Nakayama Racecourse.
The stands were a boiling cauldron of excitement.
Crowds of spectators were buzzing, their voices merging into a roar as they debated who would seize victory in the Satsuki Sho—the opening act of this year's Classic Triple Crown.
In the concourse, Kitasan Black pulled Satono Diamond along at a steady trot, weaving through the throng until they reached the very front of the spectator area.
Since they were still a bit short, the two of them hopped up, pressing their bellies against the railing to catch a close-up glimpse of their favorite Uma Musume.
A massive crowd had turned out for the Satsuki Sho.
Even so, as one of Japan's four major racecourses, Nakayama had the capacity to hold over two hundred thousand people; a few scattered empty seats meant it didn't feel suffocatingly cramped despite the energy.
"Look! It's Teio!"
Kitasan Black's eyes sparkled. Her gaze was locked onto Tokai Teio, who was making her entrance with that signature, springy "Teio Step."
This was her idol.
She and her childhood friend, Satono Diamond, had both come from the countryside.
Back home, information moved slowly, but since arriving in the big city recently, she had seen Tokai Teio's performance in a G2 race.
That display of grace and speed had left her breathless, igniting a dream to become an Uma Musume just like her.
As the race began, the two little ones leaned over the railing, watching with rapt attention. They stood on their tiptoes, seemingly oblivious to any fatigue.
"Go, Teio! Win it!"
Kitasan Black screamed at the top of her lungs as Tokai Teio blurred past them.
Though Satono Diamond wasn't quite the superfan her friend was, she joined in the cheering nonetheless.
Their enthusiasm momentarily distracted two young men sitting behind them, but as the racers hit the final straight, everyone's eyes snapped back to the track.
"Wait, what?!"
Kitasan Black let out a gasp. She wasn't alone—the entire stadium fell into a momentary, confused uproar.
Tokai Teio had crossed the finish line first, but another figure was practically glued to her side.
They had crossed the wire almost simultaneously. The judges were already pulling the photo-finish frames to make a final call.
"A tie?"
Kitasan Black blinked, her little head tilting as she tried to process it. She turned to Satono Diamond. "Does the announcer mean Teio is the Satsuki Sho champion?!"
When Satono Diamond gave a nodding confirmation, Kitasan Black practically vibrated with joy.
"I knew it! Teio is the strongest!"
Satono Diamond gave her a sidelong glance and mumbled under her breath, "Miss McQueen is the strongest, though..."
The race was over, but the pair didn't leave or even look for a seat.
They stayed draped over the railing, whispering excitedly while waiting for the Winner's Stage performance. It was then that they overheard the young men behind them.
"Tokai Teio is really something, huh? Managing a dead heat for first with Nice Nature."
Kitasan Black was about to turn around and chime in about how incredible Teio was when she heard the other man's dismissive reply.
"Psh, you call that 'something'? It's just child's play. We only came here today for a bit of a distraction."
"Nice Nature isn't even strong enough to qualify for the Japan Cup," the man continued. "Compared to the Golden Generation, these girls just don't measure up."
"Yeah..." the first man sighed. "Watching these races in person feels... empty lately."
"I remember when tickets would sell out in a literal second. Now, you can just waltz in on the day of the race and grab a seat. It's lost its spark."
"If they hadn't gone to race in America, the Arima Kinen wouldn't have just been a duel between Grass and Spe... and Grass Wonder wouldn't have won by a mere nose hair..."
Before he could finish, he saw the young Uma Musume in front of him spin around, looking quite indignant.
"Teio is the best!" Kitasan Black declared.
She puffed out her cheeks, trying her hardest to look intimidating.
The two men blinked, their hearts skipping a beat at the sheer "cuteness" of the display. They quickly shook off the feeling, adopting a more "adult" tone to drop some knowledge.
"Look, Tokai Teio is definitely great," one said. "But whether it's Barbatos or El Condor Pasa, those girls are on a completely different level. Their entire generation is a constellation of stars. Compared to them, even Nice Nature—who is Teio's rival—doesn't really register."
Other spectators nearby heard the commotion and drifted over.
People always found their second wind when this topic came up, and they began to murmur in agreement with the young men.
To be fair, comparing a fresh debutante to racers who had been dominant for a year and a half was logically unfair. Anyone rational knew that.
Yet, in that moment, not a single soul stood up to argue.
Tokai Teio was a genius, certainly. Perhaps she would eventually catch up to Special Week, Grass Wonder, or King Halo. Perhaps she would become a legend.
But catching up to the "Big Four" felt like a mathematical impossibility.
You had Seiun Sky's Undefeated Triple Crown, El Condor Pasa's triumph at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Barbatos's URA Horse of the Year title, and Silence Suzuka, who had once run neck-and-neck with the best of them.
Seeing Kitasan Black trying so hard to argue that Tokai Teio was the strongest, the crowd eventually softened.
They stopped bringing up Barbatos and the others, offering half-hearted chuckles and nods to humoring the little girl.
--+--
On the other side of the grounds...
The members of Team Canopus were huddled around Haru Urara, who was holding a phone up for a video call.
On the screen were Barbatos and Seiun Sky, calling all the way from the United States. "Everything going okay over there?"
Barbatos rubbed her nose. "Look, it's common knowledge that the turf is different in every country. We haven't been in the States that long, so we're obviously still adjusting. It wouldn't be fair to jump straight into the ring with those G1 monsters. Starting with a G3 race is just common sense."
"Besides," Barbatos added, "Silence Suzuka is being way more 'extra' than I am, and I'm supposed to be the World Number One."
On this end of the call, while Twin Turbo and Urara were cheering and chatting happily with Barbatos, Minamizaka and the others felt their eyes twitching.
Barbatos's logic sounded sound enough, but her actions were utterly ridiculous.
The girls who had gone to America were the elite of the world.
Setting aside Barbatos—the undisputed top-ranked racer on the planet—El Condor Pasa and the others were already on par with the American kings. And yet, they had gone and signed up for a U.S. G3 race.
If just entering was bad enough, Barbatos had won her race by over fifty lengths.
Because of the time difference, Minamizaka had seen the footage the next morning and spent the rest of the day wondering if Barbatos was going to be deported back to Japan for "bullying."
With Barbatos leading the charge, the others seemed to be competing to see who could create the biggest gap.
Silence Suzuka, in particular, had finished over seventy lengths ahead of second place.
Word was that Trainer Okino over at Team Spica had already received a formal letter of grievance from the racing committee.
I mean, who could have imagined a race where the winner crosses the finish line before the runner-up has even rounded the third turn?
--+--
[A/N: There are real-life cases of winning by over 50 lengths. For Silence Suzuka, who trails just behind Barbatos's tier, gapping G3 runners by 70 lengths isn't that much of a stretch, right?]
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.