Chapter 52. Voting Results and Speculation
When it came to arranging specialized training for Uma Musume, there was a quiet consensus within Central Tracen Academy—
No one did it better than Shuta An.
It wasn't something loudly declared, nor formally acknowledged. But whether it was pacing, condition control, or long-term race planning, the results spoke clearly enough.
—
While the members of Team Sadalsuud spent their days in Sapporo alternating between rest and structured training, life at Central Tracen Academy continued without the slightest slackening.
Summer vacation meant nothing to the racing calendar.
Because in less than a month—
The Takarazuka Kinen would arrive.
—
This time, the spotlight fell squarely on two names.
Special Week.
Grass Wonder.
The top two favorites, once again set on a collision course.And unlike before—neither Tojo Hana nor Nishizaki Ryu sought Shuta An's assistance.
It had been decided beforehand, over drinks in a bar.
"Last time, Shuta-kun helped with the strategy," Tojo Hana had said calmly. "This time—we rely on ourselves."
"Special Week will definitely win," Nishizaki Ryu had added without hesitation, his confidence almost overflowing.
—
His reasoning wasn't without basis.
After her defeat in the Arima Kinen the previous year, Special Week had returned with remarkable momentum.
AJCC in January. Hanshin Daishoten. Tenno Sho (Spring).
Three races. Three wins.
A perfect streak that showcased not only her ability, but also her steadily improving condition.
—
Grass Wonder, by comparison, seemed less dominant. Before the Takarazuka Kinen, she had only run twice.
Keio Hai Spring Cup—victory. Yasuda Kinen—second place.
On paper, it was still strong.
But to Nishizaki Ryu, something felt off.
"Her condition wasn't sharp."
That was his conclusion.
In the Yasuda Kinen especially, he had seen it clearly—Grass Wonder hadn't been at her peak.
And from that—his confidence solidified.
—
"Looks like Hana's adjustment has issues," he thought privately.
Perhaps she had focused too much on managing Taiki Shuttle and El Condor Pasa, leaving Grass Wonder slightly neglected.
If that were true—then the outcome of the Takarazuka Kinen was already decided.
"After this, I'll have to give her a proper lecture."
The thought came with a faint, anticipatory satisfaction.
—
But Tojo Hana herself remained composed. She understood the situation better than anyone. Grass Wonder's condition had indeed fluctuated. But the root cause wasn't mismanagement.
It was recovery.
Her leg injury earlier in the year had disrupted her rhythm. Even after months of rest, returning to peak form required something more than training—
It required racing. Actual competition.
The Keio Hai Spring Cup had been a step forward.
The Yasuda Kinen, another.
Even in defeat, there had been progress.
"She told me herself." Tojo Hana's gaze remained steady. "She will be ready."
And so, instead of anxiety—she felt anticipation.
The image of Grass Wonder overtaking Special Week in the Takarazuka Kinen was already taking shape in her mind. And when that moment came—
"I'll make sure Ryu hears about it."
—
Far away in Hokkaido, the topic surfaced naturally during casual conversations.
"Who do you think will win the Takarazuka Kinen, Trainer?"
The question came lightly. But the answer required thought.
"If I had to choose…" Shuta An paused briefly. "I'm still leaning toward Grass Wonder."
Air Groove gave a small, satisfied nod at that answer.
But Mejiro McQueen frowned slightly, unable to reconcile it.
"The gap in the Arima Kinen was already very small," she said. "And that was after Special Week had run the Japan Cup, which clearly affected her condition."
Her reasoning was precise.
"This year, her results and form are both better than Grass Wonder's. So why—?"
Shuta An blinked once. "A man's intuition."
The answer came lightly. But he didn't stop there"From a trainer's perspective, it doesn't matter to me who wins," he continued. "But if I analyze it—Grass Wonder's condition in her last two races wasn't ideal."
He glanced slightly into the distance, recalling the details.
"However, between the Keio Hai and the Yasuda Kinen, there was improvement. Even though her placing dropped, her actual condition was better."
His tone remained calm.
"If that trend continues—she should peak at the Takarazuka Kinen."
—
Then his gaze shifted toward Mejiro McQueen.
"As for Special Week…"
He paused. Carefully choosing his words.
"She proved in the Hanshin Daishoten that she can handle Hanshin Racecourse. But—3000 meters and 2200 meters are completely different races."
