Inside Spica, things were buzzing. After joining, Tokai Teio saw Mahjong for the first time, realizing it was a mental workout, she picked it up instantly with her high intelligence.
Teio and Hokko Tarumae were working on training schedules, while McQueen and Gold Ship were already preparing for the next session.
Meanwhile, Mizuki began her log, and her opening lines immediately sent shockwaves through the readers.
[When I first saw the data on these World Horses of the Year, I was beyond stunned. Their records are simply exaggerated. No matter which one you write about, their history is one of absolute dominance.]
[Frankel, Secretariat, Flightline, Baaeed, Enable, Urban Sea, Sea The Stars, Fantastic Light, Deep Impact, Black Caviar— these guys are all monsters.]
[To be honest, back when I played the game by Cygames, if they had given me these World Horses of the Year as starters— and didn't nerf them into 2-star characters but kept their original strength— would my grinding have even been painful? I would have dominated the Champions Meetings and crushed everyone.]
[Sadly, the starters were just Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet. Usually, you train them in the early game and then use them as parents later. By the time Cygames updated the game further, Christmas Oguri, Summer Maruzensky, Curren Chan, and that lazy fisherman were the true gods.]
[Especially when the server first launched, the power creep was sudden. Generation after generation brings new gods, but pulling for them early is never a loss.]
(T/N: Mizuki is a shill sent by Cygames to get you to spent Carats. Don't listen. Hoard your Carats.)
[Speaking of which, I wonder which version the server is on now. I hope my roommate loses all her 50/50 pulls.]
[Also, I think Cygames hasn't released enough foreign horses. It's a pity they can't get the copyrights.]
[If they could make Secretariat, I wonder what she'd look like? She'd probably be a stunning Uma Musume.]
[You have to realize, Secretariat was affectionately called "Big Red." Not only was his heart huge, but the real horse's pectoral muscles were so massive that standard tack wouldn't fit— he had to have everything custom-made.]
[I would love to see her design in Uma Musume...]
Seeing this, the Uma Musume were utterly shocked.
Inside Spica:
"Wait," Hokko Tarumae said. "The 'Cygames' Trainer Mizuki keeps mentioning... is it really a racing game? And it mentions Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka by name? Is it related to us?"
Tokai Teio replied, "It seems so. But we shouldn't be that surprised. It's normal— our world has Uma Musume merch and figures, and I heard they were making a game about us. It seems the real horse world just finished theirs a bit faster."
McQueen nodded. "Yes, it's like baseball. Our NBL league has a game called 'NBL 2K Online' where you can pick your favorite teams and players."
"The Chairwoman actually turned down a request to make an Uma Musume game a while ago, saying it wasn't the right time. But from the log, it seems we've already been implemented in the real horse world."
McQueen felt a bit nervous. Was she strong in the game? If she were designing herself, she'd at least make the weight stat private.
Players didn't need to know everything.
Daiwa Scarlet, however, looked hurt and pouted. "Eh? We're given for free at the start? So me and Vodka are just free characters? Doesn't that mean we aren't strong at all?!"
Vodka felt her mental state crumble. "Yeah... free characters are usually the most useless. They help the player in the early game, but then everyone replaces them with higher-tier characters. We don't help much in the long run..."
Vodka had been called an "Empress" in the logs, and she had hoped she'd be a limited 5-star character. The reality was a cold shower.
She felt super lame just reading about this.
Hokko Tarumae immediately tried to comfort them: "No... it's not like that! Being a starter means you're beginner-friendly. Maybe Cygames took that into account so you could guide new players!"
Hokko Tarumae was indeed the best at comforting people. What she didn't know is that in the gacha world, complaining about the developer is a player's birthright.
Mizuki was just finding an excuse to use that birthright.
As for Silence Suzuka, her attention was fixed on the description of Secretariat. Secretariat's chest was so big she needed custom gear...
She realized there truly were gaps between Uma Musume. To think there was someone who required custom-built chest plates... that was...
'Terrifying.'
Meanwhile, near a river in Tokyo...
