Inside Tracen Academy, countless girls watched this with wide eyes.
Specifically Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, Inari One, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan.
Of course, Gray horses like Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen were also watching. They all wanted to see what would happen next.
What kind of brilliance would the Gray horses create back then?
Just a Way wasn't a Gray horse, but she was watching intently. Just a Way quite liked all Gray horses.
In the real world, Just a Way and Gold Ship were good friends. Gold Ship was very fond of Just a Way and always wanted to be near him, and their training efficiency would even increase when they were together. You could call them old partners.
However, this led to some ridiculous management by Gold Ship's team.
Since they were in the same camp, when Gold Ship was preparing for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, they called in the first World Horse of the Year in JRA history, Just a Way, to act as his training partner.
This resulted in a lose-lose situation. Just a Way's peak was essentially wasted for several months, otherwise, he might have won a few more G1s.
To put into perspective how exaggerated this was: It would be like if Do Deuce was running the Arc in 2022, and the JRA called in Equinox just to be his training partner.
The comparison might be slightly exaggerated, but it just goes to show how much Gold Ship's team was messing around back then. They almost ruined Just a Way.
Furthermore, the team's blunders didn't stop there. Many of the races they chose for Gold Ship weren't even suited to his aptitude.
Meanwhile, inside a Tracen classroom:
"I'm the oldest? Dammit, if I'm the oldest, why am I the shortest? This is unfair!" Inari One said indignantly.
She didn't care that much about height, but everyone calling her and Tamamo Cross the "little ones of Kanto and Kansai" annoyed her.
"Oh? I have a medicine here that can make you grow taller. Want to try?" Agnes Tachyon interjected. Her concoctions could make Inari One a tiny bit taller, but the effect wouldn't last.
"Tachyon, are you trying to trick someone into your lab again?" Manhattan Cafe said weakly.
"Cafe, that's where you're wrong. When it involves Uma Musume, can you really call it 'tricking'?" Agnes Tachyon let out a scary laugh as she spoke.
"No thanks. I like the body my parents gave me. You can't always care about what others say or stare at your own flaws, otherwise, life is boring."
"I have plenty of strengths too. For example, I'm really strong!" As Inari One spoke, she took Gentildonna's iron ball.
With a surge of strength from both hands, she— just like Gentildonna— crushed the 14cm diameter iron model into a 2cm tiny speck.
Just as Win Variation walked in, she saw Inari One crushing the iron ball. Her textbook dropped straight to the floor, her mouth hanging open in shock.
She thought only Gentildonna could do that. She didn't expect Inari One could too.
Was the gap between people really this large?
"What... what's wrong, Win Variation?" Cesario asked with concern.
"Nothing. I just suddenly feel a bit unwell." Win Variation's spirit was crushed. However, she needn't be so sad, Inari One's strength was legendary.
Take Yutaka Take, who had ridden countless famous horses, and his evaluation: He said Inari One was the strongest horse he had ever ridden in terms of raw power.
He recognized Inari as a peak power-type horse. Every time he mentioned Inari One, she repeatedly declared him the "strongest horse" and "most powerful horse" he had ever encountered.
Inari One's power, in a sense, was a match for Gentildonna's.
"Oh? Inari One, your arms are quite sturdy too." Agnes Tachyon grew more interested, looking a bit predatory.
"Hehe, thanks for the compliment!" Inari One was straightforward. She preferred to celebrate her strengths. That's the way to be happy.
Who wants to spend all day criticizing themselves? Isn't that just looking for trouble?
As for Win Variation on the side... poor Variation was just weak and looked like she couldn't get back up.
But she decided to go to the gym after class to try again. She didn't believe this was her limit. She had to prove her worth.
As for Inari One, she had already joined Tracen Academy. She knew her regional records well, but she was dying to see how many JRA races she could win.
She didn't want to let down the expectations of everyone in Ohi, especially the mentor who discovered her racing potential.
Indeed, in Cygames' plot for Inari One, they referenced the real-world setting. The real Inari One wasn't noticed at first, he was discovered at age one by a trainer who thought he was very smart and capable of racing, so he recommended him to an owner.
