The Travers Stakes!
Half an hour earlier.
Members of the race committee responsible for the event were currently contacting all eligible Uma Musume.
With the rule that older Uma Musume couldn't participate, the organizers of the Travers Stakes were feeling rather troubled.
"This is really a problem… Secretariat would rather challenge other senior Uma Musume than compete in the Travers Stakes."
"And this year, she swept all three crowns of the Triple Crown, so there are no other classic race champions available."
"As for the well-known and highly regarded Sham, according to the hospital's rest order, her injury is [severe]. It's basically impossible for her to return to the track. Even if she forces a comeback, she'll at best only place in future races, far from her peak form."
"Flightline was also injured not long ago…"
"Thankfully, we have [Holy Bull]. But she alone isn't enough to carry the Travers Stakes, right?"
In the Triple Crown races, the most famous Uma Musume was undoubtedly Secretariat, followed by Sham.
Typically, the Travers Stakes is a rather unique G1 race, somewhat rare on a global scale.
It's restricted to three-year-olds, yet it takes place relatively late, outside the Triple Crown season.
So… more often than not, the Travers Stakes features two or three different champions from the classic Triple Crown races. By this time, they've matured further, nearing or even reaching their peak, and come together here for a [clash of the titans]!
You could even call the Travers Stakes the "fourth race" of the Triple Crown—an extra chapter, a bonus episode after the classic three-year-old season.
But this year's Travers Stakes found itself in a peculiarly tricky situation.
This year's Triple Crown had only one winner!
And that winner wanted to challenge the upper class, aiming straight for the older Uma Musume, who'd all reached their peak form.
That being the case… the only superstar left for this Travers Stakes was the Uma Musume called Holy Bull.
Situations like this are usually the biggest headache for race organizers.
It's not that they mind having an Uma Musume who dominates and sweeps the field—what they fear is that the one who stands head and shoulders above the rest doesn't show up at all…
Which would inevitably lead to complaints from spectators.
"Why isn't Secretariat here?"
"I wasted my money on tickets. What's the point of watching the Travers Stakes without Secretariat?"
"Holy Bull? She's just an average runner avoiding races where Secretariat competes!"
Comments like these would surely flood in, too many to count.
There was no helping it—Secretariat shone too brightly. Her status on dirt was no less than that of the special-effect-displaying Pegasus Platinum from the other side!
The reason was simple: every dirt racing enthusiast would definitely, without fail, follow the American Triple Crown. Audiences worldwide who were interested in this type of racing would witness every classic battle of Secretariat's.
Therefore, top dirt Uma Musume gained fame extremely quickly, usually much faster than their turf counterparts.
Especially the American Triple Crown, which represented the next generation of dirt racing and the competition for a new monarch—it drew global attention. Secretariat, who swept all three crowns into her embrace, naturally became immensely famous.
In contrast, turf racing was more widespread. Audiences around the world usually prioritized watching turf races in their own countries first.
Beyond that, they might only watch a few extra world-renowned super G1s. For example, only a handful like the Epsom Derby, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and so on.
If an Uma Musume could sweep all those, such a feat would be no less than winning the American Triple Crown—perhaps even greater!
But achieving that in turf racing was exceedingly rare, almost negligible. At this moment, Secretariat stood as a super monarch of world-class stature, on par with Platinum!
So… the entire Travers Stakes committee felt regret that Secretariat wasn't participating.
More than a dozen staff in the office couldn't stop sighing in disappointment.
"Ah, without Secretariat, there's just no replacing her."
"Yeah, as the monarch who swept the Triple Crown, she's irreplaceable."
"Only [Sham] had enough buzz and skill to be a suitable substitute. But she broke her leg—no way she can race."
"No helping it. This year was supposed to be a huge one, a dirt racing spectacle, but our Travers Stakes is going to hit rock bottom…"
"This is practically—a repeat of Japan URA's Osaka Cup?"
While other races saw their popularity and excitement skyrocket, theirs alone was falling—who could handle that?
No matter how you looked at it, this seemed like a hopeless situation.
This year actually had plenty of talents, but one thing was too extreme.
Sham ran until she fractured, and Flightline was too frail to compete.
Some were incredibly robust, others somewhat delicate.
"Ah, there are no other three-year-old Uma Musume candidates… we've asked everyone."
"The resources allocated to this race… seem like they'll be pretty low. There's no second heavyweight Uma Musume."
"Let's just symbolically ask the two-year-olds, then finalize the list and submit it."
Several staff sighed as they pulled out new forms, looking for other qualified Uma Musume.
One of them dialed the number registered to [Margaret Nearl].
After perfunctorily asking the question, she smoothly prepared to hang up.