His expression sharpened slightly.
"She's a closer, a late surger. And the Takarazuka Kinen uses the inner track's final straight. Which means—There isn't much room for a full acceleration sprint at the end."
—
He stopped there for a moment. Because the next point—was delicate.
Special Week's strongest opponent this year had been Mejiro Bright.
A name that, in front of Mejiro McQueen, carried its own weight.
"In short," Shuta An concluded, deliberately smoothing over the gap, "I don't think Special Week has a clear advantage over Grass Wonder."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"Of course—if Ryu-san changes tactics—lets Special Week run forward, controls the pace—then her chances increase significantly."
—
That night, the conversation shifted once again. Silence Suzuka lay quietly in his arms, her voice soft.
"The URA Association contacted me."
Shuta An glanced down slightly.
"And?"
"They wanted me to film promotional material for this year's Takarazuka Kinen."
He waited.
"I refused." There was a hint of pride in her tone as she tilted her head and leaned closer. "I'm not participating this year. It wouldn't make sense for me to be involved in the promotion."
Her reasoning was simple.
"Special Week and Grass Wonder are more appropriate."
"That's true." Shuta An nodded. Then, after a moment, his thoughts drifted elsewhere. "What about the British side?"
He spoke more quietly now.
"When you and Dober go over—will they ask you to participate in promotional shoots too?"
"We can't arrive that early," Silence Suzuka murmured. Then, after a brief pause, she added: "If necessary, we can just send race footage. Let them edit it."
Her tone was unconcerned.
"We don't need to worry about them doing anything strange. Why not edit it ourselves and send it?"
Shuta An's hands moved idly as he spoke, his tone carrying a faint trace of dissatisfaction.
"I've seen their promotional videos before. Honestly, they're no different from anywhere else."
He let out a quiet breath.
"If it weren't for formality, they could just reuse footage from previous races."
"Don't forget to include the Queen Elizabeth II Cup from Hong Kong," Silence Suzuka said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Otherwise, the Hong Kong side won't be pleased."
"Right."
Shuta An gave a small nod. Then, as if remembering something, he added:
"I originally planned for you to travel around Australia this summer."
A faint sigh followed.
"But with the new URA regulation—you'll probably only be able to run one race there."
"It's fine." Silence Suzuka shifted slightly, settling more comfortably against him. "As long as I'm with you… it doesn't matter."
—
In the fan poll results for the Takarazuka Kinen, the rankings came out almost exactly as most people had expected.
Special Week secured first place without any suspense, her popularity firmly established after a series of impressive performances this year. Grass Wonder followed closely in second. El Condor Pasa, despite announcing her withdrawal due to overseas plans, still ranked third. Seiun Sky, who had already confirmed she would skip the race, came in fourth. And in fifth—
King Halo.
—
"Nothing surprising here, right?"
That evening in the restaurant, Shuta An leaned back slightly as he spoke, glancing around at the others.
"The top five are all within expectations."
Silence Suzuka, however, tilted her head slightly.
"King Halo being fifth, that's probably still riding on last year's performance, isn't it?"
Her tone carried a hint of analysis rather than doubt.
"To be honest, her results this year haven't been particularly strong. Winning the Tokyo Shimbun Hai and Nakayama Kinen back-to-back is good, but in the Yasuda Kinen—"
She paused briefly.
"That loss was quite decisive."
Her conclusion was straightforward.
"It feels like her performance in G1 races is completely different from her performance in regular graded races."
—
"I think it's obsession."
Tokai Teio spoke up this time, her voice calm but certain.
"As someone who's always been expected to win a G1 but hasn't managed to do so—that kind of pressure doesn't just disappear."
She looked down slightly, as if organizing her thoughts.
"It turns into something internal. Something that interferes when it matters most. Something like an inner barrier."
"I think so too."
Shuta An nodded. He had watched King Halo closely during the Yasuda Kinen.
And Teio's interpretation—was accurate.
—
"But wouldn't her Trainer have noticed something like that?" Silence Suzuka asked, still slightly puzzled.
Air Groove, who had been quietly listening, finally joined in.
"Even if they notice, it doesn't mean it can be fixed."
Her tone was calm, but there was a trace of resignation beneath it.
"Just like my own reaction to flash photography—some things aren't solved just by being aware of them."
