It was a week after the Kikuka Sho that King ran in.
Today was the day of the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the first race of the Senior Triple Crown that Rice would be running in.
The Tenno Sho (Autumn) is held at the Tokyo Racecourse, and the distance is 2000 meters, which is a middle-distance race. Rice has never won a G1 middle-distance race, but she was full of motivation and was eager to win her first G1 middle-distance race.
The Tenno Sho (Autumn) was, of course, the main race and would be held as the 11th race at the Tokyo Racecourse.
Due to the world record Seiun Sky set at the Kikuka Sho last week, there was more attention on Umamusume races than in previous years. The hotels around the Tokyo Racecourse were completely booked. In fact, there were hundreds of spectators who were willing to camp out the day before just to get in.
...No, this is pretty normal in this world. When it comes to a famous G1 race like the Tenno Sho, it's a common occurrence... The national pastime in this world is no joke.
(The rival Umamusume to watch out for today are... Tokai Teio, Nice Nature, Ikuno Dictus... and Twin Turbo.)
Unfortunately, Mejiro McQueen couldn't make it. However, she seems to be recovering well and should be able to make it to the Japan Cup.
But even without Mejiro McQueen, there's Twin Turbo as her replacement. The Twin Turbo who beat Tokai Teio is here.
The Tenno Sho (Autumn) is 2000 meters, which is 200 meters shorter than the All Comers where Twin Turbo beat Tokai Teio. Catching Twin Turbo in a 2000-meter race would be a very difficult task even for Rice.
Catching a runaway-style Umamusume... or rather, preventing them from winning, is pretty simple. You catch them right after the start and block them so they can't run away.
However, there's also a risk of obstructing their path if you're too obvious. Rice would probably handle that well, but runaway-style Umamusume tend to be very good at starting.
I checked their dash power right after the start from past race footage, and Twin Turbo's dash was amazing... or rather, she's always going full throttle from the start. It would be very difficult to catch Twin Turbo, who runs without thinking about the future from start to finish.
But Rice can do it. Even if she can't catch her at the start, she'll mark her and overtake her at the end. I believe that, and Rice has the ability to do it.
The rest depends on Twin Turbo's condition in the paddock. So, I arrived at the Tokyo Racecourse, sent Rice to the waiting room, and headed to the paddock with Urara and King... but.
"Ah! Uncle!"
"Ugh... H-hey, Dia-chan. It's been a while."
The next moment after I thought I saw a familiar face, someone charged at me from the front, causing a lot of damage to my stomach.
The one who charged at me was the Umamusume I met at summer camp, Dia-chan, or Satono Diamond. Dia-chan, who was wearing her private clothes that looked like something an ojou-sama would wear, smiled brightly and hugged me as soon as she saw my face.
By the way, Dia-chan's headbutt went through my abdominal muscles and damaged my internal organs. It hurt a little.
"Wait, Dia-chan, what are you doing... Oh, Uncle!"
Ki-chan, or Kitasan Black, also came over, chasing after Dia-chan. She was also wearing her private clothes that I saw at summer camp.
"Ki-chan, you're here too... How did you even get in today?"
I asked while patting Dia-chan, who was hugging me. There were a lot of people today, so it must have been difficult just to get in.
"I asked my mom and dad, and we lined up from the first train! I heard Teio-san was running, so I really wanted to cheer for her in person! I actually tried to camp out with Dia-chan the day before!"
"I wanted to watch the race with Ki-chan... It's a shame McQueen-san isn't running, but... I was also hoping I could see you, Uncle..."
Wait, hold on. Dia-chan is saying something adorable, but Ki-chan is saying something even more amazing.
"Dia-chan, Ki-chan, you two are elementary school students, right? Camping out the day before is dangerous, so you must never do that."
When I said that, Dia-chan quietly looked away.
"Haha... I thought it would be okay if I said I was going to stay at Dia-chan's house and Dia-chan said she was going to stay at my house... But I reflected on it after Dia-chan almost drowned the other day. It's not okay for kids to act on their own."
