At another part of Tracen, Daring Tact was looking at the contents of the log.
She couldn't help but sigh, whether it was Special Week, Grass Wonder, El Condor Pasa, King Halo, or Seiun Sky, they were all truly incredible.
She was especially amazed by Seiun Sky. The fact that she could pull off such a stunning performance in the Satsuki Sho to defeat seniors like Special Week and King Halo was breathtaking.
Daring Tact often trained with the likes of Special Week, Cesario, and Buena Vista. In races against them, she knew exactly how strong they were.
Even when she ran with everything she had, the silhouettes of those three always pulled further and further away, leaving her struggling to keep up.
Yet, Senior Seiun Sky had executed a Grand Escape from the very start and maintained it until the wire to seize victory in a G1.
Daring Tact knew Special Week had drawn a bad gate, but that didn't diminish Seiun Sky's power.
She felt deeply moved, after all, Seiun Sky's bloodline wasn't respected by anyone at first, but she used her own strength to slap everyone's faces.
Daring Tact found deep strength and encouragement in Seiun Sky's experience. She was the same. When she first arrived at Tracen Academy, despite her hard work, she wasn't highly regarded.
Trainers wouldn't even look her way, often turning away after a mere glance.
She once saw a Trainer standing by the track and ran with all her might, trying to show off her power.
She wanted to be like Senior Special Week and Senior Cesario— running at the front and earning everyone's attention.
But in the end, that trainer wasn't watching her at all, she was watching another Uma Musume. She wasn't even in her consideration.
Because her pedigree was average and her talent wasn't hyped, no one thought she would succeed. Seeing Seiun Sky transcend her bloodline to win the Satsuki Sho with a Grand Escape against such a field of monsters gave Daring Tact immense courage.
She had a thought: She wanted to be like Senior Seiun Sky, galloping onto the stage in her own way and leaving her name in history.
If she could do that, how wonderful would it be?
Daring Tact set a goal for herself: Just like the members of the Golden Generation, she would ben inspiration and take many, many championships.
However, her goal differed slightly from theirs. She chose the "Tiara" route.
"So I get it now. 'Mares' are girls and 'Stallions' are boys. But why use such strange words? I really don't get what people in the real-horse world were thinking..."
Daring Tact looked adorable, placing a finger to her lip as she pondered.
Speaking of "Mares," she began to think deeply. Since the genders were exposed, she looked at her own earrings and realized her real-horse counterpart was also a girl.
Naturally, she was curious about what her real-horse version looked like. If they were both girls, would they look the same, or different?
She really wanted to meet her real-horse self, though the thought made her heart race with nervousness.
Daring Tact figured that if there were another her in a parallel world, her heart would be dedicated to racing too.
However, the real Daring Tact would likely just be munching grass silently. If she saw an Uma Musume version of herself, she'd probably just raise her head and watch blankly.
As for being nervous? Impossible.
After all, the real Daring Tact wasn't a timid soul like Twin Turbo, she'd be happy to nuzzle you— especially if you brought a tasty carrot.
Daring Tact smiled, cheering herself on. She wanted to run well so that when she finally met her real-horse self, she could show off her many trophies and say, "See? Isn't your big sister Daring amazing?"
"Daring Tact, so you're here."
At that moment, Symboli Kris S appeared quietly. She was there to help Daring Tact train. Unlike many, Kris S recognized Daring's potential, she saw a spirit of tenacity and "never give up" within her.
"Kris S-san!!"
Daring Tact's eyes lit up. At Tracen, Kris S often gave off a terrifying aura, and people were scared of her until they got to know her and realized how gentle she was. Daring Tact, however, felt that gentleness from the start, she was inexplicably drawn to her.
Which made sense— after all, Symboli Kris S was Daring Tact's grandfather.
Even though Daring Tact had Kris S's blood, she wasn't highly regarded at birth. Though her father's side was excellent and her damsire was the "King of Stallions" King Kamehameha who once dominated the JRA, her maternal line was unremarkable.
For example, her second dam was Daring Heart. While she had some Graded placings, her ability as a mother was average, her eight foals had only ten wins between the JRA and NAR.
Daring Tact's own mother, Daring Bird, was winless. Thus, the reproductive ability of this maternal line was heavily questioned.
After she was born at Hasegawa Ranch, the owner Fumio Hasegawa planned to sell her before she was a yearling, but the deal fell through due to her poor maternal pedigree.
Almost the entire JRA thought she was no good.
It wasn't until she underwent some training that she finally made it to the auction. Back then, she was just a small foal who liked to look around with her head held high.
There, she was spotted by Makio Okada, the owner of Okada Stud and Big Red Farm. He eventually bought her for 12.96 million yen— a price that was neither low nor high, quite unremarkable for an auction.
That auction can still be seen online today and will be preserved in JRA history. Because this horse, whom the entire JRA thought would do nothing, would become the first Undefeated Triple Tiara winner in Japanese history.
Years later, when people re-watch the hammer falling on "Daring Tact" at that auction, they can't help but sigh at what a coveted horse she turned out to be.
"Yes. I will continue to lead your training today. Do your best." Kris S gave Daring Tact an encouraging pat on the head.
"Okay!"
Daring Tact felt emboldened. She would prove herself, just like Seiun Sky-senpai and the others from the Golden Generation.