"Alright, I'll mark you down as declining—"
"Huh? Wh-what did you say?! You'll participate?"
The female staff member's voice involuntarily rose, echoing through the office and drawing puzzled looks from her dejected colleagues.
Who was it?
Which Uma Musume's participation could get her so excited?
"I'll fill out your application right away!"
"The Travers Stakes awaits your arrival."
"If you win, it'll be an unprecedented achievement!"
As the excited woman ended the call and set down her phone to jot notes, her colleagues crowded around her.
They immediately began pressing for answers.
An unprecedented achievement?
What kind of Uma Musume could earn such praise just by winning the Travers Stakes?
Amid their curiosity and anticipation, the woman spoke solemnly, word by word.
"The Radiant Knight!"
"Margaret Nearl, recognized by the Silver Pegasus Platinum herself as the second Pegasus of our time!!"
"As a two-year-old, at most a middle schooler in age, she'll begin challenging the high schoolers!"
"Secretariat is challenging the upper class, and Nearl seems to be declaring that she's not the only one who can do it!"
The moment this answer was spoken—
The next instant, one stone stirred a thousand waves!
The entire room erupted in excitement. The Travers Stakes committee members were overjoyed.
"Who would've thought? While Big Red is challenging up, Nearl would choose to do the same!"
"Normally, two-year-olds would be preparing for next year's Triple Crown, aiming for G2 or G3 races instead."
"Holy Bull versus… The Radiant Knight?! Isn't this the second super star full of buzz we needed?"
"This is fantastic! A Pegasus! We're saved!"
The battle-hardened Golden Pegasus, the shining knight of the Nearl Family, had not only embarked on her campaign—
But her first chosen race… was a top-tier G1, against opponents far more mature and stronger than herself!
That kind of buzz was absolutely enough!
"Great, our race resources won't be cut. Let's pour everything into promoting Nearl and Holy Bull. We must make this a classic battle known throughout America!"
The team leader made a decisive call.
"She's giving us a chance by entering, so we'll give her the resources and the opportunity to chase Secretariat's legacy!"
A mutual triumph!
"If Nearl performs well, this race will make her famous worldwide!"
"This miracle of a two-year-old surpassing the three-year-olds… can she pull it off?!"
--+--
The next day.
On the training field, a seemingly approachable black-haired girl-next-door sat on a bench.
Her eyes filled with a strange light as she bent over, gently touching her slender feet.
"This…"
Not long ago, Sham had found the Dr. Lin she'd been longing for and visited his clinic for a consultation.
But before treatment could begin, they were interrupted by the uninvited Secretariat. After a "friendly exchange"…
Sham was still examined and treated by Lin Anran, whom she was so interested in.
But truthfully… Sham hadn't held much hope.
Ever since she'd been discharged on crutches and returned home, her family had urgently called in many renowned Uma Musume specialists for examinations.
Yet after every check-up, the results were unanimous… a major injury, one that would affect her future race performance and physical potential.
In other words, she should start preparing to retire!
If she refused to give up and forced herself to stay on the track, she'd only disappoint her fans, lose face, and even non-G1 races she once won easily would become struggles she might not even win, no matter how hard she tried…
Faced with such a gap, the best choice was retirement.
Already aware of this, Sham, struggling to accept it and wanting to adjust her mood… had sought out Dr. Lin Anran's clinic.
In her original thinking, even if Dr. Lin couldn't perfectly heal her legs, even if she still couldn't return to the track in excellent condition, she would still thank him properly!
She wouldn't skip a single cent of the medical fee, and she'd use this chance to get closer to Dr. Lin!
But who could have imagined—
"Eh? My legs seem… actually better??"
Sham focused on her feet. After Dr. Lin's treatment yesterday, they felt even better today.
The slight pain that was always there when walking had lessened considerably?
Once the pain was gone, would the next step be surgery for a complete, perfect recovery?
Miraculous hands, Dr. Lin!!
"Could it be… Dr. Lin can really heal me perfectly?!"
Sham's eyes widened. She couldn't understand it, and she was utterly shocked.
Although she'd specifically gathered information on Dr. Lin, whom she was extremely interested in, and knew he'd healed Tokai Teio's fracture and Agnes Tachyon's tendonitis back in Japan.
In reality, the term [fracture] could cover many different types of injuries.
So, usually, healing one Uma Musume's fracture didn't mean he could handle all fracture injuries.
That level of precise treatment—for Uma Musume, even being half a second slower could drop them from first to fifth or worse… Such a severe injury demanded extremely strict, perfect treatment with zero room for error. A tiny mistake could lead to a huge loss.
But who would've thought? After just one day, the lingering pain during her recovery had lessened so much.
