At the racetrack!
The massive crowd was roaring with fervor, chanting the name of the victor.
The winner of this race was none other than The Radiant Knight, Nearl, who had just dominated the 1400-meter Hopeful Stakes by a staggering thirty-three lengths!
The tall, Golden Maiden, having seized victory with her blade and lance in hand, turned away, undisturbed by the countless excited cheers and congratulations surrounding her.
After achieving such an overwhelming victory, Nearl was destined to perform a solo dance on the Winner's Stage. She began to stride confidently in that direction.
"Nearl!! Nearl!! Nearl!!"
"I thought the third-generation Big Red, Easy Goer, was unbeatable—but this winner is even more formidable! Which elite family bred this young lady?"
"Watching such a powerhouse race up close—I'd die happy now!"
"Gwaaah, Nearl, we adore you!"
Even though many spectators had been fans of Easy Goer or Sunday Silence before today...
While a single victory might not have been enough to make them switch their allegiance entirely to Nearl, it had undoubtedly left them deeply impressed and captivated by The Radiant Knight.
Even the American dirt racing scene, which had always been somewhat dismissive of overseas Uma Musume, was paying attention.
Though officially debuting in the U.S., Nearl's profile indicated she came from a family of Polish Horse Girls.
In a way, she was an American Uma Musume with Polish roots.
Nationality was one thing; racing affiliation was another.
Take El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder, for example—they were American-born Uma Musume who raced in Japan, yet many Japanese fans still saw them as American rather than Japanese.
When an Uma Musume's performances weren't outstanding, she might be sidelined as a foreigner by those prone to exclusion.
But once her results became exceptional, she would be fully embraced—fans would claim her as one of their own.
And now, Margaret Nearl, the Radiant Knight from a fallen family in the knightly nation of Poland, had come to the heart of the dirt racing world—America—to restore her family's honor! With just two starts and two wins in half a month, she had already earned this level of recognition!
Such a feat was virtually unheard of anywhere in the world.
Even after the race had ended, voices of awe and admiration continued to ripple through the crowd.
"The Radiant Knight! The Radiant Knight! She truly lives up to the name that Platinum herself gave her!"
"I can't wait to see Nearl face off against the third-generation Big Red, Easy Goer... no, even the second-generation Big Red, Secretariat!"
"It's a shame she can only race against the second and third generations. The first-generation champion, Man o' War, retired long ago."
"Yes, this is Nearl—boundless stamina, a super-powered Uma Musume. Not even a month into her debut year, she's already unlocked her Domain, with suppression effects and special traits—even maintaining her Domain throughout the entire race as if it cost nothing. Right out of the gate... ahhh! Then she hurls her lance through the clouds! Thank goodness I didn't enter this Hopeful Stakes!"
"Miss Platinum is second to none, Miss Nearl is... also second to none!!"
--+--
At the front of the spectator stands...
A petite, dark-haired girl stood apart from the exhilarated crowd around her.
Sunday Silence felt neither excitement nor joy.
Instead, a sense of shock and competitive fire ignited within her.
'Margaret Nearl... what an extraordinary talent!'
'I thought my biggest rival for next year's Triple Crown would be Easy Goer, but now...'
'Nearl is every bit Easy Goer's equal—maybe even better—and she's a front-running monster who disrupts the pace and could seriously challenge me!'
If Nearl had used a more conventional running style—even the so-called kingly tactics of front-running or stalking, which had the highest win rates on dirt—Sunday Silence wouldn't have been this stunned.
But a Great Escape...
Who could stay calm facing that kind of strategy?
Moreover, Sunday Silence had noticed the terrifying aura that erupted during the second half of the Hopeful Stakes!
That was unmistakably... the level of a [Domain]!
Sunday Silence herself, even after several months since her debut and multiple graded races, hadn't yet mastered her Domain—she was still noticeably short.
But now, this Pegasus Nearl, with less than a month since her debut and only her second race under her belt, already possessed a Domain?
Which meant... right after her debut win, just a week into her career... this Radiant Knight had already awakened her Domain?
That kind of progress was downright terrifying!!
But she couldn't just avoid racing because her opponent was strong, could she?
If she started avoiding challenges, she might as well forget about winning the American Triple Crown altogether!
So Sunday Silence could no longer stay seated.
She didn't even have the patience to watch the upcoming winner's ceremony. All she wanted was to return to the training grounds immediately and begin drills tailored to countering front-runners, while sharpening her own aura!
With that, the dark-haired girl rose to her feet, [sweating bullets] as she turned to leave.
After she had hurried some distance away...
It seemed to dawn on her a bit late, as if she had suddenly remembered something.
'Th-that's right! At the very end, when Nearl crossed the finish line... what was that creature that appeared behind her?'
'I've never seen or heard of a four-hoofed creature like that—with wings like the mythical [Pegasus]??'