She crossed her arms lightly.
"Psychological issues are difficult. For both Uma Musume and Trainers."
"That's why I suggested creating a psychologist position at Central Tracen Academy before." Shuta An gave a small shrug. "But every time, the response is the same—no funding."
"Isn't that part of a Trainer's responsibility anyway?" Air Groove replied immediately. "And Rudolf Kaichou wasn't exaggerating. The academy's financial situation really is tight."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"With so many teams preparing for overseas expeditions, the academy is covering a large portion of the subsidies."
—
"That explains it." Shuta An exhaled softly. "No wonder she didn't oppose the URA Association's proposal to restrict overseas campaigns."
It wasn't just policy.
It was necessity.
—
He didn't push the topic further.
Some questions—
Like comparing the academy's finances with the Mejiro Family—
were better left unspoken.
—
For Shuta An, the Takarazuka Kinen was, ultimately, just conversation.
An analysis exercise.
Because for him—and for Team Sadalsuud—
The real focus lay elsewhere.
Tokai Teio's debut.
—
Sapporo Racecourse. Turf. 1800 meters.
Five entries in total.
Tokai Teio—
And four others: Kashima Tosho., Color Guard, Keiwan Flag, Kikuno Minstrel.
—
Shuta An hadn't gone out of his way to gather detailed footage of these competitors. Mostly because his perfect assistant wasn't present in Sapporo.
Still, he had obtained training videos through the academy. After copying them, he handed them over to Tokai Teio.
"Take a look."
—
After watching, Tokai Teio's reaction was immediate.
"I feel like my chances of a successful debut just increased."
Shuta An raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That confident?" His tone carried a hint of curiosity. "You think they're not your opponents?"
"Of course." Tokai Teio lifted her chin slightly, her confidence unmistakable. "If I can't even win my debut race—then what's the point of aiming for an undefeated Triple Crown?"
—
"Fair enough." Shuta An took a sip of water, then spoke more seriously. "The race is next Sunday. From now on, reduce your training intensity slightly."
He placed the cup down.
"We already adjusted your condition earlier this week. The priority now is maintaining it—not consuming it."
"Got it." Tokai Teio nodded quickly. "I've already been holding back during training. I've been running slower than McQueen on purpose."
"So that's why."
Mejiro McQueen, who had been quietly enjoying her dessert, finally looked up.
"I thought you seemed a bit distracted during training. I was planning to mention it to Trainer."
Now—it made sense.
"Miss McQueen, the same applies to you."
Shuta An shifted his attention.
"You're racing soon as well. Reduce your intensity. Don't waste your peak condition during daily training."
"Understood." Mejiro McQueen nodded gently. "To secure my Kikuka Sho ticket, I need to win the race the week after next."
Her tone was calm—but firm.
"Otherwise, I'll have to rely on a prep race and that carries more risk."
She wasn't wrong. The Kikuka Sho prep races were both middle-distance graded events. For someone like Mejiro McQueen—with exceptional stamina but less explosive speed; securing qualification through a class race was far more reliable.
If she had been part of Team Sadalsuud; Shuta An would have made the same decision.
—
That night, in the Dream World—
The Takarazuka Kinen fan poll results were also announced.
And just as expected—
First place: Tokai Teio.
Second place: Mejiro McQueen.
The gap between them and third place was overwhelming.
"It's safe to say her biggest opponent is Mejiro McQueen." Shuta An spoke calmly as he stood beside Matsumoto Shoichi.
"I agree," Matsumoto replied. "Against McQueen, Teio needs to take a more proactive position this time."
He paused briefly.
"Yutaka Take could very well take the lead and control the pace."
"But Iide Satan is also in the race." Shuta An frowned slightly. "Muramoto Yoshiyuki will contest the lead too."
"That's true." Matsumoto Shoichi nodded. "In that case, Take might choose to sit just behind Mejiro Ryan instead."
"Team tactics?" Shuta An's lips twitched slightly. "With all due respect—Take-san might be capable of it."
He paused.
"But Norihiro Yokoyama?" A faint smile appeared. "I don't think he's the type to play support."
Matsumoto Shoichi chuckled.
"Everyone's a genius in their own right. Of course they won't easily yield."
At that moment—the office door suddenly burst open.
Tokai Teio's groom rushed in, his expression unusually tense.