Ki-chan laughed in a troubled way. If you actually did that, your parents would faint, so please don't. But it's great that you learned from your past mistake.
"I see... Good, good, Ki-chan is a good girl."
"Ah! Uncle! Pat me too!"
When I said, 'Ki-chan is a good girl,' and patted her head, Dia-chan asked for the same. Yes, yes, you're also a good girl. But you shouldn't hug me like this in front of so many people. I'll still pat your head, though.
"Well then, I have work to do now. Make sure you listen to your mom and dad and don't get lost, okay?"
I told Dia-chan and Ki-chan that because it would be a pain to find them if they got lost. The two of them nodded with energy and ran toward Dia-chan's parents.
I bowed to Dia-chan's parents, and then headed to the paddock.
The paddock was also a huge success today. No, a G1 race is always a huge success. Passionate Umamusume fans were crowding the area, waiting for the Umamusume to appear.
Urara and King were holding hands and following me so that Urara wouldn't get lost. No, to be exact, King was holding Urara's hand and pulling her so she wouldn't get lost.
I said, 'I'm a trainer, please let me through,' and when I reached the front row of the paddock, the unveiling was just about to begin.
'Starting gate 1, Rice Shower'
Today, Rice was in gate 1. I nodded when I saw Rice appear in the paddock in her racing uniform.
(Her conditioning is good, and she's in top form... She's not overthinking it either. The rest depends on her rivals.)
There was nothing left to worry about for Rice. She had everything a top-class Umamusume at Tracen Academy should have, both physically and mentally.
So, the rest depended on the conditioning and form of her rival Umamusume. It's not impossible for another Umamusume to set an incredible record like Seiun Sky did the other day.
'Starting gate 3, Twin Turbo'
Next, I checked on the Twin Turbo in question. Twin Turbo was wearing a baggy, colorful hoodie in red, green, white, and black, and for her skirt or pants... wait? Is she not wearing any? No, she's wearing leggings, so I guess it's okay... is it?
For some reason, she had a stuffed animal that looked like a bear hanging on her front, and her shoes had a very unique shape. They were yellow, but for some reason, they had exhaust pipe-like objects attached to the sides.
"Turbo's gonna beat Teio again today!"
And Twin Turbo, who had appeared, was smiling with a wide-open mouth, revealing her jagged teeth. She then declared that she would beat Tokai Teio again today.
(Her form seems good... Her conditioning... I see, she must have designed her racing uniform like that to prevent people from observing her.)
I tried to check her leg muscles, but I couldn't see them in detail because she was wearing leggings. Her jacket also covered everything except her hands, so I concluded that it was to prevent other trainers from observing her.
(The seniors from Canopus are scary after all... They've even prepared a countermeasure for other trainers.)
Twin Turbo had her hands on her hips and was still smiling with her mouth wide open. Her face was innocent, but she's the Umamusume who beat Tokai Teio. It could be an act... No, is that her real self? Does that mean the seniors from Canopus are the scary ones?
I looked around--and there she was. The senior from Canopus was also in the paddock, observing the rival Umamusume. And as soon as I looked at her, she must have sensed my gaze and looked at me, giving me a soft, friendly smile.
(...Huh? She noticed me because I looked at her? Seriously?)
I bowed my head and then froze. I thought this before, but she's scary for some reason...
'Starting gate 7, Nice Nature'
Next, I checked on Nice Nature. She was the second runner from Team Canopus.
(Hmm... Her conditioning is good, but her form is... so-so, I guess.)
Nice Nature didn't declare anything like Twin Turbo and was smiling and waving to the crowd. However, her expression was a little stiff, despite her good conditioning.
Doesn't Nice Nature feel scary today? I thought.
'Starting gate 13, Tokai Teio'
She's here, I thought as I looked at Tokai Teio. Tokai Teio is a formidable opponent in the Tenno Sho (Autumn)... no, in any middle-distance race. I would say for sure that my Rice would win in a long-distance race, but Rice hasn't won a middle-distance race, like the Osaka Hai or the Takarazuka Kinen.
