"Special Week is still closing the gap with the runners ahead!"
"King Halo is about to overtake Seiun Sky now! Will Seiun Sky hold her front-running position, or will King Halo and Special Week manage to catch up?!"
"Only 100 meters left to go!"
"King Halo is drawing level with Seiun Sky—will she push past?!"
"Huh?"
"Seiun Sky is accelerating?"
"Seiun Sky is actually accelerating?!!"
"A front-runner like Seiun Sky can still find another gear in the final stretch?!!"
Normally, a front-running strategy meant going all out from the very start, theoretically maintaining 100% speed throughout the entire race.
But in reality, keeping that top speed for the whole distance was almost impossible.
During a race, maintaining a full sprint from start to finish—especially on a 2000-meter course like the Yayoi Sho—was something very few Uma Musume could pull off.
Most front-runners would slow down midway to recover stamina, or build such a huge lead early on that even if they faded in the final straight from exhaustion, the initial gap would be enough to secure the win.
So for Seiun Sky to accelerate in the homestretch while using a front-running tactic… that was an extremely rare sight.
The only one who came to mind, the one who could clearly do something like this, was that legendary Uma Musume from Rigil—the "Supercar" herself, Maruzensky.
Of course, Spica's "otherworldly escape artist," the "Pegasus" Silent Suzuka, could probably manage something similar too.
"Seiun Sky has opened up a two-length lead!"
"Fifty meters to the finish!"
"Seiun Sky crosses the line!"
"Congratulations to Seiun Sky, winning the Yayoi Sho and claiming victory in this Satsuki Sho preliminary! She's now the top favorite for the Satsuki Sho itself!"
"Second place goes to King Halo, three lengths behind Seiun Sky!"
"In third, two lengths behind King Halo, is Special Week!"
"The final order matches their popularity rankings exactly. Let's all look forward to the Satsuki Sho this April."
The race caller's voice faded, but cheers from the stands and livestreams continued—this was Seiun Sky's moment.
Once their mics were off, the caller and commentator began chatting privately. As official staff, there were things they just couldn't discuss on air during the race.
Sometimes, speaking a little too freely could mean a deduction from their paychecks.
"Every generation really does produce its own geniuses, huh."
"I thought this year's classic triple crown might be less exciting with Barbatos and El Condor Pasa both aiming for the filly triple crown, but even just this preliminary race has been something else."
The caller spoke with genuine feeling.
As staff, she'd seen plenty of races and knew these Uma Musumes' past records.
But sometimes, even impressive achievements could be overshadowed by brighter stars.
Despite the outstanding performances of Seiun Sky, King Halo, and Special Week, the presence of Barbatos and El Condor Pasa had made them seem less noticeable.
Only by actually calling their races could you truly feel their talent, their sheer strength.
"Seiun Sky's front-running acceleration, King Halo's uphill technique, Special Week's second gear surge…"
The commentator sighed softly. "Any one of these could have decided the Yayoi Sho in previous years, but this time they all showed up together."
"Every generation has its geniuses, but this year there seem to be an unusual number of them."
"I can't wait to see how they perform in the Satsuki Sho, the Derby, and the Kikuka Sho."
"Who wouldn't be excited for those races?"
The caller smiled slightly, already picturing the scene of these gifted Uma Musume giving their all in the classic triple crown races. This year's series was bound to be more thrilling than ever.
Then, half-jokingly, she asked her colleague, "But if you had to choose between commentating on the Triple Tiara and the Classic Triple Crown, which would you pick?"
The commentator thought for a moment, without much hesitation. "The classics, of course."
Since Japanese Uma Musume racing began, classic-grade races had always drawn the most attention.
When people talked about a "triple crown" Uma Musume, they almost always meant the classic triple crown.
The Triple Tiara, on the other hand, always needed a different word, 'Tiara'—specified.
The first leg of this year's Triple Tiara, the Oka Sho, was topping the charts in hype precisely because the entrants were El Condor Pasa and Barbatos—the center of everyone's attention right now.
So when her colleague asked which race she'd prefer to cover…
"Aren't you even a little curious about who'd win between El Condor Pasa and Barbatos?"
"Don't you want to be the one calling that race?"
The caller sounded puzzled.
Objectively speaking, El Condor Pasa had the edge, especially with Barbatos just returning from injury. But even so, the Oka Sho was packed with anticipation.
No one could call the outcome until the very end.
The commentator gave a dry laugh.
"Of course I'd love to cover it. But you callers might not have heard yet—I got word recently that this year's Oka Sho will be personally commentated by Mr. Yutaka Take."
She added the honorific "Mr." when mentioning Take—after all, he was a figure written into the textbooks for professions related to Uma Musume.
The caller was equally startled. "Mr. Yutaka Take?!"
Who would have thought Yutaka Take would step in as a commentator? But then again, he had called Barbatos's races before, and with both El Condor Pasa and Barbatos in the Oka Sho, it made sense.
No wonder her commentator colleague chose the classics—there was simply no competing for the filly race's commentary spot.
--+--
"Mom, Suzuka… I… I lost…"
Tears mixed with ragged breaths, streaking down her cheeks. The pain of defeat welled up inside.
She'd given everything, pushed past her limits—so why couldn't she win?
Special Week braced her hands against the ground, feeling the blow of her first loss.
But quickly, she quietly wiped her tears away. She didn't want Suzuka, or her mom, or her friends to see her like this. She didn't want them to worry.
Next time, at the Satsuki Sho… she'd win it back.
"Congratulations."
King Halo, the runner-up, approached Seiun Sky. She didn't shed tears over the loss; instead, with a ruler's confidence and pride, she offered her friend a congratulatory smile.
"Thank you."
Seiun Sky replied softly, breathing lightly, a faint smile on her lips.
"But, you know… I'm still going to win the Satsuki Sho."
"The Satsuki Sho won't let you slip away again."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.