After entering the bend, Oguri Cap turned her head slightly left and right, quickly confirming the relative positions of the opponents around her. Satisfied, she edged a little closer toward the inner lane.
"Everyone's spread out…That's natural. From the start to the first bend, it's only a few dozen meters."
Her thoughts remained calm and precise. "TenKeys forcing such an aggressive lead this early actually costs more stamina than a normal long straight. I'll stay hidden in the pack for now and take advantage of the slipstream. Let's see how things develop."
"This 2000-meter layout at Arlington is honestly ridiculous," Shuta An muttered, shaking his head as he watched. "You hit a bend after barely running any distance at all. For a front-runner, opening a gap here costs far more stamina than usual."
He glanced at Silence Suzuka. "Suzuka, you must've felt that when you ran earlier, right?"
"No," Silence Suzuka replied instantly, her tone firm and unhesitating. "Not at all."
"Eh?" Both Berno Light and Shuta An turned toward her in surprise.
Silence Suzuka shifted her gaze from the track to Shuta An. "When I'm running, I only think about two things."
"Two things?" Berno Light tilted her head. "What two things?"
"First—'It's wonderful to be running at the very front again, seeing the scenery all to myself.'" She paused briefly, then continued softly, "And second—'This is an opportunity Trainer gave me. I can't disappoint him.'"
"Not disappointing me," Shuta An repeated quietly. He waved a hand, avoiding her gaze, and turned back to the big screen. "As long as Suzuka gives everything she has—and doesn't disappoint herself—I won't be disappointed."
"I haven't matured enough to realize Trainer's vision yet," Silence Suzuka said, pursing her lips, "but I'll keep working toward it. At the very least, I won't drag down Team Sadalsuud."
"The most important condition," Shuta An added after a brief silence, "is that you don't get injured."
"I'll be careful," Silence Suzuka replied. Whether she truly intended to place safety first was another matter entirely.
By now, Oguri Cap had cleared the first bend and settled into fifth position—a textbook preceding spot.
"The opponents behind her don't seem interested in pushing forward to contest position here," Berno Light observed carefully. "So on the opposite straight, there's no need to worry about anyone cutting in from her right and blocking her acceleration line."
"The positioning doesn't feel nearly as fierce as the Japan Cup," she added. "Even though the distance is shorter."
"That's because of TenKeys," Shuta An explained. "With such a runaway leader up front, everyone behind is focused on conserving stamina rather than fighting for position. Securing a good enough spot is sufficient."
He continued, "Only Oguri intentionally adjusted her pace earlier to settle into the ideal senko position."
"If the second-place runner accelerates to pressure the leader," Silence Suzuka added, "the others behind would be forced to move as well."
"That depends," Shuta An narrowed his eyes. "If it were Oguri, she'd still stick to her own rhythm."
"After all…she's a seven-crown Uma Musume," Silence Suzuka thought quietly.
A faint sense of envy surfaced—but she didn't voice it.
"At the same time I was running, Oguri-senpai already had the French Two Crowns. I only have one G1 now—and after returning to Japan, there aren't even suitable G1 races for me. 2400 meters is still too long. The Japan Cup, the Arima Kinen—both are out of reach."
Her thoughts darkened.
"Does that mean I'll only be running G2 races, even though I've already won a G1?"
The joy from her earlier victory dimmed, shadowed once more by uncertainty.
Meanwhile, on the opposite straight, Oguri Cap remained entirely focused.
After confirming that no one was attempting to advance on her right, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"Should I thank TenKeys?" She thought calmly. "Because of that exaggerated lead, everyone's become cautious. They're all betting on her losing speed."
But Oguri Cap never placed her hopes on an opponent's mistake.
"The final straight is only 310 meters. I'll pull out of the pack midway through the final bend, then accelerate cleanly into open space. Three hundred and ten meters—that's more than enough for me."
This was exactly Shuta An's plan as well. Whether TenKeys ran away or not had never changed Oguri Cap's strategy for the latter half of the race.
"It's good," Shuta An murmured, watching the flow of the race unfold almost exactly as expected. "The comeback is going smoothly."
From her dorm room, Tokai Teio had already grasped the situation.
"It's because Oguri-senpai is just that strong," she said confidently, even before the final straight. "That's why she can win so easily."
There was no envy in her voice—only certainty.
"I'll be like that someday too."
—
As Oguri Cap entered the final straight, TenKeys had already exhausted herself and fallen back.
Ahead of the gray Uma Musume stretched a completely open path.
There was no need to think about breaking out of the pack. No need to activate her Zone.
All she had to do was draw upon the stamina she had preserved, drive her legs harder, lengthen her stride—and run.
One by one, she passed her opponents in this straightforward, almost unremarkable manner.
"100 meters to go! Oguri Cap has taken the lead!" The commentator's voice echoed through the bar.
"How easy—" Tojo Hana murmured, disbelief clear in her tone. "I really didn't expect this—"
What she hadn't expected—both Kitahara and Nishizaki understood perfectly.
That Oguri Cap would overcome the so-called Symboli Rudolph barrier with such ease.
The honor of Seven G1 Crowns was something Central Tracen Academy's Trainers never believed could be surpassed within a few short years—yet it had been broken by the gray monster from the local circuit.
"If Oguri Cap had competed in the Classic Triple Crown back then—" The thought surfaced in Tojo Hana's mind. "She might have become a Triple Crown Uma Musume as well."
(I don't think so. Super Creek was a beast at Kikuka Sho—seven length difference between second place in 3000 metres race.)
"In that case—Symboli Rudolph's achievements would have been completely eclipsed."