There's Tokai Teio, and there's also Twin Turbo, who has surpassed Tokai Teio.
"Ah! Teio! Turbo's gonna run away and win again today!"
"...I won't lose. I'm going to win today."
Twin Turbo, who had already finished her unveiling, was declaring victory to Tokai Teio. Tokai Teio, with her fighting spirit clearly showing, gave a brief reply.
Tokai Teio's conditioning is good. And she's full of motivation... No, is it a little too much? She's focused on Twin Turbo, whom she lost to in the All Comers, but as a result, her focus on Rice is a little weak.
'Starting gate 16, Ikuno Dictus'
Next, I checked on Ikuno Dictus. She had her usual calm face... her calm face...?
(Hmm... this is a difficult one to judge...)
Her conditioning seems good, but her form doesn't seem to be, just like Nice Nature. She's putting on a brave face, but she's clearly lacking her usual sparkle.
Is Twin Turbo the only one in Team Canopus who's in good form? Or are they pretending to be in bad form? I looked at the senior from Canopus, and she gave me a meaningful smile. What is this, a psychological tactic? I can't read her better than I can read Umamusume.
But with this, I've checked on all the Umamusume I'm wary of. Now, who should I have Rice mark?
(Twin Turbo and Tokai Teio seem to be in good form... But Twin Turbo beat Tokai Teio, and Tokai Teio is clearly focused on Twin Turbo...)
After the Tanabata Sho and the All Comers, will Twin Turbo once again unleash that runaway speed? They say lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, but there's also a saying that the third time's the charm.
The image of Twin Turbo from the All Comers crossed my mind. The image of her running away from start to finish and escaping even from Tokai Teio.
Since Seiun Sky ran away to a world record the other day, I can't help but feel that Twin Turbo is going to do something incredible. The fact that this race is 200 meters shorter than the All Comers is making my decision even more difficult.
"Onii-sama"
While I was agonizing over my decision, Rice came over to the paddock fence. All I had to do was tell her who to mark, as usual.
(Twin Turbo and Tokai Teio... I guess it has to be Twin Turbo.)
I was about to tell Rice who to mark. But before I could, Rice opened her mouth.
"Onii-sama--I'm not afraid of Turbo-san today."
"..."
At those words, I closed the mouth I had opened.
--Should I trust my own judgment, or Rice's judgment?
Faced with that choice, I let out a breath. The information about Twin Turbo and Tokai Teio that I had spent almost a month compiling flew around in my mind, and I made a decision after about twenty seconds.
"Mark Tokai Teio."
"...Are you sure?"
Rice asked with a hint of anxiety in her voice. Was it because she had noticed from my demeanor that we had different opinions on who to mark and that I had decided to go with her opinion? But for me, I trusted Rice's instincts, who was actually running the race, more than the things I had researched.
I had spent dozens of hours researching Twin Turbo, but that girl's abilities are truly unique. If I was wavering between her and Tokai Teio, and Rice didn't feel afraid of Twin Turbo, then there was only one answer.
"Yes. I believe in Rice more than I believe in myself. I was wavering, but my beloved Umamusume feels that she's not scary. Then she's not scary. Tokai Teio seems to be in good form, and she's probably focused on Twin Turbo. We'll exploit that."
"Okay! ...Beloved Umamusume... Hehe... Beloved Umamusume..."
Rice's mood lifted when she heard my words, and she left the paddock. I watched her go and clenched my fist.
The die has been cast. Now, let's see what the outcome will be.
"...Come on, let's go too!"
And for some reason, King hit me on the back. It hurt, King...
(...Huh? What's that...)
We were about to move to the stands when I saw Tokai Teio talking to a senior from Spica.
The senior was saying something strongly, but Tokai Teio was shaking her head. The senior shook her head in a big way and then patted Tokai Teio on the back, sending her off from the paddock.
