[Secretariat: That promise we made back then—let me fulfill it now.]
[Secretariat: Your flight ticket is already booked. Please come witness my Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.]
The moment he read the full content of Secretariat's text!
That sheer confidence practically radiated through the phone screen.
The unscrupulous young doctor fell into a brief silence.
From the data he'd dug up, two-time Crown winners in American history weren't exactly rare.
But among them, a staggering two-thirds—yes, the majority of Dual Crown winners—had stumbled at the final hurdle, the most grueling race of all: the Belmont Stakes.
You could honestly call that third race the [Wall of Sighs]! A despair-inducing barrier blocking the path to Triple Crown glory!
And yet, this big red mare showed not a trace of worry or fear. She didn't even entertain the possibility of losing—had she really gone and booked his ticket already?
"Big Red, she's really brimming with confidence, isn't she."
The newspaper in his hands had detailed just how exceptional Sham—the opponent Secretariat had defeated in both Crown races—truly was.
In terms of raw talent and ability, that genius girl named Sham was every bit the equal of many past Dual Crown winners, perhaps even strong enough to challenge America's historical Triple Crown champions.
Yet, facing [The Big Red Monster・Secretariat], she'd suffered two consecutive defeats, settling for second place both times.
And now, at the Belmont Stakes, Sham would be seeking revenge, aiming to shatter Secretariat's Triple Crown dreams!
Even though Sham's talent might rival past American Dual Crown winners—or even Triple Crown winners—Secretariat still possessed such absolute confidence?
For the toughest final leg, she showed no concern at all, even buying him a ticket and waiting for him to return to America to watch?
In the next moment, Lin Anran made his decision.
"Timing's about right. After I run the Takarazuka Kinen, I won't linger in Japan. I'll head straight for the States."
After all, he'd promised her earlier, and he was definitely going back to America anyway—no reason to stand up Secretariat.
This unscrupulous young doctor still wanted to return and squeeze those "small fry" he'd underestimated for all they were worth! He certainly couldn't leave them with the impression that he was all talk.
A good horse doesn't return to old pastures?
What a joke—he was a money-grubbing doctor through and through, not some principled thoroughbred!
Lin Anran, the unscrupulous young doctor, was actually a black-hearted miracle worker when it came to treating good horses!
"Alright, time to prepare for the Takarazuka Kinen."
"Once I wrap this up quickly, I'll return to America. It'll be good to see Big Red, Flightline, and Sunday Silence again."
Decision made, Lin Anran set down the newspaper.
Time to relax and prep for next week's Takarazuka Kinen!
Then it's transformation time: into Platinum, and off to the States!
--+--
Meanwhile.
Within Tracen Academy, on various training grounds, famous Uma Musume were receiving calls from the URA.
First, on the same training field, were same-generation Uma Musume Jungle Pocket and Kurofune.
Both girls heard their phones ringing from the bench where they'd left them.
They slowed their pace simultaneously and walked over.
Shortly after, Jungle Pocket and Kurofune picked up their phones. The moment they answered, their expressions froze in unison.
"Hello, this is staff from the Takarazuka Kinen organizing committee."
"The popularity vote ranking results are out. Congratulations, you've made the top twenty and are in the starting lineup."
"Are you willing to participate? If not, we'll offer the spot to the next ranked Uma Musume."
After hearing the content of the call, both Jungle Pocket and Kurofune's expressions stiffened.
A second later, they exchanged glances.
After a moment, Kurofune was the first to respond into her phone.
"I run dirt and mile races. Sorry, I can't make it."
Even though she'd faced off against Platinum in the Japan Derby and won a mile G1 before, with a decent overall record…
Facing the Pegasus again in middle distance? She might as well just end it all!
No chance of making it to the Pegasus' Hall of Fame—not even second place was feasible. Better to just pass.
Once Kurofune's refusal—her choice to avoid the battle—was voiced, it seemed to give Jungle Pocket a reference point.
Soon, the usually wild and confident Jungle Pocket, who'd once been so eager to defeat the Pegasus in competition, now looked utterly clear-eyed and offered her own response.
"I just ran a G2 not long ago and need recovery time. Sorry, I can't make it!"
A precious G1 like the Takarazuka Kinen?
Sorry, but she'd spent too much energy on that G2 race. Can't do it.
Won't go! Avoiding the fight!
This wasn't cowardice—it was... self-awareness! The mark of wisdom!
--+--
On another training field.
Two dark-haired girls were doing long-distance stamina training together.
Rice Shower and Manhattan Cafe also answered their phones and heard the URA's inquiry.
"Huh? Me?"
"Me, against the Pegasus?"
Both black-haired girls were famously specialized in long distance.