This trainer is likely the prototype for Inari One's mentor in the Tracen world, much like how Oguri Cap's first owner, Koichi Oguri, was adapted into the character Kitahara.
Inari One was now focused, continuing to read. Her eyes were clean and clear but carried a hint of wild competitiveness. She was very serious.
At the same time, as Oguri Cap read her own log, her face was full of fighting spirit, and her body even began to shake inexplicably.
This posture was proof of her excitement. Both in the real-horse world and the Tracen world, Oguri Cap has a habit of shaking her body when concentrating.
Later generations called this special habit the "Warrior's Shiver."
When Yukio Okabe rode Oguri Cap, he also said: "He was shaking like crazy. I've never seen a horse like that, it gave me a bit of a fright."
Nice Nature remarked: "Oguri Cap-senpai is shaking. She does have that habit, it's proof she's getting into the zone."
Ikuno Dictus: "True. It seems only Oguri Cap-senpai has that habit."
T.M. Opera O: "Is that so? I'll learn to shake too and see if it has any effect."
Admire Vega: "Stop, Opera O. She's shivering, you're just twitching."
T.M. Opera O: "Ha— hahaha! No, no. This is a more artistic expression using the performance style of stage opera. How about it, Admire Vega-san? Care to dance with me?"
Opera O reached out her hand, gracefully inviting Admire Vega.
Admire Vega: "No... I wouldn't do that if it killed me. It's too embarrassing."
El Condor Pasa: "Speaking of which, sometimes when I go back to the dorm, I see Mambo and Grass playing. Mambo is often shaking too, and he looks a bit pale. Could it be that Mambo is like Oguri Cap-senpai, concentrating and entering some kind of state?"
Nice Nature was stunned.
"That... obviously he she was terrified by Grass, right? Did Mambo upset her? If you had arrived one minute later, you might never have seen Mambo again."
Twin Turbo: "True. Grass Wonder can be very scary sometimes, especially when she's smiling but not saying anything..."
"I can't take it— just thinking about it makes a chill run from my feet to my whole body."
El Condor Pasa jumped. "Eh? My Mambo!!! No way, right?"
El thought about it and realized it made sense. Sometimes when she slacked off on her homework, Grass's expression was terrifying and she would shake involuntarily too.
'Was that what it was?'
She felt a sudden wave of fear, she had almost lost Mambo forever.
Grass Wonder: "Oh my, are you talking about me? Hehe... El, you seem to be having a very happy discussion."
Hearing Grass's voice, El's heart skipped a beat. She almost fell over. This was a fear rooted in her bones.
She turned her head toward the smiling Grass Wonder, trembling. Her heart was filled with grief.
'It might not be El losing Mambo forever, but Mambo losing El. Goodbye, Mambo. I... might be setting sail for the great beyond tonight...'
T.M. Opera O, being the social butterfly she was, greeted Grass Wonder.
Actually, Grass wasn't that terrifying, she usually only lost her temper when she couldn't take it anymore— like El intentionally not doing homework, Spe-chan failing an exam because she didn't review, or El and Mambo staying up too late at night.
Generally, she handled most things very well.
Oguri Cap was very curious. Why could real-world foals stand up in an hour?
Generally, Uma Musume grow faster than humans, but standing in an hour? That was too exaggerated.
Agnes Tachyon noticed this too.
"It seems the real-horse world is different from ours. I have some insights of my own."
Orfevre turned her head majestically. "Oh? As expected of my personal strategist. Tell us your findings. I believe you have unique insights, and I will judge them accordingly."
Gold Ship couldn't hold back. "No, Orfevre, you're 'judging' now? Do you even understand? Instead of judging, why don't you focus on passing your exams?"
Curren Chan nodded and critiqued: "That's true. Orfevre's stats on the track are amazing, and her dominance is peak, but when she's doing problems during Tracen's exam week, her eyes are glazed over."
"I've seen her in the exam hall. During exams, she's holding a pen, but her pupils have almost lost focus."
Narita Top Road couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Glazed over" was a great description.
Seeing Orfevre's exam face was a hilarious contrast. Orfevre was powerful in every way, but her brain was very stubborn, and she often did unexpected things.