'It's a beautiful clear sky, but autumn is deepening, and the temperature is getting closer to winter at the Tokyo Racecourse. The 11th race, G1, 2000 meters on turf, the Tenno Sho (Autumn), is about to begin. The track conditions are announced as good.'
'The world record Seiun Sky set at the Kikuka Sho last week must have had an effect, but since this is the starting point of the Senior Triple Crown, it's also a full house today. It's said that nearly 100,000 race fans have gathered around the Tokyo Racecourse.'
The fanfare echoed, and the announcer and commentator spoke.
The Tokyo Racecourse has a capacity of just under 200,000 people, the largest in Japan. And with 100,000 fans gathered around the racecourse, it means that 300,000 fans have gathered.
Of course, it's being broadcast live on TV and streamed live online. You can also listen to it on the radio, so not only the fans around the Tokyo Racecourse but also Umamusume fans all over Japan are watching.
'Starting gate 1, Rice Shower. She's the 2nd favorite.'
'One of the TMRs has appeared. Mejiro McQueen avoided running because she's being treated for tendinitis, but Tokai Teio has appeared. We want to pay attention to their rivalry as well.'
Today, Rice is the 2nd favorite. Maybe because of that, or maybe because of her original popularity, loud cheers flew from the stands. In fact, I could even hear people calling Rice's name from outside... from around the Tokyo Racecourse.
'Starting gate 3, Twin Turbo. She's the 3rd favorite.'
'Maybe because she beat Tokai Teio in the All Comers the other day, she's the 3rd favorite. Well, she was originally a very popular Umamusume. Will she run away to victory with her turbo engine at full throttle again today?'
Twin Turbo is the 3rd favorite. As I thought, the fact that the race is shorter than the All Comers and that she beat Tokai Teio must be a big factor. Cheers flew for Twin Turbo, and for some reason, I could hear laughter as well.
"Turbo's gonna win! I'm gonna run away from Teio and win!"
Twin Turbo was shouting that as she entered the gate. That caused even more cheers to fly, and I couldn't help but smile wryly at Twin Turbo's voice, which carried well.
'Starting gate 7, Nice Nature. She's the 4th favorite.'
The second runner from Team Canopus, Nice Nature. Maybe because of her consistent ability, she's also very popular with the crowd. When cheers flew, she looked embarrassed as she entered the gate.
'Starting gate 13, Tokai Teio. She's the 1st favorite.'
And today's 1st favorite is, of course, Tokai Teio. She may have lost to Twin Turbo in the All Comers, but five G1 wins are no joke. And since this is a middle-distance race, which is Tokai Teio's specialty, it's no surprise that she's the 1st favorite.
Tokai Teio is... as expected, looking at Twin Turbo.
'Starting gate 16, Ikuno Dictus. She's the 5th favorite.'
Ikuno Dictus is the 5th favorite... wait, Team Canopus has monopolized the 3rd to 5th favorite spots. While I was thinking about that, all the Umamusume finished entering their gates.
The sounds from the fans around the Tokyo Racecourse disappeared rapidly. And a few seconds after the sound was completely gone, the gates opened with a bang.
'All Umamusume, gate entry complete--and they're off!'
'All the Umamusume got a clean start... No, they didn't. Twin Turbo made a strong dash right at the start.'
'The first to take the lead is 3, Twin Turbo. Her turbo engine is at full throttle right from the start. Following her are 6, Sam Garden, oh? 13, Tokai Teio has also moved up. 12, Dearest Gift, 15, Tavartimsa, and 18, Eco Anima are also running away.'
Rice started in gate 1, a position that makes it easy to get ahead of Twin Turbo, but Twin Turbo started with a dash as if she didn't care about her surroundings. She ran at top speed from the start, without thinking about the future.
The Tenno Sho (Autumn) is a 2000-meter race on a left-handed outer course and starts on a straight line that juts out from the middle of the first corner. From there, they enter the second corner, go around the backstretch, and after passing the third and fourth corners, all that's left is the home stretch.
