Amidst the deafening cheers, Special Week's voice naturally joined the chorus.
"Fantastic! Kita-chan, you're incredible! First place! Three wins in a row! You did amazing, Kita-chan!"
Jumping up and down incoherently, not caring whether the black-haired girl raising her arms triumphantly on the track could see her, Special Week waved her hands wildly.
"Hey—Kita-chan!—I saw the whole thing!—It was such an awesome race!"
But as she shouted, her voice gradually weakened. She rubbed her throat, coughed softly a few times, then glanced awkwardly beside her.
"Ahem… Sorry about that, Trainer Yasui. I got too excited—I didn't scare you, did I?"
She paused in confusion.
Yasui Makoto wasn't even looking at her. Nor was he shouting excitedly like everyone else.
Instead, he gripped the railing tightly, breathing shallowly, staring fixedly at Kitasan Black on the track with an unreadable expression.
Seeing this, Special Week grew worried.
"Um… Trainer Yasui, are you okay…?"
Only after repeating herself several times did Yasui slowly seem to snap out of his trance.
"Huh? What…? Oh, I'm fine."
He smiled, shaking his head slightly, then began packing up his binoculars and gear before gesturing toward the passage behind the stands.
"I need to check on Kita-chan's post-race inspection. Do you want to come along, or would you rather stay here and watch more races?"
Special Week hesitated.
She still felt Trainer Yasui's mood was somewhat strange.
She had first learned about Kitasan Black's debut from Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, and the news had made her happy for quite a while.
When she further learned that Kitasan had successfully debuted with two consecutive victories and was now entering her first graded race, she immediately decided to come down to Tokyo from Hokkaido.
Curious, she'd also asked around about Yasui Makoto.
Special Week didn't fully understand trainers, but she thought it impressive that someone his age could qualify as a trainer and immediately guide Kita-chan to two victories.
When they finally met in person, though she didn't grasp all his abilities clearly, she'd quickly noticed his exceptional observational skills. His race strategies, just as her friends had mentioned, were also surprisingly daring.
During her own career, she'd visited Nakayama Racecourse many times, cheering for both her senpai and close friends.
The bushes near the tunnel exit had actually been discovered by her and her friends long ago.
Since then, whenever they came to support their juniors, they'd hide there, never once getting caught and always surprising their kouhai.
She'd planned to surprise Kita-chan that way again today, even though she'd come alone, but Yasui had spotted her immediately.
As for race strategy, despite not having raced herself in years—and certainly not watching as frequently due to helping her mother on the ranch—she could confidently say "position pressure" wasn't something ordinary rookies could handle.
It required precise control over distance, flawless judgment of stamina, an impeccable sense of the race's rhythm, and considerable experience.
She wasn't unfamiliar with this strategy herself.
In her own Japanese Derby back then, she'd used precisely this tactic—pressuring Seiun Sky near the famous Keyaki tree, preventing her rival from cruising comfortably as she had in the Satsuki Sho.
And afterward, thanks to the stamina she'd saved using that tactic, she'd burst ahead to a commanding five-length victory.
The thing was, she'd only truly begun mastering that tactic around the Satsuki Sho and hadn't felt confident executing it until the Derby itself.
Yet Kitasan Black, in the latter half of today's race, had clearly employed the same tactic—perhaps not perfectly refined, but undeniably the same—and had executed it successfully.
Kita-chan… was she always this talented, or was it Trainer Yasui's planning that brought it out? Probably both, I guess...?
Reflecting like this, Special Week reaffirmed her earlier impression that Yasui Makoto must indeed be an exceptional trainer.
But if so, why had he worn such a strange expression just now? It couldn't be that seeing Kita-chan win actually made him unhappy, right…?
Lost in thought, she took a few steps after Yasui, then couldn't help asking again.
"Trainer Yasui… are you really sure you're alright?"
"…Hm? Oh..."
Turning blankly, Yasui saw Special Week's worried expression. He paused briefly, then shook his head with a gentle smile.
"I'm fine, really. I was just thinking about something... Let's go check on Kita-chan first."
Special Week was still a bit concerned at first, but seeing Yasui's reassuring smile quickly calmed her down.
He's probably already considering Kita-chan's future races or reviewing today's strategy. He's such a dedicated trainer. She quietly concluded this to herself.
A post-race health check was standard procedure, so Yasui and Special Week quickly went to the medical room to confirm Kitasan Black's condition.
Like before, Kitasan's examination turned out completely normal.
However, comparing the post-race data with her previous races, Yasui clearly saw she'd expended significantly more stamina today.
This wasn't unexpected.
Graded stakes differed greatly from Pre-OP and OP races—not just in prize money or popularity demands, but particularly in the intensity of competition.
The pressure Kitasan faced today—being targeted at the start, squeezed tightly before the final turn, and fiercely chased down the stretch—had never happened in her previous races, or at least never to this extent.
Such intense competition didn't merely drain physical stamina—it also taxed mental endurance, which, fundamentally, was tied to stamina itself.
Thankfully, Kitasan's stamina consumption was still within acceptable limits. Yasui felt relieved at this and immediately started pondering future training adjustments and upcoming race plans.
However, he didn't hurry to discuss these with Kitasan. After offering encouragement and reminding her to rest well, he and Special Week returned to the stands after eating dinner at the racecourse cafeteria.
The stands served not only as seating for spectators but also as an excellent spot to watch the Winner's Stage performances.
This design was standard across all racecourses.
Directly facing the stands was the central field, enclosed by the racetrack.
During normal days, the open space inside the track served as a visitor's area. On the day before races, it was sealed off to assemble stage facilities.
Once daytime races concluded and the Uma Musume rested backstage, various equipment—elevating platforms, mobile screens, speakers, fireworks—would smoothly slide into position.
When dusk settled, screens flickered on, neon lights began shimmering, and the crowd filled the stands waving colorful support sticks.
Just hours earlier, this had been a fiercely competitive racetrack. Now, it transformed into a vibrant stage bustling with music and dance.
As the Winner's Stage performances began, the entire venue exploded with energy rivaling any cheer from earlier in the day.
One after another, performances dazzling enough to rival the excitement of the races unfolded brilliantly onstage.
And finally, as the highlight race's Uma Musume stepped onto the stage, the audience's fervor reached its absolute peak.
The announcer's voice expertly guided the enthusiastic crowd:
"Everyone, share the joy of victory alongside the Uma Musume who achieved glory through tireless effort—this is the Winner's Stage!"
"Please give these girls your warmest support!"
"And at the center of the stage for this song is…"
"Kitasan Black!"