She wanted her name remembered, she wanted to shine in this era. If people considered her a strong racer, she would be more than satisfied.
What she didn't know was that in the future, she would step into the realm of JRA history. In the final, heart-pounding moments of the 2020 Shuka Sho, after completing her stunning undefeated Triple Tiara, the world would offer her a supreme hymn:
"Daring Tact! Strong, resilient, beautiful! For the first time in history, the Undefeated Triple Tiara is achieved!!!"
Back in Spica:
"Ow... Kita-chan, be gentler, don't use so much force, it hurts a bit."
"Mmm... Dia-chan, bear with it a little longer, I'm almost done."
Nice Nature had just arrived at Spica. Hearing the dialogue between Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, her face turned bright red.
Kitasan was just helping Dia with a horseshoe, but why did it sound so... PG-13?
Nature quickly shook her head.
'No, no, I didn't understand a word! Neicha-san knows nothing!'
She had been brought over by Twin Turbo, since the Golden Generation story was so exciting, she wanted to listen with everyone.
Kitasan, hearing the hot-blooded stories, immediately wanted to go for a run, and Dia followed suit, needing her horseshoes fitted.
Of course, Nature was faking it. The Uma Musumes are pure, but that doesn't stop some "veterans" like Nature from knowing things.
But she was all talk, in practice, she was a total rookie.
"Seiun Sky, you're so cool! You won the Satsuki Sho! But Twin Turbo is cooler anyway!" Twin Turbo said with her hands on her hips.
"Nya-ha-ha☆, those are just the real horse's records. Seiun-chan has to work hard too." Seiun Sky held her hands behind her head.
"Next is the Japanese Derby, and the champion will definitely be me! O-hohoho~~~"
King Halo let out her signature "first-class" laugh, but her heart was racing. She had a bad feeling about her chances in the Japanese Derby, and even her forced confidence couldn't completely ease her worries.
'I can win... right?'
She continued reading with a nervous intensity.
Mizuki's Log continues:
[Soon after the Satsuki Sho, Seiun Sky, King Halo, and Special Week entered two months of preparation. Time passed quickly, and on June 7, 1998, the Japanese Derby opened at Tokyo Racecourse.]
[The Japanese Derby is the race that receives the most exaggerated amount of attention in JRA history every year, and the Golden Generation's Derby was, clearly, exceptionally brilliant.]
[It wasn't just a race of famous horses, it was a battle of jockeys.]
[In the JRA, many jockeys pride themselves on becoming a "Derby Jockey." Many spend their entire lives striving for it.]
[In 1998, Yutaka Take had been a jockey for 12 years, yet he had never won the Derby. This time, he was determined to stand at the peak of the Golden Generation with Special Week.]
[Yuichi Fukunaga was the same. Though he had just debuted, his father, the "Genius Jockey" Yoichi Fukunaga, had always been one step away from the Derby. After a tragic fall forced him into retirement, he never got his Derby win.]
[It was his lifelong regret.]
[So, Fukunaga's race was about fulfilling his father's dream, to offer the Derby trophy to him.]
[At the same time, the horse he rode, King Halo, was of "Noble Blood." He should have sat on a supreme throne, but that throne was wobbling. He had failed to win three times at 2000m and desperately needed a victory to secure his pride.]
[Thus, both Fukunaga and King Halo were determined to win, failure was not an option.]
[Seiun Sky was only the 3rd favorite. Even though he won the Satsuki Sho, his bloodline was still looked down upon. More importantly, he was an Escape horse, and the Derby is 2400m compared to the Satsuki Sho's 2000m. It's a completely different concept.]
[Special Week was the 1st favorite, and King Halo was 2nd.]
[The race began.]
[Special Week drew the good Gate 5. The start was smooth, and under Take's guidance, he joined the mid-pack group, staying toward the rear. As a lae-surger, it was wise to stabilize his pace early.]
[Seiun Sky, under Norihiro Yokoyama, chose his usual Escape style, taking an early lead.]
[However, the most shocking thing was King Halo. Because Yuichi Fukunaga was overly nervous and lacked experience, he lost his cool. He couldn't control the pace, causing King Halo to uncharacteristically run as a Front Runner horse right behind Seiun Sky, wasting his stamina.]
[In a Derby that happens only once in a horse's life, Fukunaga made a fatal mistake. He would have other chances to be a Derby jockey, but King Halo would likely miss his chance to be at the peak of his generation. He even missed the chance to try his hardest.]
[It's no wonder King Halo was later called the "Chairman of the Fukunaga Victims Association."]
[In the second half, though Fukunaga regained control of King Halo, his stamina was spent. He couldn't produce that noble closing kick from the Satsuki Sho and was overtaken by horse after horse.]
[Seiun Sky led the way, but facing the 2400m Derby, he lost speed in the final stretch. The momentum was gone.]
[Amidst the roar of the crowd, Special Week began to accelerate after the final turn. He entered the home straight with incredible speed, bursting through the pack. Hisspeed made the other horses look like they were standing still.]
[The race became Special Week's stage as she pulled away by one length, two lengths, and kept accelerating.]
[Finally, Special Week unleashed his own closing kick, winning by a staggering five lengths. He handed Yutaka Take his first Derby title.]