'The front group is in the following order: 1, Rice Shower, 5, Ribbon Pean, 7, Nice Nature, 9, Bird and Cliff, 8, Requiem Whisper, and 11, Terpander. Following them are 2, Lavien Rose, 16, Ikuno Dictus, 10, Tap Step, 14, Myong Myong, and 17, Chemical Wash. And at the back is 4, Ice Hopper.'
'Twin Turbo is running away more and more. She's passed the second corner and is running alone. She's already put a 4-length gap between her and second-place Tokai Teio.'
(Her dash at the start and her runaway speed are amazing even when I see them live... And Tokai Teio is clearly marking Twin Turbo...)
The spectators were also very excited by Twin Turbo, who was running without thinking about the future. Well, she looks like she's not thinking about the future, but she might be confident that her stamina will last.
'They've all passed the second corner and are on the backstretch. Twin Turbo is still in the lead. She's running far ahead. Twin Turbo is at full throttle again today. She's running away... and has put a 6 to 7-length gap between her and second-place Tokai Teio. I wonder how many lengths she's ahead of the last runner.'
'Oh, my. Just like Seiun Sky at the Kikuka Sho, it's hard to catch an Umamusume who makes a big getaway. Tokai Teio is usually a front-runner, but she must be marking Twin Turbo as a strong opponent today.'
'Speaking of marking... she's here. Rice Shower is slowly moving up. She's passed two, no, three runners and is now in 4th place. She's about 10 lengths away from Twin Turbo.'
'Is this... Rice Shower also marking Twin Turbo? No, from her movements, it looks like she's aiming for Tokai Teio?'
While on the backstretch, Rice was slowly moving up. But Twin Turbo was running away even faster. As if being pulled along by Twin Turbo, Tokai Teio was also speeding up, but the gap between her and Twin Turbo wasn't shrinking because of their original stamina difference.
In fact, she's running 10 lengths ahead of Rice, even though not even half of the race is over yet, so is Twin Turbo's ability really the real deal? The Tokyo Racecourse has a lot of undulations on both the turf and dirt courses, but Twin Turbo is just accelerating without a care in the world.
(What about Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus...? Hmm? They're quite a bit behind. They're aiming to overtake... but their position is not good for that.)
Well, not even half of the race is over... As I was saying that, Twin Turbo passed the 1000-meter mark.
'Twin Turbo, who continues to lead, has passed the 1000-meter mark and is entering the third corner. The 1000-meter time is 57.3 seconds... an incredibly fast pace!'
'If she can run at this pace in the second half, she'll easily break the world record. Is she competing with Seiun Sky?'
Twin Turbo is accelerating more and more. And it's not just Tokai Teio who's being pulled along by Twin Turbo. The other Umamusume are also speeding up.
(Hmm... Rice is saving her energy. Good, she's not getting flustered.)
Unlike the others who were accelerating, Rice was slowing down to save her energy. The plan was to mark Tokai Teio, but she must have decided that it was too dangerous to follow her.
(...Was the best choice today to run normally without marking anyone?)
There was a strange atmosphere. An atmosphere I had never experienced before. It was similar to the Kikuka Sho where Seiun Sky ran away to a world record, but it was also different somehow.
'The leading Twin Turbo has passed the third corner and is entering the fourth corner. Second place is still Tokai Teio. She's slowly closing the gap, but there's still a 5-length difference.'
The fourth corner has a gentle incline, and in the home stretch, they have to run up a hill with a 2-meter height difference in just over 100 meters. It's not as steep as the Yodo hill at the Kyoto Racecourse, but it must be tough to climb at the end of a race.
'And now, Twin Turbo has rushed into the home stretch while maintaining her lead! Twin Turbo! Her turbo engine is at full throttle again today! No, it's always at full throttle! There's less than 500 meters left, but can the runners behind her catch up?!'