When Seiun Sky saw the term "fisherman," she knew it was referring to her.
"Nya-haha! So I'm that powerful in the real horse world? I wonder if I also achieved great results in the Classic Triple Crown?"
"Sorry, Vodka-san, Scarlet-san— looks like I've put you out of a job in the players' hands. But Seiun-chan will treat the players who choose me very well."
"Everyone choosing the cute Seiun-chan... you certainly have good taste." She giggled, hands on her hips with an adorable expression.
Suddenly, she noticed her fishing rod twitch. With a smooth tug, a big fish was hooked.
She was overjoyed, tonight, she'd be able to have three extra bowls of food.
In the United States: Secretariat couldn't stop laughing upon seeing the news. She wasn't shy at all, instead, she was incredibly confident— bordering on narcissistic and arrogant, but she had the strength and the capital to back it up.
As her trainer in the real world once said: "If Secretariat could talk, he'd be a narcissistic, arrogant son of a gun. But unlike other jerks, he's a jerk people are madly in love with!"
[Speaking of Secretariat, his real-life record was enough to leave one breathless, making people wonder if such a powerful horse truly existed.]
[Born on March 30, 1970, Secretariat was a Thoroughbred born and trained in the US. His career consisted of 21 starts, 16 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third— placing 4th only in her debut. He is considered one of the greatest racehorses in the hearts of Americans.]
[His most classic performance on dirt was the Belmont Stakes at 2400m, where he won by a staggering 31 lengths and set a record of 2:24. It caused a massive sensation in the American racing world at the time.]
[This achievement smashed the previous record by nearly 2 seconds and pulled 11 lengths ahead of the previous record holder. It was hailed as an unbreakable record, to this day, no horse has even come close to Secretariat's mark.]
[On the global G1 turf stage, he also won the G1 Man o' War Stakes (2400m) and the G1 Canadian International Stakes (2400m). These were high-caliber races, proving Secretariat's immense adaptability.]
At this moment, Secretariat said narcissistically:
"On behalf of myself, I express my respect to Trainer Mizuki. Whether it's my race results or my appearance, I, Secretariat, am just that outstanding."
"Her praise is entirely accurate. I believe if she met me in person, she would surely use the word 'exquisite' to describe me."
Flightline was speechless. She clapped while reading in a monotone voice: "Wow, so amazing. Secretariat, can you give me some praise too?"
Secretariat turned her beautiful eyes toward Flightline and said soulfully:
"Hahaha! My beautiful lady, look at your proud figure, those slender legs... forgive me, Flightline, your power and perfection are beyond my ability to describe."
Flightline shivered and gave up. Her skin wasn't thick enough to stand Secretariat's praise.
Besides, Secretariat was looking at her like a "bad girl," making her feel shy, as if she were being seen through. She quickly hugged herself and said:
"Ahem... you jerk, stop praising me. If you keep going, I'll actually start believing it."
Flightline was afraid Secretariat would hug her again. That "bad girl" did it often, and when hugged, Flightline's head would end up buried in Secretariat's grand, snowy-white chest, sometimes making it hard to breathe.
She truly was a charming rogue.
Secretariat and Flightline continued reading.
[The one I'm writing about today is the current World Horse of the Year. If Treve held the title with a high score of 130...]
[Then the current strongest horse in the world has reached a massive score of 140. Undefeated in 14 starts, the benchmark he set remains unsurpassed to this day.]
[His name is Frankel. He is the UK's pride.]
[Why is he so powerful? Not only did he win every race he ran, but almost all were crushing victories. Even though his regular jockey, Tom Queally, was a dead weight.]
[When Queally was paired with Frankel, they were invincible. But once Queally left Frankel, he failed to win a single G1 race, or even a graded stakes race. He gradually fell out of the major race rotations and ended up taking odd jobs at small stables.]
[Later, he couldn't even get those jobs and had to try jump racing, but he still couldn't win.]
[For comparison, I can confidently say that if my grandmother rode Frankel, she could have won at least 7 G1 titles. This is an "auto-pilot" racehorse, this is the caliber of a World Horse of the Year.]