[At the finish line, Take was so excited he even dropped his whip. He was so happy he forgot to pick it up. A dream of over a decade had become reality. He became a true Derby Jockey.]
[From that moment, Take could never forget Special Week's name. In the future, whenever he spoke of him, a sincere smile would cross his face.]
[Perhaps at the moment of victory, he remembered the words from when they first met: "Look, Yutaka, maybe he'll be a Derby horse one day."]
[June 7, 1998. After countless days and nights, the dream became real. Special Week stood at the summit of the JRA.]
[He won the Japanese Derby fair and square, with a dominant five-length lead, becoming the rightful "Number One Horse" of his generation.]
[Yes, Japan's Number One— starting today, that title would follow Special Week.]
[However, the 2nd and 3rd place finishers were beyond anyone's expectations.]
[2nd was the 14th favorite, Bold Emperor. 3rd was the 15th favorite, Daiwa Superior.]
[Seiun Sky finished 4th. 5th was the 10th favorite, Manryo Ho.]
[As for the highly anticipated King Halo, he finished 14th. A crushing defeat that left everyone speechless.]
[After the race, Fukunaga gave a "famous" interview to JRA reporters. When asked about the race, he said— ]
[Fukunaga: "By the time I realized what was happening, I was already at the front."]
[Seiun Sky must have been dumbfounded: "Wait, why is there someone escaping with me?"]
[Maybe it's a coincidence: Kitasan Black is 14, King Halo is 14. Equinox didn't win the Derby either, and Almond Eye's ancestors never won a Derby.]
[Let's hope Equinox's future foals can take the Derby.]
[As for Grass Wonder, he was still resting. His camp was considering a return in the G2 Mainichi Okan on October 11. El Condor Pasa was also preparing for the October Mainichi Okan.]
[But while El could run and jump every day, Grass-san was still recovering.]
[Grass Wonder became plump during his recovery, earning the nickname "The Big Yellow Cow."]
Seeing this, countless people in Tracen were wide-eyed. Especially the Uma Musumes of the Golden Generation.
Inside Spica:
"I won the Japanese Derby? Really? That's great! Mother, I did it!"
Special Week went from being incredibly nervous to overjoyed. Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka, Tokai Teio, Gold Ship, and the others were all happy for her.
Spe-chan had become Japan's Number One Uma Musume. This was her lifelong dream and the gift she wanted most for her two mothers. She wanted to share the news with her mom immediately.
Spe-chan shifted into "Special Crying Mode," thinking: 'Waaah, I finally did it! Mom, I'm successful! I hope you can see this good news too.'
She also really wanted to see the real-horse Special Week. How different were they?
Maybe one day they would actually meet.
Though the real horse world Special Week would probably just look at this dorky girl and wonder if she was really his counterpart.
Of course, for every joy, there is a sorrow.
King Halo's pupils shook. She never expected to finish in 14th place. It was a massive blow. She knew her mother was always watching her.
Seeing Haru Urara try to comfort her, she said she was fine, but her voice lacked its usual energy, she sounded defeated.
King Halo looked pained, but she quickly shook her head. She asked herself: 'What kind of Uma Musume can be called first-class? If I can't face a failure like this, how can I stand on my own in the future?'
She looked at Urara and thought:
'Someone must believe I can win, just like people find hope in Urara. Maybe I am someone's hope too. For those who support and understand me, even if I face the scorn of millions, I can take it.'
In King Halo's dictionary, there was no giving up. She would keep running.
However, King Halo didn't quite agree with one point in Mizuki's log.
Specifically, the part where Trainer Mizuki wrote that she was the "Chairman of the Fukunaga Victims Association."
She didn't see it that way herself. After all, she was the one running the race, if she chose to partner with Yuichi Fukunaga, she would place absolute trust in him.
'Hmph, how can you blame Yuichi Fukunaga entirely? I clearly had many things I didn't do well enough, too. I should share the blame with him.'
And it didn't matter. No matter how many times she fell, she would work hard to reach first place. She would never give up.
At this point, Equinox added:
"King Halo-san, I believe you can win. There must be countless people supporting you, and I'm definitely one of them! I will always believe in you."
Hearing this, King Halo's eyes glistened, and she almost couldn't hold back her tears. Equinox's words touched her heart, she would remember them and run with all her might.
Special Week and Seiun Sky also came over, and everyone started chatting again.
Kitasan Black, seeing her own 14th-place finish in the Japanese Derby, turned beet red and wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
'Ugh, stop talking about it! If you keep picking on me, I'll... I'll apologize to you so hard it hurts!'
"Speaking of which, Spe-chan is so amazing, winning the Japanese Derby just like that. I wish I could win one too, sigh..."
Nice Nature sighed. After her log was exposed, the nickname "Bronze Medal Collector" had become impossible to shake.
A saying had even started circulating around Tracen: Friendship first, competition second, Nature third.
Upon hearing this, her heart took a direct hit.
Grass Wonder congratulated Spe-chan, but she was still sad deep down.
'Everyone is working so hard, but what about me? I'm the only one stuck recovering.'
She was very eager to see her own future entries. If she returned in the Mainichi Okan, she'd have a showdown with El Condor Pasa, wouldn't she?
She touched her chest, her heart was actually starting to race. Her expression turned serious as she waited for the next update.