One had burned everything she had just to... barely scrape into the Pegasus' Hall of Fame in second-to-last place.
The other hadn't even managed top two in the Tenno Sho (Spring).
Now, jumping into a middle-distance G1 packed with strong contenders? The difficulty was just a tad too high, wasn't it?
Manhattan Cafe was the first to decline.
"Can't run middle distance. Sorry."
The petite Rice Shower hesitated, then shook her head as well.
She hadn't fully recovered from the Tenno Sho (Spring) yet, and middle distance wasn't her strength. Better not disappoint her fans at the Takarazuka Kinen.
"Rice Shower... can't win at middle distance. I won't go. Let someone stronger at middle distance take the spot."
--+--
At the Mejiro family's training ground.
Mejiro McQueen and Mejiro Dober, as G1 champions, naturally made the starting lineup via the popularity vote.
"Hah? Me?"
"No, I won't be participating in the Takarazuka Kinen."
"I'm a long-distance runner!"
Mejiro McQueen was prepared and immediately issued her battle-avoidance response.
Beside her, Mejiro Dober, upon hearing this, coolly voiced her own reply.
"No, I run mare-only races..."
Avoiding the Pegasus isn't shameful, right?
--+--
Half a day later.
A distinctly complicated atmosphere filled the URA offices.
This atmosphere lingered around the [Event Team], responsible for competitor registrations, and the [Promotion Team], handling publicity.
Several members of the Promotion Team had gathered in the Event Team's office.
"Hey, isn't the participant list finalized yet?"
"We need the confirmed list to start our work."
"What's going on? Don't drag this out too long, or we'll be stuck working overtime."
Then they saw the grim expressions on the faces of the Event Team staff.
It was as if something unbelievable was happening right before the eyes of these staffers, who were contacting star Uma Musume and tallying registrations.
One member of the Event Team finally spoke up in a weary tone, explaining the situation to them.
"We'd love to give you the list. The problem is... we can't!!"
"Out of the top twenty popular star Uma Musume slated to start, fourteen have outright refused."
"Their excuses are getting wilder by the minute: some claim they're dirt runners, mile runners, long-distance specialists! One even said she only runs mare races!"
"There's even one who said she hasn't recovered from a G2 race run one or two months ago."
"Of the remaining six, only Platinum, Tokai Teio, and Agnes Tachyon have confirmed participation. The other three are hesitating, saying they're 'considering it'—clearly just struggling to find a polite excuse to decline."
"At this rate, we just need someone to claim they only run sprints or steeplechase, and we'll have the full set. They can run anything except middle distance, is that it?"
"Which means the only list we can give you right now has just those three names!"
Once these words were spoken!
The Promotion Team members, who'd come to nag their colleagues about slacking off, stood utterly stunned.
Think about it: horse girls like Mejiro McQueen, Mejiro Dober, Manhattan Cafe, Jungle Pocket—they all had the talent to win prestigious G1 races.
Some hadn't won a crown yet, but that wasn't due to lack of skill—just bad luck running into Platinum. Their talent and ability still justified their high popularity and star status.
But now, these G1 Champions, these Uma Musume who'd entered the Pegasus' Hall of Fame, were mostly choosing to... avoid the fight? They were all steering clear of the Takarazuka Kinen, which Platinum had openly entered?
Was this—the deterrence power of Platinum, the Heavenly Pegasus?!
"???"
"Huh? Wait, all those G1 champions, collectively avoiding the race?"
"Are you serious? Only Tachyon and Teio have the courage to keep challenging the Heavenly Horse?"
Astonishment!
Upon hearing this news, their hearts were filled with nothing but shock!
This scene was something even veterans with decades of experience in the URA had never witnessed.
"Buddy, I've been here over ten years, handled thousands of races, and I've never seen anything like this."
"Yeah, the most I've seen is a heavy, rain-soaked track scaring off a few Uma Musume who can't handle the conditions, leading to maybe three or five last-minute withdrawals."
"For one Uma Musume to single-handedly scare off the vast majority? Looking back at all the races in Japan over decades... this has never happened before!"
By now, Platinum wasn't just shattering the perceptions of other Uma Musume.
She was also breaking the long-held understanding of these official event staff, built on decades of experience organizing races!
This large group of event staff felt like the sky... was falling.
"Truly worthy of Platinum, who holds the title [Eclipse], counterpart to Eclipse herself."
"It reminds me of Eclipse's solo runs, and Man o' War—who couldn't run solo but turned races into one-on-one duels."
Eclipse!
Man o' War!
The greatest in turf and dirt history: one a legendary Uma Musume from a century ago, dubbed the absolute of the ancient era; the other the modern-era monarch who reached the pinnacle of history.