Orfevre was furious, but there was nothing she could do. Her exam scores were a secret she couldn't announce.
In the past, she could say she just didn't want to take them or felt they were unnecessary, but now that Mizuki had completely exposed her weakness, she was incredibly frustrated.
Gold Ship was laughing her head off, barely able to breathe.
Gentildonna wasn't above stirring the pot: "Orfevre, I can't even watch this. You've got to find Gold Ship for a proper match and just crush her."
Orfevre huffed. "Noisy. You think I'll fall for your trick?"
Goodness, the current Orfevre had indeed become a bit smarter. In the past, she would have gone to challenge Gold Ship immediately.
Nice Nature said, "By the way, I'm really curious, Agnes Tachyon— what exactly did you discover? Could you share it with everyone?"
"Of course, no problem at all."
Agnes Tachyon began to explain her findings:
"In my view, our connection to 'real horses' is inextricably linked. For instance, many things that happen to real horses happen to us as well, this part can be called a shared destiny."
"But there are aspects where we differ. For example, a real horse can stand just one hour after birth, and they can even participate in three-year-old stakes races. Don't you find that strange?"
"Especially with such naming conventions. Have you ever considered whether it's truly 'three-year-olds' who are running?"
"So, I've been thinking about a possibility. Perhaps the maturation of real horses simply occurs earlier than ours. Their three-year-old cups are exactly as I said— run by actual three-year-old horses. To take it a step further, even the specific lifespan of a real horse compared to ours might be..."
Tachyon paused for a moment.
She actually wanted to say that the specific lifespan of real horses was very likely much shorter than theirs. Significantly shorter, in fact.
If Grass Wonder was considered a "long-lived horse" at thirty years old, then all her hypotheses would hold true.
After all, Agnes Tachyon was exceptionally brilliant. She had discovered many things and established her own basic formula for real horse ages.
According to her preliminary formula, she could determine the comparison between a real horse's age and human age.
For instance, she believed that from age one to four, a real horse begins its maturation period, completing the transition from a young horse training at a ranch, to a Classic-year horse, and finally to a Senior-year horse.
To elaborate: During this golden period of a racehorse's development, every year the horse ages, there is a massive surge in strength.
Once the maturation period ends, the growth in strength begins to slow down.
Tachyon theorized that a one-year-old real horse is roughly equivalent to a seven-year-old human, a two-year-old is about thirteen, a three-year-old is about eighteen, and a four-year-old, reaching the Senior year, is approximately twenty-two.
Essentially, from age 1 to 4, the racehorse ages in a human equivalent increment of 7+6+5+4.
Once real horses retire and their growth rate slows, one year is roughly equal to 2 to 3 human years. By this calculation, a thirty-year-old real horse would be approximately ninety years old in human terms.
However, this was a very bold hypothesis, and she wasn't entirely certain. Reaching a definitive conclusion would require more data and evidence for support.
Thus, after a moment of hesitation, she didn't voice this specific conclusion. If she could truly see a real horse, perhaps the matter could be settled then.
Furthermore, there was another point: Deep down, she didn't want this hypothesis to be true.
Naturally, she hoped real horses could live long lives. Thirty years was just too brief, even if the death of Grass Wonder in the diary gave her theory plenty of support.
If her hypothesis were true, horses like El Condor Pasa, Twin Turbo, Duramente, and Vodka died far too early, flashing by like shooting stars.
It was too tragic.
She looked up, intending to keep reading and search for more information— perhaps a title or record that could debunk her view on their short lifespans.
However, she did not yet know that her hypothesis was already incredibly close to reality.
In the world of real horses:
A one-year-old racehorse is roughly equal to a six-year-old human. It is still in its infancy and is not arranged to race. The stars of yearling auctions are, as the name suggests, one-year-olds.
For example, Super Creek, Satono Diamond, and Daring Tact were all sold at auctions at this age. More recently, Kitasan Black's daughter sold for 16 million yen at the September 2023 auction.
Because racehorses mature very quickly in their early years, the corresponding human age changes drastically. At two years old, a horse is roughly thirteen in human years and can begin racing.