In another part of Tracen:
"Special Week... this girl actually won the 1998 Japanese Derby. I've faced off against her quite a few times, haven't I? In this world, I'll definitely win."
Stay Gold spoke up. Although he debuted in December 1996, in the 1999 Spring Tenno Sho, Autumn Tenno Sho, Japan Cup, and Arima Kinen, he lost every single one to Special Week.
Stay Gold was planning to vent the frustrations of her horse-world counterpart.
"You have a lot of frustration to vent then. Not just Special Week, but Matikane Fukukitaru, Seiun Sky, Grass Wonder, El Condor Pasa, Silence Suzuka, T.M. Opera O, Agnes Digital."
"It seems everyone in Japan has beaten you at some point. Some beat you many times, like Opera O— I've lost count of how many times you've lost..."
Blast Onepiece criticized her ruthlessly, barely holding back a laugh.
"Ahem! That was just me underperforming! The outcome isn't decided yet! Besides, I lost many of those by just a tiny bit. There's plenty of hope."
Stay Gold, who had been acting all high and mighty, almost choked after hearing Blast Onepiece's words. But she felt it was fine.
'I'll bring a reckoning! Damn it, I'll settle all the scores later!'
"There weren't many where you lost by 'a tiny bit.' Actually, there were a lot where you were just unilaterally dominated," Meikei Yell added ruthlessly.
"You... you guys! I'm going to go find them for a race tomorrow!" Stay Gold was fuming.
'You guys are too much! Don't think you're special just because you won a few trophies.'
This time, she was definitely going to take everything back.
"But speaking of which, I noticed a serious problem," Blast Onepiece suddenly froze.
"What problem? Do you want to apologize to me?" Stay Gold huffed.
However, Blast Onepiece said:
"Trainer Mizuki said that based on the position of the ear ornaments, Stay Gold is a boy, and Spe-chan is also a boy."
"And if I remember correctly, Spe-chan is said to be very handsome. So it's very strange— Mizuki also wrote that Stay Gold loves to chase Special Week and bite her butt."
"So, Stay Gold, you're a bit suspicious... you're a grown man, why are you chasing another guy like Spe-chan and biting his butt?"
"You... you... what are you trying to do? Are you lusting after Spe-chan's beauty?"
Meikei Yell was stunned. She began to imagine all sorts of romantic scenes between Spe-chan and Stay Gold.
Her face turned red, her tail wagged unconsciously, and she said bashfully to Stay Gold:
"Stay Gold, I... I didn't realize you were that kind of person!!!"
Standing nearby, Orfevre's brain also short-circuited. Her eyes went wide as she said, "What? Stay Gold, are you actually gay?"
"HUH?!!!!"
Stay Gold was dumbfounded, her mind going blank.
'Blast Onepiece, you sure know how to spread rumors! You're the ones who are gay! Your whole family is gay!'
"No, what is this? Don't talk nonsense!" Stay Gold immediately denied it.
Blast Onepiece gave her a disdainful look and huffed: "What nonsense? I know way more than you. Think about it— in the romance dramas we watch, when a boy likes someone, he loves to bully and tease them."
"And Stay Gold loves to bully Spe-chan. Maybe that's the mindset. Don't forget, Spe-chan is very handsome. Maybe the real-horse Stay Gold's heart skipped a beat."
"S-so that's how it is..." Meikei Yell nodded again, looking like she had just experienced a revelation.
"Hey, hey, hey! What do you mean 'so that's how it is'? Don't go too far!" Stay Gold's defenses were completely broken.
She bit Special Week purely because she found her annoying!
Of course, Blast Onepiece said it was just a guess, but the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Poor Stay Gold. She can't even properly defend herself.
What's she supposed to say? 'That's not true, I don't even like guys! I just bit him because I wanted to!'
That'd just make them think she's gay in this world too!
'Dammit, just wait until I see you, Special Week! I'll give you a bite you'll never forget!'
Inside Spica, Spe-chan suddenly felt like sneezing. She had no idea she was catching stray bullets while just lying there.
Actually, the 1998 Japanese Derby was heavily modified in the first season of the Uma Musume anime. The one who really caught a stray bullet was El Condor Pasa.
To boost Spe-chan, they included El Condor Pasa in the Derby race. In the end, to preserve El's undefeated record, they wrote it as a dead heat between her and Spe-chan.
This caused the first season of the anime to be heavily criticized by fans in China and Japan when that episode aired. Later, Cygames became much better and stopped doing those magical modifications.
But this also reflects just how strong El Condor Pasa was. If you had asked JRA jockeys at the time to choose the strongest horse from their hearts, El Condor Pasa would definitely be the most common name.
At this moment, Mizuki's log continued.
[Most horses take a rest during the summer to prepare for the Kikuka Sho. Special Week, King Halo, and Seiun Sky were no exception. However, the busiest one here was Seiun Sky.]
[After all, back then, if you wanted to enter the Kikuka Sho, you usually needed a good placing in the trial race, the Kyoto Daishoten. But because Seiun Sky had a habit of being difficult at the starting gate, he needed to undergo a gate-entry inspection beforehand.]
[However, the inspection time conflicted with the Kyoto Daishoten. After some negotiation, the schedule was specifically adjusted just for Seiun Sky.]