"Dr. Lin is truly amazing!!"
After her astonishment, Sham's heart, which had grown quiet due to her injury, began to beat faster again.
She completely understood now!
Why… that Big Red also sought out Dr. Lin and even offered him an exclusive contract!
"Dr. Lin is very kind, extremely gentle, and he has this alluring scent about him."
"His medical skills are the best I've seen in years, bar none!"
"No wonder that monster Secretariat is also fixated on Dr. Lin."
Sham's muttering voice turned ice-cold in the next moment.
"But sorry, [American Triple Crown]—you can have that."
"But the upcoming [Lin Anran Cup], I'm winning it for sure!"
This [Lin Anran Cup] had clearly already begun.
And Secretariat was the frontrunner, the competitor racing ahead.
As for Sham, she was the late-starting "closer"!
In her view, coming from behind to catch Secretariat wasn't impossible!
Anyway—the Lin Anran Cup, Sham was determined to win it!
Having firmly made up her mind, the black-haired girl stood up, her mood cheerful again.
She picked up her phone, ready to head home and rest.
As Sham started walking, she looked down at her phone, scrolling through the latest Uma Musume news.
[Secretariat Confirms She Will Not Run Travers Stakes, Turns to Other G1s!]
Seeing the top headline, Sham remained expressionless, unsurprised.
"So that means… Holy Bull won't have any real competition? She'll be the sole favorite?"
That Big Red monster had beaten her three times and swept the Triple Crown.
Even the excellent Holy Bull would find it very hard to compete.
But for Secretariat, the Travers Stakes wasn't really that valuable.
Holy Bull was skilled, perhaps even on par with many older G1 winners. But her current record and influence paled next to those seniors. For Secretariat, aiming to be the greatest of all time, Holy Bull wasn't worth her time.
Whoever had more influence and a better record, Secretariat would challenge them! To surpass and crush them all!
Even if Sham hated to admit it, she knew Secretariat was currently the best on dirt, one of the greatest in history!
So even the Travers Stakes didn't interest her; she chose to challenge her seniors instead.
"Dammit… If I weren't injured, I'd definitely be running."
Sham looked down slightly at her legs, which were improving but nowhere near ready for a return to racing.
But alas…
After sighing, Sham glanced at the next news item.
[Radiant Knight Margaret Nearl Confirms Entry for Travers Stakes!]
[Nearl vs. Holy Bull! A Super Rookie Nearl, too young for the Triple Crown, versus a strong three-year-old Holy Bull, who skipped the classics but won other G1s. Who will be champion?]
After reading, Sham was dumbfounded.
If she'd still been in her post-hospital state, needing crutches… she might have forgotten them entirely, standing there stunned, staring at the news.
"You've got to be kidding…"
"Secretariat, a three-year-old, challenges the older Uma Musume. Nearl, a two-year-old, challenges the three-year-olds?"
Is everyone trying to steal each other's stage?
"This… she really is the super talent even Pegasus Platinum acknowledged."
"Choosing a race like this is almost as outrageous as Platinum's Irregular Triple Crown run and her challenge of the Epsom Derby."
Sham's interest immediately soared. She didn't hesitate and picked up her phone to make a call.
This race was incredibly interesting—not to be missed.
She figured… Dr. Lin Anran, as an Uma Musume doctor, would be very interested in watching his [Niece: Margaret Nearl] race.
"Dr. Lin's niece is my niece too."
"Let's go cheer on my future little niece."
She called a family member, asking them to book tickets for the Travers Stakes.
"Please get me two front-row tickets, next to each other."
Sham had a feeling this Travers Stakes had a high chance of becoming a classic battle—absolutely not to be missed!
"I'm going with Dr. Lin to watch my little niece's race!"
--+--
Time flew by.
Several days later, on the day of the Travers Stakes.
A tall, golden-haired knightly girl stood up, pulling on her tall racing boots.
Her orange eyes casually glanced at the messages displayed on her phone lying on the table nearby.
They were… from Sham, Secretariat, and Flightline!
All three fillies had, as if by coincidence—or perhaps premeditated—sent invitations.
[Sham: Dr. Lin, I've got the tickets ready for you. Great seats. Let's watch the race together.]
[Secretariat: Dr. Lin, you can't miss your niece's race, right? I got you a ticket.]
[Flightline: I'll drive you to the racecourse, Dr. Lin. The seats are great too. Coming?]
Margaret Nearl's clear orange eyes shifted slightly.
The next moment, the golden-haired knight gripped the lance in her room, transforming as if into a true knight grasping her weapon, ready to embark on a campaign!
—Women would only hinder her sprinting speed!
"Ignore them. Time to race!"
--+--
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.