For the first time, a sense of quiet relief spread through her heart.
After Oguri Cap pulled decisively away from the pack, Shuta An turned around without hesitation and began heading toward the trackside. In the Young man's judgment, the Arlington Million had already been decided. There was no longer any room for alternative outcomes.
Silence Suzuka, standing beside him, looked momentarily puzzled, while Berno Light followed quietly without comment. Seeing the senior staff member move, the Uma Musume no longer lingered foolishly in place; she turned and walked along with them.
"The comeback race was a complete success," Shuta An said as he walked ahead, his tone calm, almost indifferent. "But there won't be any celebration tonight. We'll leave Chicago this evening and head straight to Florida—the hotel near Gulfstream Park Racecourse. I've already made the reservations."
"Like before?" Berno Light asked smoothly, picking up on his intent.
"This time, I only booked two rooms," Shuta An continued. "One single room for me, and one triple room for the three of you. Given where Gulfstream Park is located, we have to cut costs where we can."
Gulfstream Park sat close to the beach, and hotel prices in the area were even more outrageous than those in New York—especially during peak season. After all, Florida was in the middle of its tourism boom. Market economy, plain and simple.
"Oguri Cap—crosses the finish line! The French Two Crowns Uma Musume proves her strength once again!"
The live commentator's voice rang out as Shuta An stepped into the interview area near the track.
"By that count, Team Sadalsuud is today's biggest winner," Berno Light said with a smile. "Two victories out of three G1 races."
"It's a shame we didn't enter the Beverly Stakes," Silence Suzuka muttered. "Otherwise, who knows…"
"What are you even thinking?" Shuta An flicked Suzuka forehead lightly. "Our team doesn't have a single Uma Musume who still meets the entry requirements."
He shot Berno a look. "Are you suggesting that you or Oguri run two races back-to-back?"
"I'll pass," Berno Light waved her hand. "We only have Oguri and Suzuka as active Twinkle Series runners, after all."
"No helping it," Shuta An shrugged. "My team only consists of those I personally consider elite."
"Then what about when you invited me to join—" Berno Light pouted.
Shuta An immediately changed the subject. "Later, Berno will go pick up Oguri. Suzuka, you prepare for the winning live."
"Mhm, mhm!" Silence Suzuka nodded enthusiastically. "I already picked the song."
"Now that I think about it," Shuta An mused, "neither Oguri nor Suzuka has a solo single yet. I'll have to ask the URA Association about that later."
"Back then, when Symboli Rudolph won seven G1s, her first solo single was called SEVEN," he continued. "So Oguri's should be EIGHT, shouldn't it?"
He almost laughed out loud at the thought.
"Eight G1 victories—and this isn't even the end," Shuta An shook his head, refocusing as he prepared for the upcoming interview.
That evening, after the winning live concluded, Shuta An allowed the three Uma Musume to rest briefly before making preparations to depart for Florida.
Gulfstream Park currently hosted only one G1 race per year—the Florida Derby. As for the Breeders' Cup Series, its venue rotated annually, and this year marked its first time being held at Gulfstream Park. Strictly speaking, though, the series itself hadn't been around for very long.
On the way from the hotel to the airport, Shuta An recalled the unresolved issue of the next race and spoke to the Gray Uma Musume leaning against him.
"Oguri, about your next race—"
"The Breeders' Cup Turf Mile, obviously," Oguri Cap cut in without hesitation. "I'm racing against Bamboo Memory. Didn't we agree on that last year?"
"Eh—?"
Only then did Shuta An realize what he had overlooked. The words he had once used to placate Bamboo Memory came flooding back to him all at once.
"You're right—" He let out a wry laugh. "I was struggling earlier over whether to choose the Turf Mile or the Turf Classic—but it turns out I don't need to choose at all."
He shook his head, already forming new plans. "Then Suzuka will enter the Turf Classic."
"Eh?!" Silence Suzuka froze. "That's 2400 meters, isn't it? The Japanese Derby already proved I'm not well-suited for that distance."
"It's fine," Shuta An said casually, patting her shoulder. "We're not necessarily aiming to win. Think of it as experiencing the atmosphere of America's biggest annual Twinkle Series event."
He added, "If you don't want to run, you can always watch from the private box with Berno and me."
"Then I'll run," Silence Suzuka replied immediately. For an Uma Musume, the desire to race far outweighed the appeal of spectating.
"Then it's settled." Shuta An snapped his fingers. "Suzuka already has the Secretariat Stakes as her main victory, so qualifying for the Turf Classic won't be an issue."
By the time Team Sadalsuud arrived at Gulfstream Park from Chicago, it was already past midnight.
Shuta An took a quick shower, changed into his pajamas, and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly. This time, exhaustion dragged him straight into the Dream World the moment his head touched the pillow.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing once again at Arlington Racecourse, right beside the track, waiting for Oguri Cap.
"In reality, Oguri won this race with ease," he muttered. "So if I'm competing personally in the Dream World—there's no way I can perform worse than she did, right?"
He reminded himself to stay sharp—absolutely not to lose.
Unnoticed by Shuta An, the live director aimed the camera toward him.
Standing nearby, Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu—who had crossed the ocean alongside Oguri Cap—watched the Young man, his expression growing solemn. This was his first overseas expedition, and also Shadai RACEHORSE Club's first.
There was no need to remind Shuta An of how important the Arlington Million was.
He already knew.
"Do your best, Shuta-kun," Setoguchi Tsutomu murmured.
He wasn't the only one thinking that.
The members of Shadai RACEHORSE Club who had traveled from Japan alongside him felt the same way.
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