[It's clear that our Sei-chan had some serious clout.]
[On October 11, 1998, the day of the race, Seiun Sky, having passed his inspection, did not disappoint. Although he was only the 4th favorite, he successfully won this G2 race against G1 winners like Mejiro Bright and Silk Justice, taking a giant step toward the Kikuka Sho.]
[Mejiro Bright lost narrowly by a neck. You could say Bright-kun was just a bit short, but the story of Mejiro Bright hasn't truly begun yet, that was a glorious era for the Mejiro family.]
[As for King Halo, he participated in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai. However, his jockey had been changed to Yukio Okabe, as Fukunaga's previous performance was so poor the camp replaced him.]
[But in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, King Halo only finished 3rd.]
[In the following Kyoto Shimbun Hai, although King Halo showed incredible tenacity by sticking like glue to his old rival Special Week, he still lost by a neck, finishing 2nd.]
[Nonetheless, without surprise, Special Week, Seiun Sky, and King Halo all headed for the Kikuka Sho.]
[In the Kikuka Sho on November 8, 1998, Special Week was the 1st favorite, Seiun Sky 2nd, and King Halo 3rd. Most people believed that Special Week, after his stellar Derby performance, was highly likely to win.]
[The race began.]
[The 1st favorite Special Week used his usual late-surger strategy. This time, King Halo chose a familiar Pace Chaser position, staying at the front of the pack without over-sprinting like in the Derby.]
[Seiun Sky continued to lead.]
[But in this Kikuka Sho, Norihiro Yokoyama adopted a strategy that defied common sense. After Seiun Sky took the lead at the start, he accelerated all at once. Despite it being a 3000m long-distance race, the first 1000m was clocked at a blistering 59.6 seconds.]
[After the announcer called out this speed, Yokoyama slowed the pace down. They went through the middle 1000m at a crawl, but the horses behind still thought Seiun Sky was running at high speed, so they kept their distance.]
[In the final 1000m, Yokoyama and Seiun Sky showed their true colors. Seiun Sky, who had recovered his stamina, started his full-speed sprint at the downhill of the third corner— a place where acceleration was considered impossible.]
[Under the disbelieving eyes of the crowd, he bolted, instantly widening the gap with the chasing pack.]
[Realizing the problem, Yutaka Take and Special Week began to accelerate. Although Special Week unleashed an incredibly fast closing kick— the fastest of the field— he found it impossible to catch Seiun Sky, who had set a perfect Escape rhythm.]
[The crowd could only watch as Seiun Sky, in this G1 Kikuka Sho, completed an almost impossible 3000m Grand Escape. He crossed the line 3.5 lengths ahead of Special Week, breaking the world record at the time.]
[At that moment, the Kikuka Sho commentator delivered a classic line:]
["Seiun Sky! Norihiro Yokoyama, winning together at the lead! Just like the sky above Kyoto Racecourse today: A vast, clear blue sky!"]
["The Kyoto Racecourse is clear blue today!"]
["A lead-to-wire victory unseen in 38 years!"]
[With his peerless performance in the Triple Crown, Seiun Sky— this "low-bloodline" horse— stood alongside Special Week, Grass Wonder, El Condor Pasa, and King Halo to uphold the title of the "Golden Generation."]
[He also became known as one of the "Big Three of the Golden Generation" along with King Halo and Special Week.]
[In fact, after this race, Seiun Sky was hailed as the strongest of the domestic-bred generation, while Special Week became the "Derby Horse cursed to never win again."]
[As for King Halo, though he initially kept pace with Seiun Sky, he failed to accelerate further in the final moments and finished 5th, officially falling from his "throne."]
[Meanwhile, another race had already taken place involving El Condor Pasa, Grass Wonder, and Silence Suzuka.]
[On October 11, the G2 Mainichi Okan drew unprecedented attention. The reason was that the previously highly-praised Grass Wonder had chosen this race for his comeback.]
[At the same time, the race featured Silence Suzuka on a five-race win streak, and the undefeated NHK Mile Cup winner El Condor Pasa.]
[Because of this, a G2 race became the center of the world.]
[It's worth mentioning that at the time, Hitoshi Matoba was the primary jockey for both Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa. He had to choose between them.]
[Ultimately, Matoba chose to ride Grass Wonder. El Condor Pasa was then handed to Masayoshi Ebina, the "Strongest in Kanto" at the time.]
[To be honest, Matoba probably understood El Condor Pasa's strength best. El was stable and in his prime, improving with every run. But Matoba chose Grass Wonder, who he had been with since his debut.]
[To some extent, he was acting out of loyalty.]
["This will be a super-first-class racehorse one day."]
[That was his evaluation the first time he saw Grass Wonder, and he stood by it.]
[In this race, Silence Suzuka was the 1st favorite, Grass Wonder 2nd, and El Condor Pasa 3rd.]
[During the race, Silence Suzuka used his signature Escape style. El Condor Pasa stayed in 2nd to 4th place, preparing for a late surge.]
[Approaching the final sprint, Grass Wonder accelerated early, looking to overtake at the third and fourth turns.]
[But due to poor form and over-aggression, he lost speed in the end and finished 5th.]