'Wow, what a great runaway. It's always exciting when Twin Turbo runs.'
'Second-place Tokai Teio is also running in the final stretch! The gap between her and Twin Turbo is 5 lengths! No, she's catching up, it's 4 lengths! But it's still too far, Tokai Teio! Will she allow Twin Turbo to escape?! Or will she be able to catch her?!'
They turned the final corner, and the Umamusume entered the final stretch one after another. And the sight of them running straight toward the goal could be called the highlight of an Umamusume race.
Rice, who had moved up to 4th place in the middle of the race, had now dropped to around 8th. She was about 10 lengths away from Twin Turbo and about 6 lengths away from Tokai Teio, a little too far.
But Rice was still aiming for the front. She wasn't giving up at all. I could tell from a distance that she was focused. As proof, she was running on the far outside, which was close to the stands.
Since this was the 11th race, she was avoiding the rougher inner part of the course and heading to the outside, where the ground was not as rough and where there was no one in front of her.
'They've passed the 400-meter mark! Twin Turbo is still in the lead! But there's a hill from here! Is it too tough?! Twin Turbo's speed has slowed down a little! And Tokai Teio is coming up as if she's aiming for it!'
Even as she approached the hill, Twin Turbo only slowed down a little and ran up the hill with all her might. And Tokai Teio, who was chasing her, was also slowing down, but maybe because of their original stamina difference, she was slowly catching up to Twin Turbo.
'Third place is 6, Sam Garden! 4th place is 2, Lavien Rose, who has come up from the inside! Behind them are 8, Requiem Whisper and 9, Bird and Cliff! The 2nd favorite, Rice Shower, is still in the middle group... No, she's not?! Huh? Ah, Rice Shower! She's coming up from the far outside! Rice Shower has come up here! She's coming up with an incredible speed!'
'She's here, Rice Shower.'
Rice, who had been holding back, suddenly accelerated. She rushed from the far outside, not caring about the hill, and ran up it with an even greater force.
"Go! Go! Go, Rice!"
"Rice-chan, do your best!"
"Show them you're strong in middle-distance races too, Rice-senpai!"
Maybe because she was running on the far outside, close to the stands, our voices must have reached Rice's ears. If I wasn't mistaken, one of Rice's Umamusume ears was pointed in our direction.
"Go! Go! Go!"
I shouted while hitting the fence that separated the course and the stands. Maybe she heard my voice, but Rice's body sank even lower, and her horseshoes scraped the turf, sending it flying backward.
'Rice Shower is coming up! She's passed four runners at once and is in 4th place! No, as I was saying that, she's in 3rd place! She's 2 lengths away from Tokai Teio! She's 5 lengths away from Twin Turbo! But there's only 300 meters left!'
'Can she make it... Ah.'
"Ah."
At that moment, my voice and the commentator's voice overlapped.
It wasn't because someone had fallen or something like that. They had finished climbing the hill, and the course was now flat until the goal, but Twin Turbo had suddenly and rapidly slowed down.
'Oh, no! Twin Turbo, who was in the lead! Has her turbo engine finally broken down?! Her speed is rapidly dropping!'
'It happened, huh...'
Cheers, screams, and laughter went up from the stands at the same time. And seeing Twin Turbo rapidly slow down, Tokai Teio's speed increased.
'Twin Turbo is trying to escape! She's trying desperately to escape with her broken engine! But it's no use! Her turbo engine has not only stopped but it's now in reverse thrust! Tokai Teio has passed her and is now in the lead! Tokai Teio has taken the lead with 200 meters left!'
(So that's reverse thrust... It's my first time seeing it in person, but her speed really dropped all at once...)
I couldn't help but think that. No, the drop in her speed was so sudden that it made sense to call it reverse thrust. And Tokai Teio passed Twin Turbo and took the lead, but...
The moment Tokai Teio passed Twin Turbo, she smiled. She must have been a little relieved after passing the opponent she had lost to in the All Comers.