[In the face of Frankel, almost all British horses of that era were reduced to mere background scenery!]
The moment Frankel's name appeared, the entirety of Tracen Academy froze.
In the swimming pool: Smart Falcon was stunned. She was practicing her laps, but when she saw that "140" score, she jumped in fright.
Her swimming form fell apart, and she nearly choked on the water, frantically grabbing a kickboard to stay afloat.
She still couldn't believe it.
"How... 140 points?! You've got to be kidding. Even Orfevre only had 129, and she won 6 G1s on turf!"
"The person named Treve, who crushed Tracen's Arc dream, only had 130."
"A 1-point difference is already huge, but 140 is a full 10-point gap from the world champions of that time... is that even possible?!"
Smart Falcon trembled. She wondered if the gap between them and the world was really that wide. She started questioning her life choices...
She wanted to get out immediately and go to the training room to look up Frankel's races.
She was incredibly envious— if she had Frankel's strength, she'd have countless fans. However, as Falcon prepared to climb out, she turned and saw Oguri Cap flailing nearby, apparently drowning.
Falcon looked at the kickboard in her hand and realized she had accidentally snatched Oguri Cap's board in her panic.
"Ah! Oguri-san, are you okay?!"
Falcon quickly pulled Oguri Cap out of the water. Everyone knew Oguri Cap couldn't swim and relied on kickboards.
After a moment, Oguri Cap woke up and said in a daze:
"Hmm? I just saw Kitahara and everyone from the local tracks coming to take me home. They gave me so much delicious food... where'd they go?"
"That was a hallucination! You definitely can't let them take you away!"
Falcon was terrified, if Oguri Cap had been "taken away," she'd be done for. Tamamo Cross would personally duck her into the water and wouldn't let her up until she "retrieved" Oguri Cap.
In the Student Council office: The atmosphere between Symboli Rudolf, Air Groove, and Narita Brian was heavy. The word "World" felt like it was crushing them.
"If only I had run better in the international races back then..."
Rudolf blamed herself. As the President, she worried that Mizuki's log would demoralize the students. The distance between them and the world stage was indeed daunting.
"It wasn't your fault. Your physical condition was poor at the time," Air Groove comforted her.
"Exactly, Rudolf. And don't think the students of Tracen are that fragile. They won't be crushed by something like this. Since I took the Vice President seat, I've seen generations of Uma Musume climbing upward with everything they have."
"140 is indeed a distant number, but I believe that one day, a genius will emerge from our ranks to approach— or even surpass— it."
Narita Brian, chewing on a toothpick, looked at the diary with a serious face. The world is far away, but that's no reason to fear.
If you're afraid in a race, you'll never have the chance to overtake your rivals.
"Brian, you're right. I believe in the children of Tracen. Whether it's Teio, T.M. Opera O, or Deep Impact, they won't back down."
"For some reason, I feel a storm brewing. Perhaps with this as motivation, Tracen will truly become stronger." Rudolf looked at the sky, pinning her hopes on the future.
Perhaps in Tracen's near future, a "140-point" Uma Musume really would appear.
On the Tracen track:
"So you're Invincible, from China? I didn't expect you to catch up to me so quickly."
Nice Nature was currently sparring with an Uma Musume from China. She had just read about the world's strongest horse and was wondering if such monsters truly existed when she encountered this blue-haired girl.
Nature was interested because Chinese Uma Musume were rare to see in Japan. However, she quickly realized this girl named Invincible was surprisingly strong.
"The Uma Musume at Tracen are all so amazing!"
Invincible was enjoying this run more than almost any race she had in China.
The races she ran in China were different, The tracks in Japan were harder, and she wasn't used to it at first, but she adjusted quickly.
Invincible excelled as a Late Surger. Once past the final corner, she'd just explode forward. It was her signature move.
At that moment, Invincible and Nice Nature rounded the final turn together, their duel reaching its peak. Invincible was like a bolt of lightning, gradually accelerating toward Nature.
Her pedigree was actually elite— her real-life sire was Mejiro Ardan, and her great-great-grandsire was Northern Dancer, making her a relative of the Chairwoman.
