Compared to interviews with Uma Musume, interviews with Trainers often felt dull. Uma Musume, after all, could be disarmingly straightforward—sometimes even naïve—while Trainers were seasoned, slippery, and careful never to give away leverage.
Once Shuta An clearly stated—right in front of the assembled press—that his Uma Musume would not be accepting interviews, most of the reporters swarming around them dispersed almost immediately. The majority were Japanese reporters. They understood perfectly well that although the Trainer before them looked young, his standing far exceeded that of Japan's old-guard Trainers, and his industry connections were no less formidable. No one wanted to provoke Shuta An.
Another portion of the retreating crowd consisted of reporters from the West Coast. Everyone knew this man's background, and anyone hoping to stir up trouble had to consider the face of "Big Red," who was firmly entrenched there. Acting rashly would gain them nothing.
The reporters who remained were almost all from the East Coast.
Secretariat's reputation? They couldn't care less.
In fact, they were hoping to dig up something—anything—about Secretariat through the young man standing before them. If such material were released, the true decision-maker of East Coast Tracen Academy would undoubtedly be smiling from ear to ear.
Shuta An saw through their intentions immediately. After shielding the Uma Musume behind him, he motioned for Oguri Cap and the others to head straight toward the hotel. As microphones stretched toward him from all directions, he behaved as if he hadn't noticed them at all.
Only after the last of them entered the hotel did Shuta An follow. He adjusted his sideburns and ignored the Arlington Racecourse staff who came forward to greet him, offering no words in response.
"Actually, it would be okay to accept interviews, right?" Berno Light whispered. "Those reporters wouldn't ask anything too strange, would they?"
Before Shuta An could answer, a sharp voice cut in from behind.
"Prize, what are you thinking? Wouldn't it be better to just dodge political questions entirely? The moment you say anything, they'll twist it!"
Shuta An shrugged, glancing at the chestnut logistics Uma Musume. "That's exactly why. Never expect integrity from reporters."
Berno Light took those words seriously. "When Oguri enters the Dream Trophy Series, I'll really need to be careful around them."
Her agent qualification exam was scheduled for the end of the year. As a logistics Uma Musume, she had given herself only one chance. If she failed, Oguri Cap would have no choice but to hire an external agent.
On Arlington Million race day, although ten races were scheduled, only the three G1 races held formal gate-draw ceremonies.
"It's a good thing we don't need to go up and comment on the draw," Shuta An thought as he took his seat. "Otherwise, Suzuka would be under a lot of pressure."
In Japan, aside from the Arima Kinen, live draw ceremonies were rare. That meant there was usually no need to evaluate gate positions on the spot. Silence Suzuka, in particular, had little experience with this—she had never won a major Twinkle Series race, and her only interview had been a brief one after the Principal Stakes.
Improvisation wasn't something she had practiced much.
"But dealing with reporters isn't a skill you can train in daily life," Shuta An reflected. "She'll get more exposure eventually. If nothing else, she can learn from those Uma Musume who just give 'salty' answers."
He thought of a few famously indifferent racers and shook his head faintly. "Suzuka does seem like she could pull that off—"
Yet that was only on the surface. Having seen her timid side up close, it was impossible for him to truly place her in the same category as those aloof figures.
The first draw to begin was the Secretariat Stakes.
With only six Uma Musume participating, gate position mattered very little. Even if Silence Suzuka were assigned the far outside—gate six—it wouldn't hinder her ability to seize the lead.
Shuta An wasn't worried at all. Gate one or gate six made no real difference.
He had already studied the other five competitors and found none who preferred to lead aggressively. That meant Silence Suzuka could take the front without resistance.
"Thinking about it that way, there's even less pressure," he murmured.
After several names were drawn, Silence Suzuka's turn arrived.
The moment her name appeared on the large screen, both she and Shuta An straightened instinctively.
The guest conducting the draw smiled, reached into the pool, and retrieved a sealed hollow ball. With practiced ease, he opened it and displayed the slip inside.
"Four."
"It doesn't matter," Shuta An said quickly, worried Suzuka might overthink it. He clapped lightly and shifted the mood. "There's nothing to worry about. Be happy."
"I know." Silence Suzuka's voice was soft, but it reached him clearly. She nodded several times, a small smile forming at her lips. She looked genuinely satisfied with the result.
Secretariat Stakes — Final Gate Positions
Gate 1: ShowingUp — sixth place in this year's Kentucky Derby.
Gate 2: IvanDenisovich — winner of a UK G2 sprint last year, winless since.
Gate 3: GoBetween — winner of this year's Virginia Derby; a dirt-to-turf convert. Shuta An quietly judged her Trainer's decision questionable—GoBetween had performed poorly in previous turf races.
Gate 4: Silence Suzuka — though her record was less glittering than some rivals, Shuta An firmly believed her chances of victory were high.
Gate 5: NiagaraCauseway — winner of this year's American G3 Tokyo Stakes; inconsistent form, but a late runner—perfectly positioned beside Suzuka.
Gate 6: Primary — winner of a British G3 turf mile earlier in spring, returning from injury after missing the Classics.
"The draw couldn't be better for Suzuka," Shuta An murmured quietly. "Now—it's Oguri's turn."
After the gate draw ceremony for the Beverly Stakes concluded, Oguri Cap was the first competitor in the Arlington Million to have her position drawn.
Gate six.