"Platinum has achieved yet another great feat, something only previously accomplished by the dirt GOAT Man o' War and the turf GOAT Eclipse!"
Among the legendary tales often told about Eclipse and Man o' War, one particular item stands out.
Namely—being so powerful that they frightened opponents into avoiding races or withdrawing.
Back in Eclipse's time, a century ago, race distances, regulations, and many other aspects differed from modern competitions. Races often featured ultra-long distances of six or seven thousand meters.
The rules then stipulated that if a losing Uma Musume trailed the winning first-place finisher by a certain number of lengths, she would be penalized.
Eclipse's era-transcending talent, combined with the uneven quality of her opponents and those ultra-long distances allowing for exaggerated amounts of distance...
Thus, Eclipse became a demon king, easily achieving terrifying margins that met the criteria, using absolute strength to penalize opponent after opponent.
Finally... in some races, Eclipse could no longer find any challengers, leading to situations where she ran alone.
Yes, solo runs.
On the vast racecourse, only Eclipse, one single Uma Musume, crossed the finish line at will, with no opponents in sight.
After more than ten consecutive months with no Uma Musume willing to face Eclipse, she retired, undefeated and unmatched!
Eclipse's situation couldn't be replicated today.
Partly because race distances have been significantly shortened to the more spectator-friendly middle and long distances, which balance stamina and speed, rather than ultra-long distances.
Also because racing authorities in various countries don't allow solo runs; at least two Uma Musume are required for a race to start.
For Platinum to frighten over a dozen Uma Musume into avoiding the race, leaving only the stubborn Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio...
This situation was something only the two previous GOAT Uma Musume had achieved!
One event manager couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"In modern times, without the penalty for defeat, the only one who displayed a feat similar to Eclipse's was that once-in-a-century super legend, Man o' War!"
21 races, 20 wins, 1 second place—that was Man o' War's legendary record.
Man o' War's only career loss was due to negligence by the race officials, who started the race while Man o' War was still preparing in the rear...
It was like the starting gate hadn't even opened yet, but other Uma Musume had already broken out. It couldn't even be described as a major late start.
In that situation, Man o' War only lost by a neck, finishing second.
That loss wasn't seen as a black mark but became one of the stories passed down through the ages.
"Man o' War, the strongest on dirt, is truly mythical, Eclipse's equal."
"And Eclipse, the Pegasus Platinum—could she really reach the level of those two?"
"It seems now, that possibility exists!!"
This was a view shared by the dozen-plus event staff in the office.
Anyone in Japan who followed racing was a Platinum fan, weren't they?
Even though they fully understood how astonishing the achievements of Eclipse and Man o' War were!
Back then, the so-called once-in-a-decade, most prestigious American Triple Crown winner was outright crushed by Man o' War.
There was even a historical-level powerhouse with countless career races who, upon learning Man o' War was entering her race, directly chose to avoid participation.
That dazzling, extreme power led to situations where, in one of Man o' War's races, every single Uma Musume was scared into withdrawing.
Since modern racing rules had been updated and no longer allowed solo runs,
The racing authorities racked their brains and finally found an ordinary Uma Musume brave enough to face Man o' War in a lower-grade race.
The result... Man o' War won by an astonishing [100 lengths]! Cementing her name as a legend among legends!
And now, Platinum, the Pegasus, who achieved two crowns in one day, defeating at least world-class competitors on both turf and dirt, was truly worthy of the name Eclipse.
As the [Dual-Wielding GOAT], if Platinum continued to grow stronger, it wasn't impossible for her to reach the heights of Eclipse and Man o' War in the future!
"Wait... that's it! Since there are so few participants, let's use that as our publicity angle!"
One member of the Promotion Team, after listening to the discussion and thinking, suddenly had a flash of inspiration, raising an index finger.
He had an idea!
"Since no one's coming, let's make 'no one' our main promotional direction."
An unorthodox strategy!
Promote that Platinum had achieved the first full-field scare-off since Man o' War!
"Using [Eclipse] and [Replicating Eclipse and Man o' War] as our promotional angle will probably be much more effective than a normal campaign, right?"
"A race with twenty Uma Musume might not attract viewers, but a race with only three? That will definitely draw attention!"
The other staff members, upon hearing this, suddenly saw the light.
"Great! If it's the first time we've encountered this situation, then conversely, it must be the first time for the audience too!"
"It's not excessive to say Eclipse returns, Man o' War returns. Who wouldn't look forward to a race like that?"
"This will be the G1 race with the fewest participants in the world in the last ten years!"
"Platinum's [Last Dance], plus replicating the legendary feats of those two icons, scaring the field down to just two opponents—anyone who can resist watching this must be superhuman!"
The Event Team managers also nodded in agreement.