[In contrast to Grass Wonder accelerating too early, El Condor Pasa's acceleration was a bit too late— he only started hhis drive in the final 300m. Even though he was fast, he couldn't bridge the gap and lost by 2.5 lengths.]
[For years, the dramatic result of this race sparked debates. Many believed that if the distance were longer, or if El Condor Pasa had more time to adapt, Silence Suzuka might not have been able to withstand his charge.]
[After all, if you know El Condor Pasa, you know that him competing against Silence Suzuka in this race involved some objective disadvantages.]
[But there's little point in discussing "what ifs." Silence Suzuka, through his own strength, defended the view at the front. His win was well-deserved.]
[Regardless of perspective, the showdown of the "Big Three" in the Mainichi Okan led commentator Tatsuya Aoshima to call it a "G2 that surpassed a G1." The attendance exceeded 130,000 people.]
Everyone in Tracen was speechless for a moment.
A 3000m Grand Escape? Sei-chan, we can never find you during the day and thought you were just fishing or slacking off.
It turns out you were secretly training, weren't you?
Inside Spica:
"A 3000m Grand Escape... Twin Turbo acknowledges you."
Twin Turbo was stunned. She had seen her own logs, even the distance of the Arima Kinen was hard to finish.
How on earth do you pull off a 3000m Grand Escape?
She read the details again.
'So Seiun Sky blasted the first 1000m, then pretended to be fast to trick everyone else into slowing down while she saved energy, only to catch them off guard later?'
Twin Turbo couldn't even process it. She suddenly felt that if she hung out with Seiun Sky, she'd be sold off without even knowing it.
'Scary, too scary! No wonder they say people who play with tactics have dirty hearts.'
In her eyes, an Escape was just charging with your eyes closed. Since when did it become this complicated?
"Seiun-san, you really came prepared."
King Halo noticed it too. She didn't mean it as a reproach, instead, she was impressed by Seiun Sky's strategy.
However, she felt a bit bad because once a tactic like that is used once, the effect is lost next time. She realized that knowing this was, in a way, unfair to Seiun Sky.
"It's fine, it's fine. It doesn't matter if I lose, as long as the real horse won."
Seiun Sky was quite open-minded. However, she had to think of some new tactics now. She knew that although she was cute, her cuteness couldn't bridge the gap in bloodlines.
Realizing that was a harsh truth for Sei-chan. So, while she could still put up a fight in the Kikuka Sho, she had to work hard to find a way to win.
She would try to control everyone's rhythm. As for whether she could hook the big fish... that's up to fate.
"Thinking about it, Sei-chan is actually very hardworking. Sometimes I see her running... maybe she's actually thinking about tactics while she's fishing?"
"That's exactly right. Hearing you put it that way, Seiun Sky really does work much harder than she looks," Nice Nature remarked.
Ikuno Dictus pushed up her glasses in agreement. "True."
"Yay☆! I never said that going fishing meant I was slacking off! Though... the napping part is definitely real," Seiun Sky chirped, leaning down with a peace sign and a cheeky grin.
"Even so, Seiun Sky-san, you can't use 'strategic thinking' as an excuse to skip class and go fishing. That goes for you too, Mayano Top Gun and Marvelous Sunday," Fuji Kiseki warned.
She had noticed how mischievous those three were, someone had to keep an eye on them.
"Maya only goes out when she has business!" Mayano Top Gun puffed, not caring one bit. Once she started running, very few people could catch her anyway.
"By the way, Titleholder, why are you so quiet?" Liberty Island asked curiously.
"I just feel that in the world of Uma Musume, anything is possible. It's like a bottomless ocean waiting for us to explore."
"My unwavering will and conviction tell me that I must also create a story worth remembering on the URA stage," Titleholder replied, her eyes shimmering.
She had been feeling lost lately, frustrated by the absolute dominance shown by Equinox. But now, she realized that racing wasn't just a contest of innate speed, one could win through strategy.
"Liberty Island, are you content with this being the 'Era of Equinox'? Facing such a future, I will burn my bridges and risk everything to find a way to defeat her— just like Seiun Sky-senpai."
"Hmph, don't get ahead of yourself. When did I ever say Equinox was guaranteed to win? The future isn't decided yet," Liberty Island replied, hands on her hips.
She wasn't convinced either, but what was the best method? Maybe just headbutt Equinox before the race starts and knock her out?
If she eliminated the competition, she'd naturally be first.
Equinox, watch out!
As for Equinox herself, she was currently running around the Spica clubroom. Since she planned on joining Spica in the future, she was checking out her future club in advance.
She was already planning to stick a "cool photo" of herself on her locker. She also wanted to ask Mizuki to film a video with her. She loved the absurd videos Machan had been making and thought "absurd" was a high compliment.
She believed that while "pretty faces are common, interesting souls are one in a million." She wanted to grow up to have both.
"But Silence Suzuka is truly amazing, taking first place against Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa," Cheval Grand sighed in admiration, casting a respectful look toward Suzuka.
"Of course! She's one of Spica's aces. You can also call her by her other title: 'The Otherworldly Front Runner.' Cool, right?"
Gold Ship started hamming it up again. Suzuka did the running, but Gold Ship was doing all the bragging.
"What?! El actually lost?!" El Condor Pasa's eyes blazed.