A perfect middle gate.
"Can press forward, can chase from behind—ideal," Shuta An thought. Beneath the table, his fingers snapped together soundlessly, betraying his satisfaction.
Oguri Cap, too, clenched her fist. "A gate position well-suited for advancing," she said with quiet determination. "I must perform at my best in this comeback race!"
While the two of them were clearly pleased, several other camps wore strained expressions. No one wanted to end up in gates five or seven.
No matter what tactics were planned, there was one unavoidable reality: a seven-crown Uma Musume—personally acknowledged by the Mile Queen, Miesque—would be racing right beside them.
Every camp present recognized Oguri Cap's overwhelming strength. Each had prepared contingency plans and unconventional strategies, but all of them shared the same prerequisite—do not line up next to Oguri Cap. The sharp-eyed Gray Uma Musume would never fall for tricks attempted right under her nose.
Yet misfortune always claimed its victims.
This year's unlucky ones were PleasantVariety, winner of the G2 Arlington Stakes earlier in the season, and Prized, last year's Breeders' Cup Turf champion.
"How unlucky—" Prized's Trainer rubbed his temple in frustration. "First, those East Coast reporters messed with her emotions using verbal traps—and now we draw this gate."
"It's fine," Prized said calmly, turning to reassure him. "I won't lose to an outside Uma Musume. I'm the strongest turf runner in America right now—how could I lose to an overseas challenger?"
"For this Arlington Million, we'll need to be more aggressive early," her Trainer replied after a brief pause. "If Oguri Cap gets ahead, things will get difficult fast. Even if you won the Breeders' Cup Turf last year, this is still our first G1 of the season. We need to stay cautious."
"Alright, alright~" Prized pouted lightly, clearly unconvinced.
"There are only a few days left," Shuta An said from his seat, rubbing his hands together. "After returning to New York today, we'll check out and move closer to Arlington Racecourse. Endure it for a few days—after the race, we'll head to Florida."
"Then we'll have another month-long vacation," he added, "though for Suzuka, it's still tentative."
"Tentative?" Berno Light tilted her head, confused. "Why—"
She stopped herself midway.
She understood.
Shuta An had promised that Silence Suzuka would secure a G1 victory this year. If she failed in the Secretariat Stakes, rest would be out of the question—preparations for the next G1 would begin immediately. Unlike Berno Light and Oguri Cap, Suzuka would have no room to relax.
And if Oguri Cap were to lose the Arlington Million?
Nothing special needed to be done. Her standing in Japan no longer depended on this race. At most, she would simply train harder in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Series.
"But—" Berno Light suddenly realized something. "Ann hasn't said which Breeders' Cup race Oguri will run in, has he?"
She scratched her head. "That's strange. With Ann's work pace, he should've decided already."
Shuta An didn't hear her mutterings—but in truth, the question troubling the logistics Uma Musume was the very same dilemma occupying his mind. Unless he'd completely lost his sanity, Oguri Cap had only two realistic options in the Breeders' Cup Series:
The Turf Classic, at 2400 meters. Or the Turf Mile, at 1600 meters.
The former offered a prize purse of 1.18 million dollars. The latter, 600,000.
From a rational standpoint, the Turf Classic was the obvious choice. The classic distance fell comfortably within Oguri Cap's adaptability, and the prize money was significantly higher.
Yet emotionally—things were more complicated.
Miesque had personally acted as a lobbyist. As the reigning Mile Queen, she would undoubtedly hope that Oguri Cap—her "student" in name—would take the Mile, inherit her crown, and stand at the same summit.
"It really is a difficult choice—" Shuta An leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowing slightly. "After the Arlington Million, I'll let Oguri decide for herself."
———
Time passed quickly. Before they realized it, September 2nd had arrived.
The earliest to rise that morning were Silence Suzuka and Oguri Cap. Both were required to undergo drug testing before breakfast. All subsequent meals and even drinking water were provided directly by Arlington Racecourse—any irregularities would be their responsibility.
This differed from Japan. In the Twinkle Series, drug testing was conducted after the race and only for the winner. The inspection method itself was the same—urinalysis—but the timing carried a different weight.
After seeing Oguri Cap and Silence Suzuka off to the racecourse, Shuta An grabbed a quick breakfast at a nearby restaurant before returning to the hotel to wait for Berno Light to wake.
"They've already entered the racecourse?!" The logistics Uma Musume instantly snapped awake, sleepiness vanishing. "I'm getting up now!"
The quilt was thrown aside in a hurry. Her disheveled pajamas failed to fully conceal her figure, leaving nothing to the imagination of the young man standing beside the bed.
"Ah—!" Realizing what she'd done, Berno Light flushed crimson and dove back under the covers. She only emerged again after hurriedly straightening her clothes.
"Ann…have you eaten breakfast?" she asked, awkwardly changing the subject.
"I wasn't full at first," Shuta An replied with a smile. "But such beauty is very filling. I'm satisfied now."
"You—!" Berno Light huffed, then quickly turned away. "I'll just have coffee and eat at the racecourse."
This time, there were no assigned VIP seats—only VIP tickets. They needed to arrive early to secure a good viewing spot, and Berno Light didn't want to waste time eating elsewhere.
Understanding her urgency, Shuta An didn't linger. Instead, he helped select the clothes she would wear for the day.
"To save time later," he told himself calmly.
At least…that was his justification.