Chapter 60: You're Not Allowed to Copy Her
While Makoto was organizing race data in his temporary office, Kitasan Black was watching a race on his tablet.
Once he was nearly finished, Makoto walked over to his Umamusume and glanced at the screen.
"Oh? The Wakaba Stakes, huh?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
Lifting her gaze from the screen, Kitasan Black smiled and said in admiration, "By this time tomorrow, Gold Ship-senpai will be on the track just like the ones here…"
Her eyes suddenly lit up as she turned back to the screen.
"She's coming! Here she comes—go! Sprint! Gooo!!"
Her excited voice drew Makoto's attention, and he looked at the screen just in time to see a chestnut-haired Umamusume cross the finish line.
At the same time, the voice of the race commentator rang out from the tablet's speakers.
"Akagure Zenshun! It's Akagure Zenshun!"
"A stunning win by two full lengths!"
"Let's congratulate Akagure Zenshun on a spectacular victory in the Wakaba Stakes!"
"Wooow! That was amazing!"
Kitasan Black also cheered with excitement, then turned to Makoto with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Trainer, do you think Gold Ship-senpai will win just as beautifully tomorrow as that Umamusume?"
Makoto gave it some thought.
Back in his previous life, he hadn't been a professional in horse racing. Most of what he knew came from temporary crash courses for specific tasks.
What he could remember were the most famous horses and the most high-profile races.
Gold Ship had left an impression—her victories in the Satsuki Sho, Kikuka Sho, Takarazuka Kinen, Arima Kinen, and other G1 events stood out.
As for the Hanshin Daishoten, a G2, his memory was fuzzier. He vaguely recalled she had won it, but couldn't be certain.
Still, with the knowledge and experience he had accumulated, he could make a reasonably informed guess.
"If we are talking about Gold Ship's upcoming Hanshin Daishoten, there's a pretty high chance she will."
He gestured for Kitasan to hand him the tablet as he reasoned:
"Looking at her race history and performance data, it's clear that Gold Ship excels at long-distance races."
"In terms of ability, aside from some issues with starting out of the gate, her stamina, strength, and grit are all outstanding. Her speed is above average too."
"That kind of profile is actually quite similar to yours. And thanks to her richer race experience and… her wildly unpredictable tactics, she has a clear edge in mid- to long-distance races."
"On top of that, this race is at the Hanshin Racecourse. From what I remember, aside from a single G3 loss in her debut year, she's never lost at Hanshin."
"Champion of the Kobe Shimbun Hai, back-to-back wins at the Hanshin Daishoten, two consecutive wins at the Takarazuka Kinen… With that kind of record, you could practically say Hanshin is her backyard."
"So unless—"
He hesitated for a moment.
A few days ago, when he first heard her name again, he had taken some time to recall the equivalent races in his previous life.
Especially the Takarazuka Kinen. He didn't remember it immediately, but he was sure something had happened with Gold Ship in that race.
And then it came to him—that legendary moment dubbed "The 12.1 Billion Yen Rear."
In his previous life, betting on horse racing in Japan had been legal and a major part of the industry, with astronomical sums involved.
Naturally, the biggest wagers were placed on top-tier stars like Gold Ship.
Just like in this world, Gold Ship's record at Hanshin in the other world was incredible—virtually undefeated.
So, by the time she entered her third Takarazuka Kinen, the total wagers placed on her alone had climbed to a staggering 12.1 billion yen.
And then… she blew it.
Right out of the gate, she pulled a high-kick start and instantly fell behind the pack by over 20 meters. Even someone unfamiliar with racing could tell she was never going to catch up.
Apparently realizing it herself, she just gave up and jogged through the rest of the race, finishing 15th.
Naturally, with her loss, the 12.1 billion yen in bets evaporated in an instant.
That infamous high step out of the gate was later dubbed: "The 12.1 Billion Yen Rear."
Makoto's hesitation came from the fact that, so far, this world's version of Gold Ship seemed to be following a smooth and successful path—almost identical to how things had unfolded in the parallel world. If that continued, there was a real possibility that something utterly outrageous might happen at this year's Takarazuka Kinen.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Quickly snapping back to the present, he turned his gaze toward his own black-haired Umamusume with a serious look.
"In any case, the odds of Gold Ship winning tomorrow's Hanshin Daishoten are very high."
"But her racing style… is extremely unconventional, and not something easily referenced."
"So unless I specifically tell you to—you are not allowed to imitate her."
Kitasan had been listening eagerly to his analysis, but was caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. Makoto's rare serious expression and firm voice stunned her.
She blinked several times before slowly reacting.
"O-okay… I got it…"
Then she scratched her head, a troubled look creeping onto her face.
"Actually, I always thought Gold Ship-senpai's training seemed kind of… weird. I have no idea what she's doing most of the time, but somehow she always wins."
"But if even you say that, Trainer, then I definitely won't force myself to copy her."
"Good."
Makoto gave a satisfied nod, then turned toward the whiteboard with a focused expression.
"All right, enough side talk. Let's look at your race tomorrow."
"Seems like my luck's been pretty bad lately… I drew Gate 1 for you in this one."
"Unless something really unusual happens, the innermost and outermost gates always carry unavoidable disadvantages.
"Most other trainers have probably already guessed you favor either Pace Chaser or Front Runner running style. So, it's very likely that some of them will plan counters specifically for you."
"Especially the ones in Gates 2 and 3."
"Unless something unexpected happens, those two will probably try some 'gate-play' the moment the race starts."
"Don't worry about what 'gate-play' means just yet—Actually, never mind, I'll explain it briefly."
"It refers to legitimate, rule-abiding ways of disrupting your opponent's positioning right out of the gate."
"You don't need to worry about learning it now. If it becomes necessary, I'll teach you. I might even make you practice it later."
"Now, back to the opening phase."
"Although it's a smaller chance, if the other Umamusume don't interfere with you, then stick to what we practiced. Take the lead as quickly as possible."
"Then between the 600 and 1100-meter marks, depending on the race flow, gain a solid lead."
"That's the only way to prevent your opponents from using their closing kicks in the final stretch."
"But, like I said, it's highly likely your competitors will intentionally or unintentionally try to stop you from doing that—especially in the early stage."
"Remember this: if that happens, do not fight for position. No matter what happens, do not force a position battle."
"Hold your pace steady. Endure until the first corner."
"If things go as expected… that's when your real race will begin."
This pre-race briefing went on for quite a while. Makoto used charts, video footage, and even computer-generated simulations to illustrate his points.
Once the race breakdown was complete, he moved on to analyzing the competition.
Just like the last two races, despite being on a winning streak, Kitasan Black was still not the favorite.
Slightly better than last time's 9th popularity ranking, she was currently sitting at 5th.
The top four, in order, were REAL STEEL, Danon Platina, Holy Angel, and Black Bailey.
Compared to the latter two, Makoto was more concerned about REAL STEEL and Danon Platina.
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