"Invincible-san, you really are strong... but I'm going to win this race!" Nice Nature stepped out, using her experience to whip through the corner like a flash.
Though known as a "Bronze Collector," Nature was exceptionally powerful. In an instant, the gap between Nature and Invincible began to widen.
"Fast! So fast! Tracen's Uma Musume really live up to their reputation... but I won't lose!"
Invincible displayed incredible stamina, bursting into a second stage of acceleration, stunning the onlookers.
What kind of running style was this? To be able to accelerate again at the very end, when most Japanese Uma Musume would already be exhausted?
But even with her incredible stamina, Invincible fell slightly short and was defeated by Nice Nature. It was a great victory for Neicha-san.
"You won, Nature-san! First place belongs to you! You're so strong, you must have won many championships!" Invincible said this with a cheerful smile, unintentionally stabbing Nature right in the heart.
"Ahem... I've won quite a few bronze medals lately." Nature found these words hard to say. She wondered if she really was fated to be nothing but a bronze collector...?
'No way, absolutely not.'
The crowd eventually dispersed. Invincible revealed her reason for coming to Tracen: She wanted to find Trainer Mizuki and Mejiro Ardan. She wanted to ask what it meant for Invincible to be Mejiro Ardan's "good son."
Nature said, "I see. As for Ardan, you might see her in a few days. I heard she was just discharged from the hospital and is returning to Tracen soon. You might even run into her in the next second!"
She was joking, of course. If Ardan showed up out of the blue, what kind of coincidence would that be?
As Nature was leading Invincible to find Mizuki, a beautiful, refined girl appeared before them. It was Mejiro Ardan.
Nature froze.
"No way..."
The moment Invincible saw the blue-haired beauty, her heart rate shot up like a rocket. She was already drawn to this Uma, and seeing Nature's reaction, she had an intuition: The gentle woman standing there was... Mejiro Ardan.
Invincible's sixth sense was correct. The mother and child finally met.
"Um... excuse me? What is your name?" Invincible stepped forward, asking nervously.
"Me?" Mejiro Ardan turned her head gracefully, a breeze blowing through her blue hair.
She smiled slightly, the picture of gentleness.
Invincible was starstruck. Looking at Ardan through a "daughter's filter," every gesture of this delicate beauty felt so warm and lovely. Invincible's heart pounded, she almost felt herself falling for her.
"I am Mejiro Ardan. I wasn't at the Academy because I was ill, but now... now I can finally be here. Please remember my name. But what's yours?"
Ardan was soft-spoken and approachable, lacking the intimidating aura of someone like Symboli Kris S.
"I... my name is... my name is Invincible!" Invincible clenched her fists, nervous but feeling incredibly lucky. She hadn't expected to find Mejiro Ardan so soon after arriving in Japan. She felt an unprecedented sense of warmth from Ardan and wanted to stay by her side.
"Invincible... ah! Could it be the Invincible from China?" Ardan looked at her, surprised.
She observed the girl: a face like a porcelain doll, very cute, with beautiful blue hair.
If she remembered correctly, the log mentioned Invincible being her "child," but looking at her, she just thought they looked similar.
'Perhaps Trainer Mizuki was just joking around.'
"Yes. I came to Tracen to find you and Trainer Mizuki. I was curious about the contents of the logs, so I thought we could look into them together." Invincible nodded.
"Wonderful. Why don't I treat you all to a meal? Yaeno Muteki and Sakura Chiyono O are coming too."
Ardan was happy. She liked Invincible already and wanted to ask if she'd stay at Tracen, if so, they could chat and run together later.
At that very moment, Nice Nature spoke up for her.
"So, Invincible, will you be transferring to Tracen?"
Invincible shook her head. "No... I only came to Tracen to see you all and watch the Japanese races. I am a Chinese Uma Musume, after all, so it's unlikely I'll be able to race here. I might not even be able to race back at home."
"Eh? Why not?"
"You see, there are very few races in China. Once the spring races end, there might not even be a chance for me to find another one, so I can't stay for long."