At this age, Maruzensky and Grass Wonder had already secured G1 victories, they were absolute prodigies.
A three-year-old horse is roughly eighteen, the prime of youth. A four-year-old is about twenty, also in the prime stage, referred to as the Senior year in the JRA.
Once a racehorse reaches five, growth slows down, and each additional year is equal to about two and a half human years.
So, while Tachyon's estimates had slight discrepancies, they were indeed remarkably close. Her intellect was truly admirable.
However, Tachyon's words left the group stunned.
Nice Nature said, "Wait, starting to race at age three? That's just too exaggerated, isn't it?"
Tanino Gimlet was also shocked: "Nature is right. This speculation is too wild. Even by your standards, Tachyon, isn't this a bit too unconventional?"
Vodka nodded: "Exactly. Who could wrap their head around that so quickly?"
Daiwa Scarlet uncharacteristically disagreed with Tachyon:
"I... I also have reservations about Senior Tachyon's idea. I think maybe the maturation period is early, but three years old is still too young."
Agnes Tachyon chuckled: "Hahahaha! Your expressions are so interesting. Did I really successfully tease you? Don't be troubled, it's just a conjecture. It's not like every one of my experiments is a success."
Mejiro McQueen said, "So... it was just a guess?"
McQueen clearly looked relieved. The "Big Mac" had almost had her brain fried by Tachyon's words.
She had wanted to ask what the unfinished part of Tachyon's sentence was, but since it was just a theory, there was no need to ask.
Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi: "Then Tachyon-san, what's the success rate of your experiments? Why is it that every time I leave your lab, my head feels all dizzy?"
Agnes Tachyon: "It's fine. Take a deep breath. Dizziness is normal."
Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi was one of the few willing to be a test subject for Tachyon, though Tachyon never did anything too overboard to her.
Verxina asked in confusion, "But Oguri Cap's breeder mentioned she was a 'boy' and held Oguri Cap to help with nursing... are we sure he wasn't taking advantage of her? That's so weird."
Copano Rickey: "Maybe it was just a bottle, and a newborn needs to stand to drink. Just like we have to cry when we're born— it's just the rules."
Oguri Cap: "So my owner was Koichi Oguri. I'll remember that. I'm grateful to him and the breeder for selflessly giving me so much food. Speaking of which, I'm a bit hungry again."
Super Creek: "But Tamamo's situation doesn't look very optimistic. It's worrying. If only I were by Tama-chan's side, I could take care of her."
Tamamo Cross snapped, "Hey, you! Are you treating me like one of those kids in your neighborhood daycare again?"
Super Creek shook her head: "No, no. It's just because Tama-chan is so small that I want to look after you and make sure you eat more."
Hearing this, Tamamo turned beet red.
"Who are you calling small?!"
However, deep down, Tamamo Cross was grateful to Super Creek. Creek took care of her, but it was too much care, to the point of being embarrassing.
More importantly, Creek was always giving her delicious food and expensive gifts. Tamamo's family was poor, she really couldn't afford to return the favors.
'Uwahh.'
Tamamo Cross remembered the first time she visited a large mall in Tokyo. Seeing the endless variety of goods and the terrifyingly high price tags, she had been frozen in place, not knowing what to do.
She had been stunlocked by shock for half an hour. Her only thought at the time was: 'The city is too scary, I want to go home.'
When Tamamo saw the part about Oguri Cap, she actually laughed out loud. After all, the real Oguri Cap and the Tracen Oguri Cap were identical. Their stomachs were bottomless pits.
Still, it was a good thing Oguri Cap could eat so much, that's how she grew strong.
However, her happiness didn't last long before she saw her own situation. Her expression changed.
She hadn't expected the Tamamo Cross of the real horse world to have faced even more difficult circumstances.
Tamamo Cross clenched her fists. Facing such a tragic fate, she didn't lose heart.
She knew she still had a chance.
She would give her all to help her real-horse counterpart, her counterpart's mother, and the debt-ridden ranch. After all, without them, she wouldn't exist.
In the Tracen world, she lived very frugally, but she didn't consider herself unhappy.