'There's less than 100 meters left! Tokai Teio will reach the goal first... No! This Umamusume won't allow that! Rice Shower has rushed in and passed Tokai Teio! And now, she's at the goal!'
--Rice struck at that moment of carelessness.
From the far outside, Rice passed Tokai Teio as if to exploit her moment of carelessness.
Did Tokai Teio not even notice Rice because she was so focused on Twin Turbo? I don't think she would ever not notice Rice, whom she had been fighting for the Senior Triple Crown with in the spring... Was her loss to Twin Turbo in the All Comers that big of a deal for Tokai Teio?
(Rice was right after all... But what in the world is Twin Turbo... She seemed to be in such good form in the paddock...)
I was concerned about Tokai Teio, but she didn't seem to be injured. In that case, that's a problem for the senior from Spica to solve. So, I changed my focus and looked at Twin Turbo, who was now being passed by one runner after another and had finished the race in a daze.
And also...
(Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus didn't move up at all... Their form didn't look good, but was it worse than I thought? But Twin Turbo really seemed to be in good form...)
I was utterly confused when I saw the order board light up.
'The order board has been finalized. 1st place is 1, Rice Shower. The winning time is 1:58.4. 2nd place is 13, Tokai Teio, by 1 length. 3rd place is 4, Ice Hopper, by 2 lengths. 4th place is 9, Myong Myong, by a neck. 5th place is 10, Tap Step, by 1 length.'
All the members of Team Canopus had failed to place. No, not only did they fail to place, but Twin Turbo, who ran out of steam due to her reverse thrust, finished 17th. Nice Nature not only failed to move up but also lost speed, finishing 15th. Ikuno Dictus finished 10th, maybe because of her poor positioning.
(Ikuno Dictus is in her third year in the Senior class, wasn't she... Instead of thinking her form was bad, should I think that the other Umamusume are getting stronger? Nice Nature is also in her second year in the Senior class...)
Does this mean that the younger generations are getting stronger? I thought about that and shook my head. It's also possible that their form was just bad.
As for Twin Turbo... she probably just ran out of stamina from running too fast, even more so than in the All Comers. And Tokai Teio, who followed her, also used up her stamina, and her last sprint wasn't as good as Rice's. I think that's all there is to it.
'First-place Rice Shower is holding up four fingers to the sky as if to show off her fourth G1 victory! The Umamusume who won a long-distance G1 has finally gotten a G1 crown in a middle-distance race!'
Rice proudly puffed out her chest toward the stands and held up her right hand with all her fingers straight except for her thumb.
At the sight of Rice, a huge cheer went up from the stands. But although Rice was smiling for the crowd, I frowned when I saw her face.
(...She's mad at Tokai Teio.)
It was a mix of happiness from winning a G1 middle-distance race and anger at Tokai Teio, who was only focused on Twin Turbo.
Unlike the Senior Triple Crown in spring, she had won the first race of the Senior Triple Crown in autumn. But what I had just thought came to my mind, and I let out a small sigh.
(The younger generation... That's right. It's only been a week since the Kikuka Sho, so they didn't run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), but it wouldn't be strange for the Classic-class girls to run in the next Japan Cup...)
There were no teams that would run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) with almost no rest after the Kikuka Sho last week. But there's enough time until the Japan Cup in late November, which is the midpoint of the Senior Triple Crown.
Mejiro McQueen will also be back, and if that happens, Tokai Teio will probably get her motivation back. And the top Classic-class runners, Special Week, Oguri Cap, Biwa Hayahide, and Meek, might also enter.
(Hmm... To look at it another way, you could say that Tokai Teio was thrown off by Twin Turbo in the All Comers... The senior from Spica probably won't just let this go, so the Japan Cup might be a gathering of strong opponents...)
It's possible that all the Umamusume I'm wary of in the Classic class will run, and all the runners will be strong Umamusume I need to be cautious of.
I was thinking about how to appease Rice as she walked back from the course and left the stands with Urara and King.
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