"Suzuka-san, I challenge you again! I am the swift and fierce phantom bird! No matter what, I won't lose a second time!"
"Declaration of war, desu!!"
El Condor Pasa's gaze was set on being number one in the world. She had the absolute fighting spirit of a "phantom bird."
While many considered Grass Wonder to be tougher and more composed, Grass actually had a hidden barrier— the "Second Maruzensky" label.
Deep down, Grass was more fragile and sensitive than she appeared. In the URA story, it was only thanks to El's reminder that she broke through that wall.
El, on the other hand, was pure spirit, rarely lost, and only thought of winning. That was the passion of a "hot-blooded idiot."
"Okay. If the opportunity arises," Silence Suzuka replied.
She preferred running alone and wasn't exactly a "social butterfly," but she agreed this time because she had grown close to El and genuinely wanted to test herself against her.
In reality, even a perfectly healthy Suzuka would find it hard to match El Condor Pasa. It wasn't that Suzuka was weak, but that El was just that strong.
Before Equinox appeared, El Condor Pasa's rating was consistently at the top of JRA history.
"El-chan... okay, I need to work hard too." Grass Wonder had felt a bit down after seeing her 5th-place finish, but seeing El's fiery spirit inspired her.
"Hello, Grass Wonder-san. Our jockey is the same: Hitoshi Matoba," Rice Shower said cutely, coming over to say hello.
"That's true. Speaking of which, Rice, I heard you've been undergoing grueling training lately. If there's a chance, want to race? I'm looking for a match myself," Grass Wonder said, a hint of competitiveness in her tone.
"M-me? No problem! But even if it's Grass Wonder-san, I won't let you overtake me easily," Rice Shower said, uttering the fiercest words in the most timid voice possible.
She was trying her best to talk tough, looking both scared and fierce at the same time.
It just goes to prove: You can't fake cuteness. Rice Shower's cute persona was bone-deep.
"Good. I'll look forward to it," Grass laughed, not minding the challenge.
They continued reading, eager to see what happened next. Could Seiun Sky keep creating miracles? What about Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa? Special Week and King Halo?
And they noticed that after 1998 came 1999— the end of the century. The Golden Generation was about to meet that Overlord from the end of the century, weren't they?
Things were getting interesting.
Mizuki's Log continues:
[After the 1998 Kikuka Sho, unlike many horses on the classic route, Special Week did not choose the year-end Arima Kinen. Instead, after a 21-day break, he went straight into the November 29th Japan Cup.]
[However, Yutaka Take was suspended for a period after a foul while riding Admire Vega in a newcomer race. Special Week was switched to Yukio Okabe.]
[During this time, the "Otherworldly Horse" who had won the Mainichi Okan, Silence Suzuka, met his tragic end due to a fracture in the Autumn Tenno Sho. It was a heartbreaking moment.]
[Fortunately, I saw the logs and have already made preparations. Silence Suzuka won't face that issue here.]
[After the Mainichi Okan, El Condor Pasa's camp considered staying on the mile route. However, wanting to test their strength on the international stage, they made a last-minute change to the November 29th Japan Cup to face off against Special Week and the "Empress" Air Groove.]
[El Condor Pasa wasn't the favorite here. On one hand, you had the red-hot Derby winner Special Week and the previous year's Horse of the Year, Air Groove. On the other hand, El had never raced at 2400m, he hadn't even raced above 2000m.]
[All of El's graded wins were at 1600m or below, and his loss to Silence Suzuka at 1800m led many to believe he wasn't suited for middle distances or longer. Thus, before the race, everyone favored Air Groove and Special Week.]
[However, the unexpected happened.]
[In the race, Special Week abandoned his usual strategy and instead chose to stick close to the front pack. Air Groove also performed excellently.]
[But in the final stage, El Condor Pasa was the first to strike. He overtook the solo leader, Silent Hunter, early in the home straight.]
[He withstood the pressure from Special Week and Air Groove behind him, maintaining and even widening his lead until the end. He won by the exact same margin he had lost his previous race by: 2.5 lengths.]
[At the time, this was the largest winning margin in Japan Cup history. El Condor Pasa's ability to widen the gap while under pressure as a front-runner left a deep impression on the racing world.]
[The top three finishers were all Japanese horses, which sent the domestic crowd into a frenzy.]
[The commentator shouted: "El Condor Pasa! 2400m is no problem! Who said he was a miler?"]
["El Condor Pasa conquers 2400m with zero pressure, winning the 18th Japan Cup!"]
[Air Groove took 2nd, and Special Week took 3rd. Stay Gold raced here, but finished in 10th place. If he was a bit faster, then perhaps he would've managed to bite Special Week here.]
[But it's fine. There's always next time for Stay Gold.]
[Also, you could say Air Groove had bad luck in the Japan Cup. This "Empress" kept running into absolute monsters year after year.]
[But imagine: What if El Condor Pasa hadn't planned to go abroad and had entered the 1998 Mile Championship instead?]
[I think the odds for the 1st favorite wouldn't have been a crushing 1.3, but might have been slightly higher. Yet, even a world-class El Condor Pasa couldn't have pushed those odds much higher.]
[Because his opponent would have been the World's Mile King— Taiki Shuttle.]
[Taiki Shuttle took the 1st favorite spot with crushing 1.3 odds even with Seeking the Pearl in the race.]