She was the reliable older sister her siblings looked up to, the Uma Musume her father believed to be the "White Lightning," and she held the dream of making that name famous.
She believed that through hard work, she could make everyone live a happy life.
"So, don't give up. Other-me, instead of surrendering to the world, come and fight to the end with me. If we combine our strength, we will surely create a new miracle."
"We won't lose to anyone."
Tamamo Cross continued reading. She was the ideal horse finally bred by the ranch, carrying their last hopes.
She had to do her best.
Super Creek felt the same. Looking at the journal entries, she felt deep gratitude toward Trainer Ito and also Yutaka Take. She knew Yutaka Take was an incredible jockey, but she hadn't expected that she was the one he first teamed up with to chase a G1 title.
She also saw Yutaka Take's quote: "If Super Creek can't participate in the Kikuka-sho, then... I'm not going either."
While moved, she felt a trace of reproach.
'Yutaka Take, you can't give up a race as important as the Kikuka-sho over something like that. That's irresponsible to yourself. Your future is important too!'
At the same time, Super Creek saw the words "first love." Being clever, she assumed "first love" referred to their first partnership, as Trainer Mizuki had used similar metaphors before.
So, she didn't think too much of it.
Air Shakur said, "This Yutaka Take has a real temperament. I like straightforward guys like that. I wonder who my jockey is, hahaha."
Fuji Kiseki: "I have to say, the young ones are always full of spirit. Such words coming from the mouth of a vibrant eighteen-year-old boy couldn't be more dashing."
Seiun Sky: "But everyone grows old eventually. Just like us, the Golden Generation."
T.M. Opera O: "Haha, I really want to see Senior Oguri Cap's story. I know Oguri Cap is my benefactor."
At this moment, not just Opera O, but everyone continued reading, curious to see what happened next. Everyone was intensely curious about the future.
How was the belief that "Gray horses can't run fast" overturned? What happened during Yutaka Take's youth?
What kind of magnificent races would unfold between Inari One, Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Super Creek?
Mizuki's journal continued:
[Before Super Creek's Kikuka-sho, several extremely turbulent races took place.]
[Let's start with Oguri Cap.]
[October 1986: Oguri Cap arrived at Miyama Breeding Farm for three months of race training, managed and trained by Kenji Yoshida. Yoshida described Oguri Cap as an extremely docile and intelligent horse.]
[What were Oguri Cap's traits? He often stayed alone and didn't fight with other horses. However, during training, he would often hop and jump, trying to throw the trainer off.]
[In truth, it wasn't so much trying to throw them as it was him playing with the trainer.]
[Early 1987: After completing three months of training, he arrived at Kasamatsu Racecourse to begin local racing and training. His name was officially registered here.]
[Because of Oguri Cap's low center of gravity and a running style where his body was parallel to the ground, the people of Kasamatsu described him as 'the horse that crawls on the ground.' This was a compliment, a horse without speed could never pull that off.]
[After training, everyone's impression of Oguri Cap began to change.]
[May 19, 1987: Oguri Cap passed his 800m dirt test in 51.1 seconds. He entered his debut race as the 2nd favorite. Due to a delayed start, he pushed to the middle but was forced to the outside on the third turn.]
[Jockey Tatsuhiko Aoki thought they had no chance, but Oguri Cap regained his momentum and accelerated, engaging in a final straight duel with another gray horse, March Tosho.]
[After a narrow loss by a head, he won his second race— a 1400m dirt race— with overwhelming dominance.]
[In fact, March Tosho beat Oguri Cap one more time later. He was Oguri Cap's greatest rival in Kasamatsu. But why was he able to stand on equal footing with Oguri?]
[Because the races March Tosho ran were extremely short, only 800m. His entire training focus was on the 800m dirt sprint. Had the track been even slightly longer, March Tosho would have had no chance of defeating Oguri Cap.]
[Additionally, at the time, Oguri Cap suffered from "hoof rot", a condition serious enough to affect performance. His groom at the time hadn't noticed it, which largely contributed to his losses.]
[Fortunately, after his fourth race, his groom was changed to Tomomitsu Kawase. On the day he took over, he discovered the hoof rot and cured it in just three days.]
