On June 5th, Team Sadalsuud checked out with their luggage, preparing to fly from Sapporo Airport to Chicago. Oguri Cap's first G1 race in America would be the Arlington Million, held at Arlington Racecourse—located in Chicago.
Shuta An was not entirely reassured about Chicago's public safety, so he had no intention of staying there during the team's initial acclimatization period.
"First, we'll take a look at Arlington Racecourse. After that, we'll relocate to New York and live in a safer area," Shuta An said while planning the itinerary with Berno Light. "As for Chicago's security situation—let's just say it's hard to feel completely at ease."
Although the cost would increase significantly, the chestnut-haired logistics Uma Musume agreed without hesitation. In her view, safety far outweighed any concern about saving money.
Even so, Shuta An had no intention of rushing off to New York the same day. After touring Arlington Racecourse, the group of four chose to rest for a night at a nearby hotel.
Perhaps because he had slept on the plane, Shuta An found himself wide awake that evening. Dressed casually in a cool T-shirt and shorts, he decided to take a short walk near the hotel. For safety reasons, he had no intention of going far.
The moment he stepped outside, he ran into Silence Suzuka, who seemed to have had the same idea. Unlike him, she wore a trench coat over her upper body, her pleated skirt falling past her knees—far more warmly dressed than Shuta An.
"Is Trainer going out as well?" Silence Suzuka blinked and asked instinctively.
"Yes. Want to go together?" Shuta An raised an eyebrow. "I'm still not comfortable letting you walk around Chicago alone at night."
"What about Oguri-senpai and Berno-senpai?" the chestnut-haired Uma Musume asked as she tidied her hair. "Shouldn't Trainer wait for them?"
"They're both adjusting to the time difference," Shuta An replied. "But you're not sleepy either, are you? If I remember correctly, you barely slept on the flight—just like Oguri and the others."
"It's my first time abroad—I'm a little too excited," Silence Suzuka admitted softly. "Even now, I don't feel sleepy at all. I thought taking a walk might help."
"If you really can't sleep, I have some melatonin. Want to try it?" Shuta An offered, looking at her lowered gaze.
Silence Suzuka looked up, met her new Trainer's eyes, then lowered her head again. "No, thank you. I just want to walk for a bit."
"Alright. Then let's go together." Shuta An didn't press the issue. Relying on medication wasn't a long-term solution anyway.
After a few quiet steps, Silence Suzuka spoke again. "I never thought that after the Japanese Derby, Trainer would accept my transfer so decisively, even without prior registration at Central."
"It was President Rudolf who opened a convenient door," Shuta An replied calmly. "Since you brought it up—I assume you've more or less come to terms with it?"
"More or less," Silence Suzuka stopped and turned toward him, offering a faint smile. "After all, Trainer already knew, didn't you?"
She didn't continue, but Shuta An understood what she meant.
"President Rudolf and I made an agreement," he said instead, deliberately changing the subject.
"I know," Silence Suzuka nodded. "Before going to Hokkaido, the President spoke with me for a long time. Winning a G1 within the year—But I still don't know how Trainer plans to arrange my race schedule."
"For now, you'll train together with Oguri," Shuta An said first, then paused slightly. "As for races, I'm considering entering you in the Secretariat Stakes—a G1 undercard held on the same day as the Arlington Million. It's a 2000-meter turf race, limited to Classic-year Uma Musume."
"The Secretariat Stakes—" Silence Suzuka hesitated. "I've heard Senior Oguri mention your connection with Senior Secretariat. Is it really alright for me to run in that race?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Shuta An replied, puzzled. "The race exists precisely for Uma Musume. More importantly, having you and Oguri race on the same day will make it easier for me to manage both of your conditions."
"Because the races are on the same day—" Silence Suzuka nodded. "Yes, that does make sense."
They fell silent again, stopping at a quiet crossroads beneath the streetlights.
"For now, don't think too much about training," Shuta An said after a long pause. "Recovery training won't start until next week." He hesitated, then finally reached out and lightly patted her shoulder. "Get some proper rest—physically and mentally. Let the pressure from the Derby fade."
"I'm fine," Silence Suzuka replied, though her voice grew softer. "That crushing defeat in the Japanese Derby was within my expectations. After all, Trainer wasn't optimistic about me back then, was he?"
"That wasn't doubt in your talent," Shuta An said seriously. "I simply believed that under Miss Tojo's training, your abilities would only truly shine on the G1 stage next year. If you had been on Team Sadalsuud at the time, I would never have said such things publicly."
"Trainer," Silence Suzuka hesitated, then suddenly asked, "Can you call me by my name? The way you do with Senior Oguri and Senior Berno."
Shuta An was taken aback, then nodded. "That's fine."
"Then…please call me," she pressed softly. (SS Creator skill is truly OP for Sunday Silence off springs)
"Suzu…ka?" He tried calling her name for the first time, without any honorific.
"Mm." Silence Suzuka clasped her hands together, smiling gently in response.
"It feels a little strange," Shuta An muttered.
"We'll get used to it, little by little," Silence Suzuka said as she turned and resumed walking. "We have plenty of time—for Trainer to get used to it."
Something about her words felt subtly off, but Shuta An chose not to dwell on it. Silence Suzuka had only just joined the team; some awkwardness was only natural.
Let's just enjoy the walk, he thought. This is my first time in Chicago as well—I should stay cautious.
In any case, if something truly happened, Shuta An wasn't too worried. After all, when it came to running speed, Silence Suzuka was more than reliable.