"Alright, we'll delay contacting the next batch of Uma Musume slightly, see if they also avoid the race."
"If they still avoid it, then our participant list is final, and we'll hand it over to the Promotion Team."
"The Pegasus' last dance must be prepared perfectly. Okay, we'll continue making calls. You can come get the list later."
Thus, the unscrupulous young doctor's final race before transforming into Platinum, the Pegasus' Last Dance in Japan, the Takarazuka Kinen…
--+--
Historically low participant numbers!!
Three days later.
The URA had officially released the participant list for the Takarazuka Kinen.
Unlike the densely packed lists of past years, featuring ten to twenty Uma Musume,
The current list was so brief that upon release, it instantly trended not just in Japan, but overseas as well!
[Takarazuka Kinen Participant List:]
[#1 Popularity: Platinum]
[#2 Popularity: Tokai Teio]
[#3 Popularity: Agnes Tachyon]
[END]
The extremely short list, shorter than any previous edition, easily shocked every viewer checking the Takarazuka Kinen lineup.
The unscrupulous young doctor, currently waking up early in his room to get ready for work, casually picked up his phone and saw the trending news about the Takarazuka Kinen list. His pupils constricted.
Originally, Lin Anran didn't pay much attention to things like race lineups.
No matter how stellar the lineup, he wouldn't get too nervous, worried, or invested.
But now... seeing the list so brief actually made Lin Anran freeze up and become interested.
"Huh?"
"Wait, only three people?"
"Excluding Platinum, that means only two others didn't avoid the fight?"
This was a scene even Lin Anran had never witnessed.
Even in those European races with high entry fees acting as barriers, there would still be at least five, six, or even seven or eight Uma Musume.
Fewer than the fingers on one hand, only three... and happening in a race originally slated for over a dozen or twenty participants!
This was far too discussion-worthy.
Intrigued, Lin Anran immediately clicked open the comments section under the news.
Soon, he saw many excited comments from Platinum fans.
"Eh? Really? Only three Uma Musume in a G1 race, the Takarazuka Kinen?"
"Hold on, this list isn't a mistake by some temp, is it?"
"Ms. Platinum is number one in the world!! I have to watch this three-horse G1, see how the Eclipse Pegasus leaves my former idol, Ms. Teio, in the dust!"
"As expected of the Pegasus. This is exactly what only Eclipse and Man o' War could do—scare off the entire field! Only Tachyon and Teio had the courage not to avoid the fight!"
"Front row, high price, buying Takarazuka Kinen tickets."
After reading, Lin Anran, with great interest, opened international sites.
Given Platinum's massive international popularity, he easily found related news about the race.
"Japan's G1 Takarazuka Kinen, Platinum's final race before Overseas Campaigns, sees Mass Avoidance!"
"Eclipse II! Platinum replicates the feats of Man o' War and Eclipse, frightening off the entire field!"
The comments below were equally filled with countless excited or fascinated remarks.
"Had zero interest in some Japanese race before, but now I have to watch."
"Pegasus, after the Takarazuka Kinen, which race will she campaign in overseas? The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?"
"Even in Europe, you can't find a G1 race with only three participants. A Platinum race replicating Eclipse's feat? Must watch live!"
"Since the legend of Eclipse's solo runs, under modern racing rules, only Man o' War replicated it. Now, finally, a second worthy horse appears in Japan: the Pegasus, Eclipse!!"
Even in Japan, the names Eclipse and Man o' War were household names, known to all.
Not to mention in Europe and America, the home turf of those two legends. Their stories, no matter how many years passed, would inevitably be passed down in the Uma Musume world.
"Once-in-a-century legends" was no joking matter!
Therefore, the many overseas viewers, international Platinum fans, upon seeing the news and understanding the Takarazuka Kinen participation situation, immediately thought of those two ultimate legends!
Remember, even other legends born in later eras failed to replicate such feats.
But now... Platinum had actually done it!
How could overseas viewers not be fascinated?
Even if they had zero interest in Japanese G1 races, to watch Platinum's near solo run, they had to tune into the live broadcast, maybe even consider flying over to watch live!
This Takarazuka Kinen, with only three participants... was sweeping across Japan and overseas to Europe and America with incredibly rare and unique traction!!
Seeing this, the unscrupulous young doctor sighed with satisfaction.
'It seems I'll have to take the Takarazuka Kinen a bit more seriously.'
'Have to live up to this level of discussion and the [Last Dance]!'
At the very least, he couldn't slack off too much.
A quick resolution was fine too—it would allow him to transform into Margaret Nearl sooner!
'So, Teio and Tachyon, they must be... prepared to face this, right?!'
'The Pegasus—is about to accelerate!'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.