Chapter 65. Determination
Even with Sunny Brian drawing wide, Shuta An did not relax his planning.
He revised Silence Suzuka's Tenno Sho (Autumn) blueprint with precise attention to sectional distribution.
Sunny Brian's historical data showed that in her career wins, her fastest 1000-meter split hovered around 61 seconds. In the Hyakunichiso Special, when she forced the tempo to roughly 59 seconds early, she faded to fifth. The inference was straightforward: her high-speed cruising capacity under sustained pressure was limited.
Add to that the fact that this would be her comeback race after injury.
Probability suggested she would not adopt an overly aggressive early burn.
But probability was not certainty.
The structural reality of the 2000 meters at Tokyo Racecourse remained decisive. A bend arrives quickly after the start. Securing rail control early determines energy efficiency for the remainder of the race.
Shuta An fixed Suzuka's target: 58.5 seconds for the first 1000 meters.
Fast. Intentionally so.
But not reckless.
On Tokyo's firm turf, 57-second splits were possible. They were also self-destructive.
He would never permit Silence Suzuka to burn herself into vulnerability. The winner is the one who sustains velocity through the final 200 meters, not the one who dazzles at 800.
After receiving the plan, Silence Suzuka reviewed footage of all eleven rivals.
Her internal conclusion diverged slightly from her Trainer's.
Only Sunny Brian truly threatened her control of the lead.
As a fellow front-running specialist, Suzuka evaluated intent differently.
Even at 58.5 seconds, Sunny Brian might follow.
If I were returning from injury, I would seize the lead to prove nothing has changed.
She considered telling Shuta An. But, she chose not to.
—
The following afternoon, Shuta An was summoned to the Student Council office.
He accepted tea from Maruzensky with a polite nod, then turned toward Symboli Rudolf behind the desk.
The topic was not strategy.
It was attire.
If Silence Suzuka won the Tenno Sho (Autumn), she would qualify for a second G1-winning uniform as a domestic double-G1 holder. Design drafts were ready. They needed preliminary selection without distracting her before race day.
Shuta An twitched slightly.
"I'm not confident I can select something she'll like."
Symboli Rudolf regarded him with mild skepticism. "If you choose it, she will like it."
Shuta An stood up.
"Discuss it after she wins. Or does the URA Association already assume Sunny Brian will lose?"
Rudolf smiled faintly.
"It isn't underestimation. According to Sunny Brian's Trainer, her condition is not fully restored."
Shuta An stopped.
"Not fully recovered? And she's still running?"
"Yes. It was her decision. She insists on settling matters at Tokyo."
Maruzensky added context. Ever since Silence Suzuka's dominant Dubai Turf victory earlier that year, debate had intensified regarding the strongest front-runner of their generation. Sunny Brian possessed two Classics. Suzuka held three G1s, including two overseas.
Prestige calculus remained contested.
Shuta An shrugged.
"Until she defeats Sunny Brian directly, some will always hesitate to call her the strongest. But what meaning is there in defeating an opponent who isn't at peak condition?"
He exhaled slowly.
"To long for a showdown for over a year and discover your rival isn't fully ready—That's anticlimactic."
He requested one thing only: do not tell Suzuka. Information asymmetry regarding opponent condition could distort psychological focus.
Symboli Rudolf acknowledged that even sharing the detail bordered on procedural violation.
Shuta An waved it off and left.
Outside the office, he paused.
Silence Suzuka no longer required incremental G1 accumulation to build reputation. She required high-stakes validation—contests against elite opposition at full strength.
In Japan, only the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Takarazuka Kinen truly met that threshold for her. His earlier Australian campaign concept had been motivated by similar logic: strong middle-distance G1 competition with meaningful international prestige.
A weakened rival simplified victory.
It diminished narrative weight.
He tapped his cheeks lightly, resetting his focus.
"First, win what's in front of us."
Then he walked back to his office, race geometry and pace charts already reorganizing in his mind.
On Sunday, when Shuta An arrived at Tokyo Racecourse, he did not come alone.