[Following this, Oguri Cap went on a winning streak in the NRA, including graded stakes. In his seventh race, the Junior Crown, he encountered March Tosho again.]
[This time, they engaged in a fierce battle, running neck-and-neck in the final straight. They crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, but Oguri Cap held on. The result: Oguri Cap won by a nose.]
[Oguri Cap grew stronger with every race, setting a record of eight consecutive wins in local circuits, including major stakes. Kawase speculated that the two early losses were entirely due to his hoof condition.]
[In local racing, Oguri Cap achieved a record of 12 starts, 10 wins, and 2 seconds.]
[There was another strange thing about Oguri Cap: His trainer at the time, Masao Sagami, believed he could run faster by accumulating race experience, so he scheduled his races at two-week intervals.]
[He believed that since local racing had many events and the distances were short (mostly 800m to 1600m), it wouldn't be too taxing on his body.]
[However, it is common knowledge that continuous racing leads to fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Strangely, none of this happened to Oguri Cap. On the contrary, he didn't lose weight— he actually gained 20kg.]
[Oguri Cap's team was flabbergasted. They knew he could eat, but they didn't expect him to master nutrition so effectively. How much was he eating behind their backs?]
[But now, a problem faced Oguri Cap and his owner.]
[Because Oguri Cap's strength in the local circuit was too immense, his fame grew rapidly. After the NRA Chukyo Cup, a flood of offers to buy him arrived, along with hopes that he would transfer to the Central circuit.]
[Many would say, "Isn't this a good thing?" Oguri Cap would get a bigger stage, and the owner could earn more prize money.]
[But in reality, his owner at the time, Koichi Oguri, did not have a JRA Central Owner's license. He could not enter the Central circuit as Oguri's owner. If he wanted Oguri Cap to step onto the Central stage, his only choice was to sell him to someone else.]
[He wouldn't earn a single cent from him thereafter. Truthfully, no owner is indifferent to money, even if Oguri Cap only ran local races, he would likely earn more than a one-time sale price, especially considering post-retirement income.]
[So, Koichi Oguri was initially very stubborn and refused to let him go.]
[However, under the repeated and persistent persuasion of Central owner Isao Sahashi, he finally agreed to transfer ownership for 20 million yen. But he set two conditions:]
["Let Oguri Cap enter Central racing, and do not change the name 'Oguri Cap'."]
["And, if he doesn't adapt to the Central turf, let him come back."]
[It's clear that Koichi Oguri truly sacrificed his interests for Oguri Cap. He knew his value was far higher, but for the sake of the horse he treated like a son, he endured the pain of selling him so he could reach a grander stage.]
[Furthermore, his love didn't end there. Though his bank account no longer received a penny from Oguri Cap's victories, he attended every one of his races, cheering and shouting at the top of his lungs.]
[As an owner— or rather, a businessman— pursuing profit is justifiable. But the moment he sold Oguri Cap to a Central owner, what he entrusted to him was perhaps his dream as a man.]
[Dreams are priceless.]
[He could not have imagined that one day, he would witness a miracle, a moment that would be unforgettable for the rest of his life.]
[However, after arriving at Central, there was a brief interlude. Isao Sahashi had his Central Owner's license revoked due to tax evasion. After being bombarded by "price inquiries" from frantic owners, Oguri Cap was leased to Toshinori Kondo for two years of racing for a total of 550 million yen, with ownership rights returning to Sahashi after his retirement.]
[But let's set that aside for now.]
[March 6, 1988: At Hanshin Racecourse, Oguri Cap entered his Central debut as the 2nd favorite in the 1600m G3 Pegasus Stakes.]
[Even though Oguri Cap had been brilliant in the local circuit, he was still looked down upon.]
[One must understand that the gap between the JRA and the NRA is on a completely different level. The overall strength of Central Racing can be said to be more than a full tier above that of Local Racing.]
[Some even felt that a so-called "invincible monster" of the NRA would simply fade into the crowd upon arriving at the JRA.]
[For the JRA is the gathering place of all monsters. Every horse here is stronger than the last, possessing strength so incredible it borders on the nonsensical.]
