bickering siblings, they all looked up.
"That child is loved by everyone," Kitano slowly withdrew his gaze.
On the track, the gray-white figure bobbed its head up and down, as if responding to the fans' calls.
Then, it easily entered the gate.
The lead rope loosened, and Mejiro Pegasus's front hooves pawed the ground slightly.
"Is it nervous?"
Ochiai looked down at his partner beneath him.
No—
It was probably exciting.
I was also thrilled for the upcoming race.
"All horses in the gate, Monbetsu Race 5, Niikappu Town Produced Horse Special…"
"Start!"
The moment the gates sprang open, a huge inertia pulled at Ochiai's body.
Then, he fell uncontrollably onto the horse's back.
Mejiro Pegasus had a very good start.
However—
It was a little too exciting.
He gently tugged on the reins, trying to calm Mejiro Pegasus down.
However, Mejiro Pegasus showed no intention of slowing down.
"Just leave it all to me!"
It seemed to be thinking that.
"This won't do," Ochiai said, adjusting his riding posture while manipulating the reins.
Avoiding the crowded pack on the inside track, he took a slightly wider route from the outside to reach the leading position.
The anticipated good position was behind the leading group, roughly in fourth or fifth place.
Although several different tactics had been planned before the race, such a change had not been anticipated.
In this unknown distance of 1500 meters, could it maintain the lead until the end?
He didn't have much confidence in that.
However, retreating at this point was impossible.
He just had to bite the bullet and go for it.
"Number six, Mejiro Pegasus, takes the lead, half a length behind is number three, Ruri Ningyo, followed by number five, Santo Jitsugetsu."
"Mejiro Pegasus successfully broke away, entering the first turn with approximately a one-length advantage."
Amidst the cheers and commotion, sweat slowly beaded on Ochiai's face.
Although he didn't hold much hope, he instinctively tugged on the reins.
It seemed the excitement had passed, as the gray horse actually slowed down.
Following the slightly inside route he had anticipated, it smoothly entered the turn.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ochiai turned his head.
It seemed the horses behind had judged that Mejiro Pegasus would eventually lose speed, and they weren't in a hurry to catch up.
"In that case…"
A daring idea slowly emerged in his mind.