After accompanying Silence Suzuka on a brief stroll around the hotel, unfortunately, no additional events were triggered. With no further developments, Shuta An personally saw the Uma Musume back to her room before turning to leave.
After a quick shower, the Young man changed into his pajamas and soon fell asleep. This was likely one of the subtle benefits of the Status Viewer—ever since he gained the ability to enter the Dream World, Shuta An had never once suffered from insomnia when it was time to rest.
When he entered the Dream World, his surroundings shifted to the exterior of Chicago Airport. Just like in reality, he had traveled from Japan to the United States, preparing for a short-term riding stint centered around Arlington Racecourse and several East Coast tracks.
Originally, Shuta An believed that even with last year's American Triple Crown under his belt, his reputation would still fall short of that held by top American jockeys. Yet both he and Manager Kohara were taken aback. Once his three-month short-term riding plan—beginning in the second week of June—was officially submitted, riding invitations began pouring in from across the ocean.
In the eyes of American horse racing professionals, Sunday Silence's first two crowns could have been claimed by other elite jockeys. However, Shuta An's almost reckless surge in the final stretch of the Belmont Stakes had left a deep impression—something rarely seen even among top-tier riders. As a result, numerous renowned Trainers extended invitations, hoping to temporarily enlist this overseas prodigy. A few even attempted to persuade him to remain in the United States as a stable's main jockey for the duration of his stay.
Among them, one Trainer—Bob Baffert—was by far the most enthusiastic. Riding requests arrived in quick succession, and he even offered to relinquish half of his own share, allowing Shuta An to earn more prize money from victories than the Trainer himself. Manager Kohara's eyes had nearly turned red when he saw those terms.
But the moment Shuta An saw that name, he spoke without hesitation.
"Reject it."
Manager Kohara was stunned. He wanted to ask why, but when he caught sight of Shuta An's expression, he swallowed his words. He could swear he had never seen the Young man display such cold, murderous intent.
For Shuta An, encountering that name in this world was something he had never expected. Even if it were merely a namesake of the man who had driven him away from the West Coast in another reality, he had no intention of cooperating. What was worse—after gathering more information, he discovered that this person's appearance was eerily similar to that of the individual he loathed, which only solidified his resolve.
Later, to spare his Manager any awkwardness, Shuta An offered a more diplomatic explanation.
"I'm riding on the East Coast, and he's a West Coast Trainer. There's no real opportunity for cooperation anyway. Rejecting him outright just saves trouble."
Unlike the real world, Dream World Shuta An chose to sign a short-term lodging contract with Manager Kohara at a hotel near Arlington Racecourse. He had no intention of riding at multiple venues—after all, Oguri Cap would be challenging the Arlington Million here, and his primary purpose was to acclimate himself to the turf in advance. If time allowed, he planned to visit Gulfstream Park to inspect the course there as well.
Even so, adjusting to the time difference in the Dream World was unavoidable. After meeting with his designated American Trainer to discuss riding arrangements for the coming week, Shuta An experienced the familiar disorientation of jet lag. When he finally awoke, he washed up, packed his belongings, and prepared to bring the three Uma Musume to their next destination—New York.
"We traveled yesterday, and we're flying again today—" Oguri Cap yawned. Even though she had gone to bed early, a flight exceeding ten hours couldn't be fully offset by a single night's rest.
"There's no helping it," Shuta An shrugged. "From a training standpoint, New York is more suitable. The hotels here in Chicago don't have proper training grounds like the ones in Paris. Relying solely on gyms wouldn't be very effective."
Understanding as always, Oguri Cap stopped complaining. She simply hummed softly and shook her head, trying to clear her lingering drowsiness.
Soon after, Silence Suzuka and Berno Light emerged from their rooms, suitcases in hand.
"Let's go," Shuta An said, glancing at the three Uma Musume. "Once we arrive at the hotel in New York, everyone gets a full week off. Formal training starts next week. There are still more than two months before the Arlington Million, so even with a break, we'll have plenty of time."
His gaze lingered briefly on Oguri Cap and Silence Suzuka. "When training begins, you two will be paired together. Prepare yourselves."
Though he didn't elaborate on what that preparation entailed, the competitive spark between the two Uma Musume flared instantly. They exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.
"How nice—" Berno Light murmured quietly. "At times like this, being a support Uma Musume really makes me feel like an outsider."
Since last week, she had also taken responsibility for Silence Suzuka's logistics, effectively doubling her workload—after all, Suzuka's needs were not entirely the same as Oguri Cap's.
The hotel Shuta An selected was located exactly one kilometer from Saratoga Racecourse. Only establishments near racetracks would bother setting up proper training grounds to attract traveling Uma Musume—land prices in New York were even higher than those in Tokyo, after all.
"Phew—" After arranging his luggage, Shuta An looked around the single room he had booked and let out a quiet breath. "Looks like this will be my base for the next two months."
After the Arlington Million concluded, he would once again lead Team Sadalsuud south—from New York to Hallandale on Florida's peninsula—where they would stay at a seaside hotel to prepare for the Breeders' Cup Series at Gulfstream Park in late October.
"To be honest—" Shuta An mused inwardly, "if Suzuka had B-grade dirt adaptability, I might even consider letting her try the Breeders' Cup Classic."
But recalling the data displayed by the Status Viewer, he shook his head.
"Better not torment her."
As that thought passed, another surfaced almost immediately.
"Speaking of which—wasn't that reward I obtained perfectly suited for Suzuka?"
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