[To secure a victory here... could a mere local horse do it, even if it showed its full potential? Could its strength truly reach the level of Central?]
[Therefore, many JRA spectators did not fully favor Oguri Cap in such a G3 event.]
[However, at that time, they could not have imagined the situation that was about to unfold.]
[For Oguri Cap, the road of conquest had only just begun.]
[Before the race started, he stood like a veteran of a hundred battles, looking extraordinarily steady. Facing the cheers of tens of thousands in Central, he remained incredibly calm, showing not a shred of fear.]
[On the contrary, her body radiated an exceptional fighting spirit.]
[Oguri Cap's jockey, Hiroyuki Kawachi, was also astonished. He immediately concluded that this Oguri Cap from Kasamatsu was an exceptionally serious and composed horse.]
[After the 1600m G3 Pegasus Stakes began, Oguri Cap maintained his position at the back of the pack. Due to his steady personality, he wasn't much affected early on, following the pace to the third turn.]
[After the third turn, he began to accelerate from the outside, charging out in the final straight to seize the victory in one fell swoop.]
[It was from this race onward that the legend of the Gray Monster began its first chapter.]
[There was also an interlude during this race: Hiroyuki Kawachi discovered while riding Oguri Cap that his hindquarters were not particularly strong. To avoid putting too much pressure on them, he had him start slowly and then sprint later, adopting a late-surger running style.]
[Thus, March 6, 1988, marked Oguri Cap's starting point in the JRA.]
[At the same time, another gray horse, Tamamo Cross, also began his journey.]
[While Oguri Cap's debut was after May 19, 1987, Tamamo Cross actually started earlier. On March 1, 1987, the 3-year-old Tamamo Cross, ridden by Katsumi Minai, ran his Debut race on the 2000m turf at Hanshin.]
[However, Tamamo Cross got off to a bad start. Shortly after taking the lead, he lost speed and fell behind, ultimately finishing only seventh.]
[On March 21, 1987, Tamamo Cross participated in another Debut race on the 1800m dirt at the same track, this time finishing fourth.]
[At the time, Tamamo Cross's team thought he might be better suited for dirt tracks rather than turf. Consequently, he entered a Maiden race on the 1700m dirt on April 11, where he finally took first place and completed his debut.]
[Michio Misano, the owner who had purchased Tamamo Cross, was a bit at a loss. Having seen a friend fall into massive debt, he realized that horse racing was indeed very, very difficult.]
[However, what he didn't expect was that while the world of horse racing is indeed hard, Tamamo Cross would soon grab him by the collar and tell him: "This isn't hard at all, old man!"]
[Tamamo Cross then participated in a conditional race (under 4 million yen) on May 10, 1987. His performance in this race could only be described as unlucky and disastrous. While maintaining 7th or 8th place, Tamamo Cross was caught in a fall accident ahead of him.]
[After his jockey fell, he bolted around the track in a frenzy. His results were disqualified, and he sustained injuries.]
[Fortunately, the injuries weren't severe. But as mentioned before, shortly after Tamamo Cross began racing, accidents followed one after another.]
[First, the farm where he was born finally declared bankruptcy due to unsustainable operations.]
[In his next four dirt races, Tamamo Cross performed poorly, constantly staying on the outside and refusing to get close to other horses, thus failing to show his full strength.]
[He didn't win a single one, though in the second race, the "Rebun Tokubetsu," he took second place, only 0.2 seconds behind the winner.]
[Then, Tamamo Cross suffered the pain of losing his mother. On July 30, 1987, Tamamo Cross's mother passed away.]
[Seeing this, Tamamo Cross's team grew deeply worried. They decided that after a period of rest, he would switch back to turf. If he failed again, they would send him to steeplechase races.]
[A single race to decide life or death!]
[And then, a miracle happened!]
[In the following conditional race on the 2200m turf at Kyoto, Tamamo Cross— running as the dead-last favorite among five horses— took a commanding lead under Jockey Minai. He eventually won by a staggering 7 lengths with a time of 2:16.2.]