In the world of Uma Musume, regular [horses] didn't exist!
So, the so-called [Pegasus] referred to an Uma Musume with wings, as in legend—not some winged horse!
That mysterious, sacred, winged, four-hoofed creature had dissolved into particles and slowly vanished, leaving behind residual wings... that seemed to sprout from the back of the dazzling Radiant Knight, Nearl, as she stood triumphantly under the blazing sun.
The sight had left Sunday Silence wondering if she was dreaming...
'That special effect... it's unbelievable!'
For the last time, Sunday Silence couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
Thank goodness this was just a visual effect only visible to Uma Musume during races!
Nearl, who shared the "Pegasus" title with Platinum, wasn't an actual Pegasus—she didn't have real wings!
The special effects couldn't be seen externally, so even if she were to lose... she wouldn't have to worry about attracting the kind of attention that Galileo and Dubai Millennium did!!
More importantly—Sunday Silence didn't believe she would lose easily!
'Dr. Lin is right before my eyes—I have to consider that this might be the only chance I get in this lifetime.'
'To repay Dr. Lin for his boundless kindness...'
'Winning these races and becoming his designated Uma Musume is a duty I cannot refuse!'
--+--
"Nearl, you really do remind me of Platinum in some ways."
"You little filly... you truly delight me!"
As the Big Red Monster allowed a nearly crazed smile to spread across her face, muttering to herself...
Her young protégée, Easy Goer—also a devoted fan of Secretariat—felt her pupils contract sharply.
Easy Goer never expected that her senior, the legendary Big Red who had always been so elegant and gentle while mentoring her, would now seem...
More interested in Nearl than in her?!
'No, that's not it! It's not just 'interest'—it's practically...'
A troubling suspicion began to form in the mind of the slightly petite, red-haired Easy Goer.
That was—
The great red monster, the current dirt track legend, her idol Secretariat—had been stirred to [battle fervor] by Nearl's performance?!
It sounded almost unbelievable.
On one side stood Secretariat, who had recently ascended to legendary status, hailed as the strongest of her generation—even compared to Seabiscuit and thought to be just a step away from the legendary champion Man o' War herself!
On the other side was Margaret Nearl, a rookie from an obscure foreign family, only two wins into her career, who had just claimed her first G1 title in the so-called "baby cup" Hopeful Stakes.
And the former felt competitive fire toward the latter?
If this got out, the world wouldn't just be shocked—it would be rocked to its core!
Easy Goer couldn't help but clench her silver teeth, feeling a pang of envy.
How could she not envy that Pegasus Nearl?? She was Secretariat's biggest fan!!
'Wait, then what about the praise Senior Secretariat gave me after our practice race...'
Just three hours earlier, when Easy Goer had arrived at Secretariat's private training ground...
Even after she displayed her talent and raced against her idol in a practice match...
The result was that Secretariat, not even taking it seriously, had effortlessly outperformed her by a huge margin, achieving an overwhelming victory!
After the practice race, as if she'd just finished a warm-up, Secretariat smiled gracefully and praised Easy Goer's talent, saying she had potential to win a G1 title in next year's American Triple Crown.
A few hours ago, after losing but receiving Secretariat's encouragement, Easy Goer had felt a sense of pride.
How many other Uma Musume could earn praise from a living legend like Secretariat?
But now—!
After watching the Hopeful Stakes and seeing Secretariat's gentle demeanor shift into something fierce and battle-hungry, Easy Goer's pride completely evaporated.
In its place was... disbelief and envy.
No amount of praise could compare to this kind of competitive reaction, could it?
Even though Secretariat hadn't uttered a single word of praise for Nearl, that expression said it all!
Being seen as an equal rival was the highest form of recognition—far beyond mere compliments, wasn't it?
For the first time, Easy Goer felt what it was like to be... overshadowed.
She had spent hours with her idol, even raced against her—yet Secretariat's attention had been completely captured by a mere few minutes of Nearl's performance!
'I have to prove myself to Senior Secretariat!'
'I'll show that I'm the one worthy of challenging her properly—the one who deserves to be her rival!'
'Margaret Nearl? I'll defeat her in the American Triple Crown.'
Easy Goer gritted her silver teeth, feeling a competitive urge to prove herself and surpass Nearl.
And before her, the towering, seemingly immovable great red monster—Secretariat—curved her lips into a dangerous, almost euphoric smile.
Nearl!
What a Margaret Nearl!
The world was full of heroes, like schools of fish swimming in a river!
The current Secretariat... was very, very pleased.
In Secretariat's original plan, she had already been preparing to train for turf racing, aiming to conquer another racing surface.
Because, to her, the current dirt racing scene held no more challenges.
Secretariat had no intention of becoming just "some legend."
Among legends, there were hierarchies!