"I know that for various reasons, I might never have a chance at a G1 in my life. I shouldn't wish for those races. But I wanted to come see... and then... if possible, I want to leave my dream to you, Ms. Mejiro Ardan. I'm sure you'll be participating in the upcoming races, G2s and G1s."
"I heard your ankles aren't great, but with my blessing, I believe you'll be fine. Maybe you can even create an unprecedented undefeated record." Invincible grinned.
Mejiro Ardan was taken aback. Because of her illness, she had almost given up, often thinking she had poor luck and a weak body that couldn't run.
But here was Invincible-san, who didn't even have the opportunity to run in her own country.
"I have received your dream."
Mejiro Ardan took Invincible's hand. Her dreams were handed over. She would run with everything she had, every step she took would carry Invincible's dream.
Indeed, let the mother fulfill the dream of her beloved child.
"That's such a shame. Invincible is clearly very strong. She just arrived in Japan for the first time and already put up a great performance..."
Nice Nature felt a pang of sadness. To have such talent but be unable to race was a cruel irony.
"It's okay, it's okay! Being able to just watch is nice too. If I don't race, I won't get injured, haha."
"That's life, right? It can't always be smooth sailing."
Invincible forced a smile.
They decided to head out for a meal first. Tomorrow was the Fan Appreciation Day, so it was the perfect time to take Invincible along for some fun.
They also shared a common goal: They needed to give that brat Trainer Mizuki a piece of their minds.
They felt a complicated mix of emotions. Without Mizuki, Invincible and Mejiro Ardan might never have met, yet this Mizuki kept spreading reckless rumors in her logs..
Regardless, they decided to discuss their plan for Mizuki over dinner.
"Ah, as expected of Invincible and Mejiro Ardan. You two seem to be on the exact same wavelength— one gentle and considerate, the other quirky and energetic. It feels so warm, I'm jealous."
Nature felt like a third wheel again, totally out of place in their sweet atmosphere.
'Wait, wait, why am I a third place in emotions too? Am I just cursed to be stuck with the number 'three' forever?!'
'Forget it, forget it. I'm overthinking things.'
She shook her head and put on a happy face.
Shortly after, Sakura Chiyono O and Yaeno Muteki arrived.
"Wow, two Invincible-sans!" Sakura Chiyono O exclaimed. It truly was fate.
"Halt! I can tell with one look that you aren't the real 'Invincible'!" Invincible joked to Yaeno Muteki.
(T/N: Muteki means invincible.)
"I'm the true Invincible. Your name has 'Yaeno' in it, it's not as pure as mine."
"You... if you're 'Invincible,' then who am I?" Yaeno Muteki was exasperated.
"You're Yaeno Muteki, and I'm Invincible. It's different!"
Invincible was quite stubborn about this.
For a moment, Sakura Chiyono O was dazed by the logic, but the two were so lively that the atmosphere became incredibly festive.
As Mejiro Ardan walked, she felt the weight of the dream Invincible had just entrusted to her. When Invincible said those words, she was serious— her dream had been completely handed over. Ardan knew she had to run well, she had to work exceptionally hard.
Of course, as they walked, they kept a close eye on Mizuki's log. They realized their perspective had been too narrow, every "world's strongest Uma Musume" were even more exaggerated than the last one.
Frankel was just one name. There were also Secretariat, Sea The Stars, Urban Sea, Flightline, and Baaeed. Who knew if Trainer Mizuki would suddenly declare another one of them to be on par with Frankel?
Trainer Mizuki had said Frankel made all of British racing look dim— but what about America, or Dubai?
They continued reading.
In truth, they were right.
Flightline was initially rated at 139 points, but his score was later raised to 140, matching Frankel. However, it was generally agreed that Frankel was stronger because every one of his races was a masterpiece.
14 starts, 14 wins, winning by a combined total of 76 lengths with 10 G1 titles.
It was said that "nothing is absolute in horse racing," but Frankel was the exception. While Flightline was terrifyingly strong, his career was marred by injuries and he didn't race as much. Perhaps if he had, he would have been rated 140 from the start.