[Even more absurdly, in the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai held on the same day at the same distance, the winner Leo Tenzan (ridden by Yutaka Take) was 0.1 seconds slower than him.]
[In that instant, Tamamo Cross's team was dumbfounded. They had considered the possibility of him winning, and they had considered the possibility of him losing, but they never imagined he would suddenly gallop like a bolt of lightning and win by seven lengths.]
[Furthermore, his time was faster than the G2 winner, and at the time, Leo Tenzan was a horse capable of putting pressure on Sakura Star O.]
[They wondered if it was an illusion. Was the world playing a joke on them?]
[They decided to test him one more time.]
[After all, they thought it might have just been a one-time explosion of power, or that the other horses were too weak. Even a horse like Dai Yusaku had a once-in-a-lifetime burst of speed, after all.]
[Next, Tamamo Cross participated in another conditional race, the Fujinomori Tokubetsu.]
[The next moment, they were even more stunned. This time, Tamamo Cross didn't win by 7 lengths, he won by a whopping 8 lengths!]
[They were truly at a loss for words. They never expected such a thing to happen right before their eyes. Ridden this time by Mikio Matsunaga, Tamamo Cross returned with a crushing 8-length victory.]
[After this battle, Jockey Matsunaga gave him a glowing evaluation, stating that this horse did not belong at the conditional race level.]
[He was certain that Tamamo Cross belonged on a bigger stage. He belonged to the JRA, to the Central circuit where all top horses gathered.]
[At the time, he even hoped that a horse as powerful as Tamamo Cross could compete in the 1987 Kikuka-sho!]
[At that moment, the JRA media flocked to him, calling Tamamo Cross— who had just won two races by a combined 15 lengths— the "Late-Blooming Big Shot" and the "Secret Weapon of Kansai."]
[But just when everyone expected Tamamo Cross to come to Central for the final leg of the Classic Triple Crown, the G1 Kikuka-sho...]
[Tamamo Cross's team made a decision that surprised everyone. Facing the glory of the G1 Kikuka-sho, his trainer, Yoshiro Obara, judged after comprehensive observation that his peak wouldn't arrive until he was 5 years old.]
[Thus, he forfeited the Kikuka-sho a week later and instead entered the Naruo Kinen on December 6.]
[Trainer Obara even said: "If we force him to run here, he will never succeed."]
[It's evident that compared to Oguri Cap's later management team, Trainer Obara was far more commendable.]
[Oguri Cap's later team wanted to recoup their investment quickly, so his racing schedule was indeed far too tight.]
[Of course, as a side note, there was also Sakura Star O that year. His schedule wasn't particularly horrifying, but if they had been just a bit more careful, the tragedy might not have happened.]
[1987 was an era of many famous horses. If you were to ask who the most brilliant racehorse of 1987 was, it wasn't Tamamo Cross, nor Oguri Cap, Inari One, or Super Creek— those guys were still just rookies.]
[The most brilliant horse of 1987 was undoubtedly Sakura Star O.]
[The 1987 Satsuki-sho winner and the 1987 Kikuka-sho winner. He missed the Derby due to injury and finally fell at the Arima Kinen. Despite a fatal injury, the team tried to treat him, but the results were heartbreaking.]
[Sakura Star O's weight dropped from 450kg at the time of the Arima Kinen to only 250kg later.]
[In the end, he struggled even to stand. On May 12, 1988, he caught a fever, and as he struggled to stand up, both of his legs dislocated and fractured simultaneously.]
[Seeing him in such a state, they finally decided to stop treatment. After 137 days of agony, Sakura Star O finally returned to the stars abocve.]
[Sakura Star O's camp always felt the most guilt toward him. Perhaps they are unwilling to mention this past, which is why, to this day, Sakura Star O has not yet entered the Uma Musume project.]
[Among Sakura Star O's rivals in 1987, there were many other famous horses. Among them was Gold City, known as his famous "running mate." Second in the 1987 G1 Satsuki-sho, second in the 1987 G1 Kikuka-sho... many people teased him: "City, you're playing the runner-up again."]
[Another rival was Mejiro Durren. He was also very strong, but unfortunately, he had an even more famous younger brother, Mejiro McQueen.]