At Mejiro Dober's request, he brought Agnes Digital to the VIP box. The message had been unusually earnest, and since Dober rarely asked him for anything, he had no intention of refusing and risking deepening her lingering anxieties. After confirming arrangements with Oguri Cap and the others, he agreed.
Agnes Digital followed him in with quiet composure.
"What would you like to drink?" Shuta An asked, opening the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of sparkling water for himself.
"Carrot juice, please, Trainer."
Exactly as expected.
They sat facing each other. After a small sip, Agnes Digital finally voiced the question she had been holding back.
"Trainer, in yesterday's magazine interview, you spoke very highly of Suzuka-senpai's preparation."
She quoted him verbatim: Silence Suzuka's performance in the Arlington Million had demonstrated superior stamina and speed suited to Tokyo's high-tempo turf. No opponent would easily deprive her of the lead. Special drills had been implemented to prepare for sustained pressure from pursuers. He had expressed full confidence and hoped to deliver a result worthy of the fans.
Shuta An set his bottle down.
"This race means something personal to Suzuka. I hardly need to push her—she'll prepare at 120% for the Tenno Sho (Autumn)."
"Because Sunny Brian-senpai has returned?" Agnes Digital asked immediately. "Only by defeating Sunny Brian-senpai can she truly break through what happened in the Classics."
"That's right."
He did not sound surprised she had deduced it.
"But I suspect Suzuka may feel disappointed afterward."
Agnes Digital blinked. "Disappointed? She finally gets her rematch—"
Then realization dawned. "Trainer—do you think Sunny Brian-senpai won't perform at her best today?"
Shuta An offered no verbal confirmation.
Agnes Digital lowered her gaze, processing it. As someone who adored every Uma Musume competing in the Twinkle Series, she wished to see each of them at full strength. The thought of a beloved rival underperforming dampened her mood.
Seeing her expression, Shuta An added evenly, "It's only speculation. She's been away from racing for a long time. Front-runners rely heavily on race sharpness. That edge can dull. But she may have regained it. Until the gates open, no one can predict the outcome."
Agnes Digital nodded firmly.
—
In the waiting room, Silence Suzuka watched the live broadcast.
"The turf is extremely dry today," the commentator observed. "Despite a month of wear on the inner lane, two of the three turf races so far were won by horses that secured early position on the rail. This year's Tenno Sho (Autumn) appears favorable to front-running and forward tactics."
Suzuka closed her eyes and reconstructed Shuta An's briefing.
Five rivals were likely to adopt forward positioning.
With Sunny Brian present, they would more likely track her rather than challenge Suzuka directly.
Offside Trap, coming off consecutive victories in the Tanabata Sho and Niigata Kinen, usually settled back but shifted forward in high-speed scenarios.
Stay Gold, who had nearly reeled her in during the Takarazuka Kinen, would certainly be instructed to take a more aggressive position.
Silent Hunter, a natural front-runner and winner of the Niigata Daishoten, would likely concede and sit third given the pace battle expected.
Running Gale, last year's Yayoi Sho winner, had underperformed recently; forward placement was likely, but not decisive.
T.M Oorashi, whom she had already faced at Takarazuka, did not present a primary concern within a crowded pace cluster.
In practical terms, only Sunny Brian truly mattered.
Even Mejiro Bright of the Mejiro family was less threatening over this distance. As Shuta An had assessed, the Tokyo 2000 meters was slightly short for a runner trained under "Endurance Mejiro" methodology.
Suzuka tightened her fists.
"This is my rematch. I will lead at full strength. Let's see whether Sunny Brian dares to follow."
—
In another waiting room, Sunny Brian pressed a warm towel against her feet and sipped apple juice.
"My condition isn't fully restored," she murmured. "Eighty percent—perhaps ninety."
She thought of her rival.
Silence Suzuka would not hesitate. Since changing Trainers, her racing pattern had shifted from restraint to decisive aggression. And in a comeback race, no competitor would burn with stronger resolve than Suzuka.
Yet Sunny Brian did not retreat from that thought.
"I am a Derby champion. I stand at the summit of my generation. I will not shrink from a formidable opponent. Even at ninety percent, I will repel her and defend the dignity of a Derby Uma Musume."
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