Mizuki's log continued to update.
[Frankel was born at Juddmonte Farms in the UK and is one of the most successful racehorses in history.]
[After being raised at Juddmonte, once he reached racing age, he was sent to the stable of the legendary trainer, Sir Henry Cecil.]
[At the time, Henry was at the lowest point of his life. His brother had passed away, he himself was battling terminal cancer, his stable was on the brink of collapse, and his wife had left him. However, he didn't know yet that his life was about to be saved by Frankel.]
[Henry was overjoyed when he saw Frankel. He had bred countless horses in his life, but he had never seen a racer like this.]
[From the start of training, Frankel always wanted to be in front of everyone. his speed was incredible, and his explosiveness was peerless.]
[Frankel was fearless. No matter the instructions, he ran incredibly fast. They say a newborn calf doesn't fear the tiger, but in this case, the 'calf' was the tiger— Frankel was a beast.]
[He reminds me of Sakura Bakushin O. From the moment she was born, her head was full of nothing but 'Bakushin!'.]
At Tracen Academy:
"Hahaha! Even the World Horse of the Year is all about 'Bakushin'! That proves my training method is absolutely correct!"
Sakura Bakushin O stood with hands on hips, laughing at the sky. She felt validated.
She had been putting a lot of thought into the upcoming Fan Appreciation Day, and eventually came to the conclusion that she had to make sure all the visiting fans and younger Uma Musume felt the charm of Bakushin!
Furthermore, Bakushin O was very fond of Kitasan Black and a girl named Equinox. She felt an inexplicable kinship with them and planned to drag them along with her.
Indeed, in the real horse world, Sakura Bakushin O is Kitasan Black's maternal grandfather, and Equinox is Kitasan Black's son, making Bakushin O the maternal great-grandfather of Equinox— a truly stacked family tree.
In reality, while Sakura Bakushin O could only run miles, he actually had stamina in his bloodline. It was just that the real Bakushin O didn't know how to pace his breathing, so he could only do short distances.
You could say he was a bit of an idiot in that regard. This was why Kitasan Black was initially thought to be unable to run long distances as well. But as it turned out, Kitasan Black inherited all of Bakushin O's strengths and converted that into talent on the track.
Kitasan Black was a true hard worker, never giving up through grueling training, eventually becoming the first 7-G1 winner for the Kitajima family and a Hall of Famer, shaking the JRA to its core.
Today, Kitasan Black's bloodline has spread far and wide, but whether a successor will ever surpass Equinox remains to be seen.
The log continued.
[After six months of training, Frankel finally learned to listen to commands and stopped rushing blindly. Henry decided it was time to let him show his strength in a race.]
[August 3, 2010: The EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket. Frankel entered his debut race as the heavy favorite.]
[He started from stall 10. His start was a bit slow, and he soon fell behind the pack. He began maneuvering left and right, looking for an opening. The jockey tried to control his speed, but the moment Frankel found a gap, he could no longer suppress himself and surged forward.]
[His speed became faster and faster, like he was on a rocket. That moment of explosive power could only be described as terrifying, instantly leaving the other horses behind.]
[The crowd went wild, stunned by that raw power. However, because he had fallen so far back at the start, he didn't finish with a massive lead— only winning by half a length. Though it was a close-looking win, it undoubtedly showcased his frightening talent.]
[Of course, it wasn't just the audience who was shocked, the jockey on Frankel's back was completely bewildered. He hadn't even given the signal yet, but Frankel had already found the gap and surged out of his own volition.]
[At that moment, I realized I'm only one 'Frankel' away from being the world's best jockey.]
[I'm starting to envy Tom Queally. I'm still a college student, which is much better than my Grandma— can I have a turn riding Frankel?! Please, just once!]
Mizuki's commentary here took a jab at Queally. While writing, she also thought of T.M. Opera O.
The real horse's jockey, Ryuji Wada, was widely considered a deadweight to Opera O. It took years for him to become a jockey that would be worthy of Opera O.