[Even if El had joined, that number wouldn't have fluctuated much. But El Condor Pasa vs. Taiki Shuttle? That race would have been even more exciting than the '98 Japan Cup.]
[If given a choice, most people would choose the latter— not because the former wasn't great, but because the latter is just insane. Just seeing those two names together is overwhelming.]
[After this victory, El Condor Pasa cleared all doubts about his middle-distance aptitude. His team decided to skip the year-end Arima Kinen, stating: "The Arima Kinen is the most popular race in Japan, but internationally, the most prestigious Japanese race is the Japan Cup."]
[His performance earned him the title of 1998 JRA Best 3-Year-Old Colt, beating out Double Crown winner Seiun Sky.]
[However, he wasn't Horse of the Year. That title went to the unprecedented miler Taiki Shuttle, who took 174 out of 208 votes.]
[Internationally, El's Japan Cup performance was highly rated. In the JPN classifications, El earned a 126lb rating in the L-category (2200-2700m). In that category, the only horse rated higher was the English Derby winner, High Rise (127lb).]
[El Condor Pasa was tied for 2nd in the world with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, Sagamix.]
[In 1999, El's team planned to campaign in Europe. Initially, their target was the 2000m Eclipse Stakes.]
[But after witnessing Taiki Shuttle win the Prix Jacques Le Marois the previous year, owner Takashi Watanabe believed they could challenge the 2400m top-tier races, even if European horses had the advantage.]
[Thus, the gears of fate began to turn toward a new goal.]
[In the end, from a list including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Arc, the Dubai World Cup, and the Breeders' Cup Turf... they chose the race that remains a JRA dream to this day: The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Paris Longchamp!]
[But what were Grass Wonder, Seiun Sky, and King Halo doing during this time?]
[Actually, Grass Wonder had also planned for the Japan Cup. He entered a trial race, the G2 Copa Republica Argentina, but suffered a crushing defeat, finishing 6th.]
[This failure caused his popularity to plummet, he was labeled an "early bloomer" whose peak had already ended. His team decided to skip the Japan Cup and focus on the Arima Kinen.]
[Meanwhile, El Condor Pasa won the Japan Cup, which likely made even Hitoshi Matoba wonder if he had picked the wrong horse.]
[The Grass Wonder camp heard that Seiun Sky and King Halo were entering the Arima Kinen, so they trained even harder. However, the results were not optimistic.]
[Matoba's attempts to motivate Grass Wonder weren't working. Other camps even mocked them: "Give up, that horse is finished."]
[Yet, to everyone's shock, in the final training session before the Arima Kinen, Grass Wonder's condition underwent a dramatic transformation.]
[The trainer, Katsutaro Sakai, was amazed: "This is completely different from those two unreliable autumn races. I can say for sure, he has never been in better shape since his debut. In this state, there's no need to worry about his health. I believe he will be completely resurrected."]
[Even the groom, Mitsuhiro Ogata, later recalled: "I often wondered if a horse could change so much in just a day or two."]
[To be honest, I'm baffled too. What happened to Grass-san? Did he get a visit from the Three Goddesses and get a buff? Or did his talent just bloom?]
At this, countless Uma Musumes were also puzzled. What exactly happened?
Also, El Condor Pasa was truly strong— the former number one of the JRA lived up to the name.
Inside Spica:
"El really is amazing. It's a shame she couldn't run the Classic Triple Crown back then. That rule should have been scrapped long ago. To us, El is an inseparable partner," Jungle Pocket said.
"I'm just like Neicha... I got 3rd," Spe-chan said quietly. She was starting to wonder if her performance really dropped off later.
"Hey! That's too much! What do you mean 'just like me'?" Nature protested loudly.
She was already fragile enough without being mentioned like this.
Everyone wondered about Grass Wonder. How did she become so powerful all of a sudden?
"Talent blooming"? That sounded like something out of a game.
"I know! It must be Feng Shui! Grass Wonder must have heard the voice of the earth and received the blessing of a Feng Shui master!" Copano Rickey had her logic fully loaded.
She believed in Feng Shui even more now. How else could you explain Grass Wonder's condition?
Hokko Tarumae looked helpless. She felt Rickey was a bit too far gone.
As for Matikane Fukukitaru, she hit it off with Rickey immediately. She thought it might be the work of the Great Shiraoiki.The mystery was worth investigating.
Fukitaru the Fortune Teller had one iron rule: Follow the Grat Shiraoki, and a happy life is guaranteed.
Grass Wonder didn't know what to make of all the mystical talk. She felt it was probably just her recovery from injury finishing up.
She wouldn't lose to El-chan, Spe-chan, or anyone else.
The log continued.
[After El Condor Pasa went to Europe, Special Week lost the chance to clear his name and bore the stigma of being "lesser than El."]
(T/N: This chapter was a huge pain to translate. From what I can gather from Author's Notes, the author took a break between Chapter 61 and Chapter 62, and when he came back, he forgot a ton of stuff about what he had written previously.)
(T/N: This led to this chapter being a bit of a mess. I had to cut out stuff like characters talking about nicknames or diary entries that were never in the novel, along with some other miscellaneous garbage that made no sense. If I missed anything or if you're confused about something in the chapter, please let me know.)