As Kitasan Black approached the starting gates, the cheers from the stands rose to a fever pitch.
Amidst the joyful cries and excited atmosphere, a few gazes remained cool and observant.
Satono Crown crossed her arms, eyes fixed intently on the black-haired girl heading toward the gates, then leaned toward her younger sister.
"To tell you the truth, Dia-chan, I'm feeling a bit envious of Kitasan right now, racing alongside all these legendary senpai..."
Standing beside her, Satono Diamond nodded gently. "Kitasan-san has always been friendly and popular everywhere she goes. She's been close to those senpai for a long time."
After a moment's hesitation, Diamond glanced at her sister cautiously.
"Envious aside, are you perhaps feeling a bit pressured, Nee-san?"
"Pressure? Not really. Actually, compared to Kitasan..."
Satono Crown's eyes shifted slightly as her voice trailed off. She turned her gaze toward a nearby spot.
Within her sight, a short-haired Uma Musume with light-brown hair and red-white earmuffs met her gaze directly.
Recognizing Crown's attention, the brown-haired girl smiled briefly, waving casually before turning back toward the track.
"...Compared to Kitasan," Crown resumed softly, "I'm far more concerned about Duramente."
When she spoke again, her voice was noticeably quieter. Diamond had to lean in closely amid the surrounding noise to hear her sister's words clearly.
"Duramente-san, huh…?"
"Yes," Crown murmured. "The Satsuki Sho is 2000 meters. Compared to the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and Kikuka Sho, raw speed is vital—especially a strong late kick approaching the finish line."
She continued in a quiet, analytical voice:
"Our family's trainers have already analyzed Kitasan's running style. Her method is an unusual type of frontrunning, requiring very precise pacing, distance judgment, and stamina allocation. Even a slight mistake would cost her victory."
"Also, she struggles in late-stage battles. Otherwise, Cheval Grand wouldn't have nearly caught her at the Spring Stakes."
"With today's public practice race, there's ample opportunity for everyone to analyze her."
"In contrast, Duramente-san's late kick, and also…"
She glanced toward the front of the stands.
"…The late kick of Meishou Doto-san."
"Those two are far more dangerous opponents."
...
Meanwhile, at the very front row of the stands—
"...Duramente, you just said 'Mm.' Does that mean yes or no…?"
Air Groove rubbed her forehead with a slight headache, eyes on the track but keeping her attention on Duramente beside her.
She'd only learned about today's practice race the night before.
Originally scheduled for a university meeting today, she'd immediately asked a colleague to attend in her place upon hearing about the race, and personally dragged Duramente here.
Because she knew firsthand the immense ability of the Uma Musume participating alongside Kitasan—especially Special Week.
Back at the Japan Cup, she herself had raced against Special Week.
Air Groove had ultimately won, but she never once believed Special Week was any weaker. In fact, after analyzing the race with her trainer, she'd concluded that if they hadn't employed an unconventional late-run strategy, the outcome might've been entirely different.
Understanding this, Air Groove desperately wanted Duramente to experience the same level of competition.
However, her junior had always struggled socially, responding with little more than monosyllables. Even today, when asked if she wanted to participate in a similar race, Duramente had yet to clearly reply.
While Air Groove nursed her headache, Duramente stared intently at the starting gates. After a prolonged silence, she finally opened her mouth.
"'Mm' means—"
At that precise moment, Tokai Teio's lively voice resonated from the speakers around the stands.
"Alright! The moment we've all been waiting for is here! Let me hear your applause, your cheers, and your heartfelt support for our participants!"
Her energetic opening words instantly stirred the crowd's excitement. Riding this enthusiasm, Tokai Teio smoothly transitioned into introducing each participant, as if it were an official Twinkle Series event.
Compared to professional commentators, her introductions were concise—not due to lack of knowledge, but precisely because she knew the immense popularity of Special Week and the others.
Moreover, she wanted to avoid placing undue pressure on Kitasan Black.
After all, compared to her legendary seniors, Kitasan's three-month career looked pale in terms of accomplishments. If there were a popularity poll today, Kitasan would undoubtedly rank at the bottom.
To keep things fair, the starting gates had been randomly assigned, while race numbers were given according to debut order.
"Runners number 1, Special Week-san, through number 4, Gold Ship-san, have now entered their gates smoothly. Now, number 5, Kitasan Black-san, is entering her gate."
"The entry was perfect. All participants and staff, please prepare yourselves."
"Practice race, 2000 meters turf, clockwise. The track condition is Good."
"Now…START!"
Since this was preparation for the Satsuki Sho, the race conditions mirrored the actual event exactly.
But with only five Uma Musume competing, the instant the gates opened, everyone watching had a crystal-clear view of the start.
True to her role as commentator, Tokai Teio immediately called out the action unfolding before them.
"Excellent! All Uma Musume have executed a perfect start—even the usually…"
Before she could finish, Mejiro McQueen's ears twitched sharply beside her. McQueen swiftly grabbed the microphone in front of her, cutting in smoothly:
"The first to accelerate is Daiwa Scarlet-san! Just like in her official races, she's employing her specialty—frontrunning tactics!"
As usual, Tokai Teio was handling the play-by-play commentary, while Mejiro McQueen offered insightful analysis.
This time, though, McQueen had decisively intervened to cover a slight slip-up from her partner. Having been close friends with Daiwa Scarlet and Gold Ship for years, Teio had almost casually mentioned Gold Ship's notorious poor starts aloud.
Golden Ship's slower starts were no secret, and it was precisely why she frequently raced from behind. Today, seeing her friend execute a rare, flawless start, Teio had gotten overly excited, nearly blurting out the embarrassing truth.
Realizing her mistake, she was secretly grateful McQueen had covered for her, quickly resuming commentary with renewed professionalism.
"Leading the field with exceptional experience and frontrunning talent of her generation is Daiwa Scarlet-san!"
"Close behind her is her eternal rival, Vodka-san! Even in a practice race, these two show no sign of backing down from their legendary rivalry!"
"In third place currently is Kitasan Black-san. She made a solid start but unfortunately failed to secure the lead position. Let's hope she calmly handles her current placement."
"Behind her is Special Week-san, maintaining some distance from Kitasan-san. It appears she intends to employ a mid-pack running strategy."
"And unsurprisingly, in the final position is Gold Ship-san."
"As one of the most powerful active Uma Musume in today's Twinkle Series, her trademark chasing style has produced countless thrilling finishes."
"Will Gold Ship-san once again make a breathtaking last-minute rush to overtake all her rivals?"
"Let's watch closely and find out!"