In reality, the horse T.M. Opera O had a great personality— unlike the fiery Frankel, he was more like a model student. Even after retirement, whenever he saw Wada, he would crouch down to let him mount. If Wada didn't get on, he'd get grumpy and stomp his hooves.
Reading this, everyone was left speechless.
Ireland:
"Hahaha! This girl has quite the imagination," Sea The Stars laughed.
She had just finished a run and was wiping sweat from her brow. During her practice, Urban Sea behind her had been aggressive, but Sea The Stars was faster and crossed the line first.
Urban Sea was a genius, but even she paled in comparison to Sea The Stars.
In the real world, Sea The Stars was famously smart. While normal horses took weeks to learn a training routine, he mastered it in fifteen minutes.
The stable hands were probably baffled, while Sea The Stars was likely thinking: 'Is that it? Give me a real test!'
Sea The Stars retired with an undefeated season, winning the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes, and the Arc de Triomphe.
At the Epsom Derby, he faced a coordinated attack from the "Coolmore" syndicate, the dominant breeding empire in Europe. Coolmore sent out six G1-level horses specifically to box him in. Yet, Sea The Stars showed them that no matter the numbers, mere G1 horses were just a rabble.
He burst through the pack and won. In fact, many believe that because he was a late bloomer, if he had kept racing, he was the most likely candidate to rival Frankel. His final rating might have reached that terrifying 140!
But now, he is a sire, with famous offspring like Harzand, Baaeed, and Stradivarius, though Baaeed's career-long rival was always Flightline. Every time Baaeed's rating climbed, Flightline would return for a race and stun the world again.
It was like he was being hunted!
The log continued.
[Four weeks after his debut, Frankel entered his second race, the Frank Whittle Stakes. It was a graded race, but not a G1. Frankel surged ahead, and the jockey's main job was simply to hold him back for fear he'd run too fast. He won easily.]
[September 25: Frankel entered his first G2, the Royal Lodge Stakes. The opponents were clearly stronger.]
[But Frankel ran like he had a cheat code. He charged ahead, and they couldn't even touch his shadow. An amazing aura exploded from him as he accelerated, eventually winning by a massive gap of over ten lengths.]
[Next, the team targeted the G1 2000 Guineas. This race in the UK carries as much weight as the Japanese Derby does for the JRA.]
[And although it's called the "2000," it's actually a 1600m straight shot with no corners— a spectacular sight.]
[At the time, there was a theory that a Thoroughbred's sprint distance was only 400m. Worried about this, Frankel's team trained him with a lead horse, hoping he could suppress his speed and stay behind the lead until the final 400m.]
[But an accident happened: the draw put Frankel in stall 1 and the lead horse on the far outside. The plan was dead on arrival.]
[Sir Henry Cecil, sensing the joke fate was playing, simply smiled and shook his head.]
[He made a decision: forget the plans. Let Frankel run however he wants.]
[And it was this decision that allowed Frankel to show the world, in that 2000 Guineas, that a world-class horse for the ages had been born.]
[The race began, and from the start, Frankel maintained a blistering pace. His explosiveness left everyone behind immediately. By the halfway mark, he was already 4 lengths ahead.]
[His presence seemed to loom over the entire track. He led from start to finish, at one point leading by 15 lengths, and finally crossed the line with a 6-length margin to claim his first G1.]
[He then prepared for the 1600m St. James's Palace Stakes. His biggest rival was a horse named Zoffany, who led at the start. Frankel made his move mid-race before the turn, once again leaving people in awe of his speed, winning by nearly 5 lengths.]
[Frankel continued to dominate mile races, winning every single one. On average, he won his races by 5.4 lengths— and that was with the jockey actively trying to slow him down.]
[October 2011, the Ascot Champion Stakes. This was the final race of Frankel's career. He started slowly and was far behind the pack. But relying on his incredible straight-line speed, he made up the disadvantage. His opponent, Cirrus des Aigles, was a sharp and powerful racer in his prime, often called the "Emperor of the New Era." He moved like lightning on the curves, attempting to seize the throne from the king.]