In the turf racing world, Eclipse stood at the top. Even luminaries like Sea Bird, Ribot, and Dancing Brave could only claim second tier in the hall of legends.
The foremost position belonged solely to Eclipse, the "one horse that outshines all others" from a century ago.
In the dirt racing world, the first-generation Big Red Monster, Man o' War, occupied the most revered top spot.
And Secretariat had no desire to sit beside Seabiscuit as an equal.
The ambitious Secretariat wanted to seat both her seniors side-by-side on the second tier—freeing up the central, core position for herself.
There was no rule saying the successor had to be weaker than the original, was there?
The second-generation great red wanted to fulfill the [promise] made with a certain doctor she could never forget—to become the most legendary dirt racer in history, not just the strongest active one!!
To do that... she needed worthy opponents—exceptional rivals capable of pushing her to her limits.
To be recognized as the undisputed strongest, simply dominating inferior competition wasn't enough. She needed rivals who could challenge her, who were at least near her level.
When Eclipse and Man o' War retired, it wasn't because they were [past their prime]—it was largely because... it was lonely at the top. There were no rivals left to challenge them.
After all, at that level, finding opponents who could threaten you—who could serve as stepping stones to push you even higher—was the ultimate luck!
Even seemingly talented juniors like Sunday Silence and Easy Goer didn't strike Secretariat as capable of posing real threats or shaking her confidence.
That was why Secretariat had planned to switch to turf and take on the heavenly steed, Platinum.
In a way, one could say—"Those mediocrities on dirt—most are beneath me, few are my equals. Only Platinum is worth fighting!"
Since Platinum hadn't chosen to race in American dirt, but instead aimed for European turf...
If the mountain wouldn't come to her, she would go to the mountain!
But what Secretariat never expected was...
After that Silver Pegasus, a second Golden Pegasus had emerged—right in American dirt racing!
From Nearl's debut race to the Hopeful Stakes, her consecutive dominant wins—each showing rapid improvement—had thoroughly ignited Secretariat's competitive spirit.
Yes, this was it!
No need to consider an expedition to Europe to challenge the silver-white heavenly steed.
This Golden Pegasus shouldn't be far off from Platinum's level. Nearl definitely had the potential to help Secretariat reach the summit!
That was why Secretariat was now uncharacteristically excited!
But the flip side—the potential reversal—was...
Secretariat could also serve as the stepping stone for Margaret Nearl to surpass Man o' War and claim the title of greatest dirt racer in history.
The Big Red Monster wanted to defeat Margaret Nearl fair and square next year—right in front of the young doctor she adored!
Thereby accomplishing what rivals like Sea the Stars, Flightline, and Dahlia couldn't—fulfilling her promise with Dr. Lin before anyone else!
And once that was done, wouldn't it be natural to... win the heart of the beauty?
As for the beauty—of course, that referred to Dr. Lin, an ordinary human rather than an Uma Musume!
After witnessing Nearl's exceptional performance, Secretariat was utterly satisfied—eager to face her next year after completing the Triple Crown races!
The Pegasus Platinum? She already had a replacement!
Let it begin with next year's American Triple Crown!
"Let me see how you differ from Platinum!"
"If you can't survive the [Triple Crown], you don't deserve to be called a Pegasus!"
The second-generation Big Red, along with her protégée hailed as the third-generation Big Red, had both set their sights on Margaret Nearl.
The names "Golden Pegasus" and "The Radiant Knight" had already spread across America following this G1 victory!
--+--
Two days later!
The dark-hearted young doctor, having ended his transformation, was blending in with local customs—sipping coffee in his room.
He had received invitations from numerous elite families, schools, and doctors across America, and was weighing which to accept.
As he deliberated...
A message appeared before Lin Anran—pleading repeatedly, with generous offers, for him to treat an injured Uma Musume.
The one extending the invitation was none other than...
[Sham: Dr. Lin, could you take on my treatment? I'm willing to...]
It was [Sham]?!
The little filly who'd been pushed to a broken leg by Big Red in the Belmont Stakes?
Seeing this, Lin Anran's eyes lit up!
Although this filly had never beaten Secretariat, she'd finished second in the first two Crown races.
If not for Secretariat, she could have at least achieved the American Double Crown—a true talent, just unlucky to run into a greater monster...
He seemed to have left a fairly good impression on her, and the gifted Sham was now willing to spend generously!
Under these circumstances, wasn't refusing out of the question?
Without delay, Lin Anran sent his reply.
[LinAnran: Okay!]
Just as a certain Big Red was stirred to battle fervor by Nearl, aiming to defeat the Pegasus and "win the beauty"...
One of her former victims, Sham, was quietly reaching out to that very "beauty" to begin treatment!!
Big Red!
Monster Secretariat!
Little did she know—she was being sneakily outflanked by a former rival!
--+--
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.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.