[But he was facing Frankel. As the King of the old era charged toward the challenger of the new, the crowd's blood boiled.]
[Cirrus des Aigles tried to use Frankel's reputation as a stepping stone to glory. But Frankel showed him they weren't even in the same league. With visible ease, Frankel accelerated and bypassed the full-sprinting Cirrus des Aigles in an instant.]
[The prestige of the World Horse of the Year was unshakable. Frankel's acceleration didn't slow, he pulled away from Cirrus des Aigles, winning by 2 lengths despite the slow start. He finished his career with a perfect 14-for-14 record.]
[That is the World Horse of the Year, Frankel— a true auto-pilot racer.]
[Speaking of "auto-pilot" racers, there is actually one in the URA as well. His legend is equally inspiring— 8 starts, 8 wins. With a rookie jockey, a rookie owner, and a makeshift support team, he shocked the Japanese racing world.]
[His power was so blinding that he became the enemy of every other horse.]
[The story of him and his jockey son is also quite interesting.]
[Additionally, I saw the story of Haru Urara, which is quite moving in its own way.]
[I'll write about them next.]
After finishing the entry, Mizuki looked at her rewards. she was stunned.
[Log uploaded successfully.]
[Reward earned— Room Facilities Upgrade. Heating equipment, gaming facilities, and bedding have been fully upgraded.]
To be honest, if someone like Narita Taishin or Mayano Top Gun saw this reward, they'd probably find the handheld consoles in their hands suddenly unappealing. Her room was now incredibly comfortable— perfect for gaming, sleeping, or just relaxing.
Her room had already been quite nice, but this reward leveled it up significantly.
In fact, Uma Musume occasionally showed up with gifts during holidays or festivals. With the new setup, they could all play games together.
While Mizuki was reveling in her joy, the other Uma Musume were unable to calm down after reading about Frankel's feats.
Just as Rudolf said, a storm was brewing. Seeing the gap between themselves and Frankel, everyone prepared to go all-out in training.
The world stage couldn't be allowed to remain that far out of reach.
Inside Tracen:
"A 1600m sprint... if it were me, how would I fare against her?" Deep Impact looked at the news about Frankel with a faint smile.
She felt no sense of defeat, only a desire to test herself. She felt that, no matter what, she would bite down on Frankel's heels and never let go.
A chilling, majestic aura erupted from her, making her killing intent even sharper.
Anyone who has experienced Deep Impact's "chill" knows it's a terrifying sensation that strikes the soul.
Of course, she wasn't the only one. Symboli Rudolf, Orfevre, Gentildonna, T.M. Opera O, El Condor Pasa, Equinox, Kitasan Black— they were all looking toward the same horizon. They would go. They would challenge the world.
In the UK:
Cirrus des Aigles was in a state of self-imposed isolation. She hadn't expected that even in her peak form, she had been utterly defeated by Frankel by a gap of two lengths.
She suddenly looked up, laughing self-mockingly at the sky, before slumping to the ground. Dejected, she muttered:
"I'm sorry, Frankel... I couldn't even make it a fun challenge for you."
She also wondered about the other Uma Musume rated at 140 points. Who could it be? Baaeed was wondering the same thing— it had to be her, right?
However, Mizuki hadn't written it yet. They needed time to digest this massive, shocking amount of information.
Over at Spica, training had concluded. Having finished the logs and their workouts, the girls vowed to run their best. Since tomorrow was the rehearsal for the Fan Appreciation Day, they headed to bed early to prepare their thanks for the fans, whose support was vital.
Mizuki returned to her room. This upgrade was truly something else. The softness of the bed felt custom-made for her body, and a faint scent of orchids filled the air, helping her drift into a deep sleep.
Soon, the next day arrived. Mizuki headed out, certain today would be interesting. Equinox, Kitasan Black, Titleholder, and Satono Diamond were all coming.
She'd heard Kitasan Black and Daiwa-chan were going through a growth spurt— which meant that they were entering the peak of their maturation phase.
What Mizuki didn't know was that Invincible and Mejiro Ardan were also on their way. The whole family was about to be together.