(T/N: Again, I wasn't able to find chapters 81-84, and I didn't want to translate chapter 80, so all of them will be skipped. This chapter will be a bit confusing at first because of that.)
In the United States:
"Man o' War, you're something else. Pulling ahead of others by 100 lengths... the Umas running with you must have been completely demoralized," Secretariat said, turning to her.
"Well... I want to know what the racers running with me that day were doing. Were they all just slacking off?"
"To let me pull away by 100 lengths... I didn't think I was that incredible," Man o' War replied.
Forget the others— Man o' War herself was flabbergasted.
Pulling ahead by 100 lengths was something she wouldn't have believed if someone told her, but now the fact was right before her eyes.
"I think... maybe the Umas I raced that day weren't strong enough. Otherwise, this result would be impossible. A lead of 100 lengths is a different concept from the margins Flightline pulls in G1s."
"But according to Trainer Mizuki, Flightline reached a rating of 140?"
Man o' War had a clear head and began a serious analysis.
A 100-length gap was too exaggerated, if she were racing against a rival of Secretariat's caliber, the victory would be decided by inches. It was impossible to pull away like that.
She thought that if she could pull away by 100 lengths in a 21st-century American G1 Breeders' Cup, it would be truly terrifying.
But that was impossible. If she really had that kind of power, she wouldn't just be a peer to the "Horse of the Year" Frankel— she'd be known as far superior to Frankel.
However, seeing Mizuki describe her as a horse from the "Ancient Era" made her a bit sad.
It was true, she remembered that when she raced, the G1 Breeders' Cup didn't even exist. It must have appeared after she retired.
'Am I really an old-timer now?'
"True, the 100-length lead that day was partly because the other horses weren't very strong, but you still ran excellently. After all, you shattered the world record by a full 4 seconds. That's a massive leap," Secretariat comforted her.
"In my opinion, if a person can break a world record once in their life, it's a great achievement, let alone a leap as large as yours, Man o' War."
"I wonder what kind of results I'll achieve in the future. It would be great if I could break a world record once too," Seabiscuit said, full of curiosity and longing for her own future.
As she spoke, the sound of a lawnmower suddenly roared in the distance.
She jumped in fright and, like a startled maiden, instinctively lunged into Secretariat's arms.
She buried herself in Secretariat's embrace, her body trembling with fear.
"Hmm? Why is the lawnmower running again?" Secretariat patted Seabiscuit's back to comfort her.
She knew Seabiscuit was terrified of that sound.
"Sorry, sorry! I got up to mow the grass this morning, but I got too excited pushing it and crashed right into the fence. Man o' War had to carry me to the infirmary, and I forgot to put the mower away."
"My bad! Did I scare you, Seabiscuit?"
Flightline was always reckless. She currently had two layers of bandages wrapped around her head.
She was the type to have a minor injury every three days and a major one every five.
Despite her noble, elegant onee-san face and her refined purple hair, she was actually a massive idiot who got overexcited too easily.
Many Uma Musume noted that Flightline had an "On/Off" mode. This was different from Cesario.
Cesario was a stoic, iron-willed onee-san when serious and a soft, sweet girl when relaxed.
Flightline's switch was purely about running.
When she wasn't running, she was a quiet, dignified, and gentle beauty. But once she started running, she became a maniac.
Every step she took felt like it was meant to destroy everything in her path.
Quiet as a maiden, then moving like a lightning bolt. Half the injuries on her body were from crashing into things when she got too hyped during a run.
Indeed, there was a real-world basis for this.
In Flightline's debut race, after winning first place, the young horse was so happy he went jumping around, slammed his head into a fence, and had to rest for several months.
This happened more than once in her career.
Because of this cycle, even though his rating was a staggering 140— matching Frankel— whenever the "Horse of the Year" was mentioned, Frankel was the absolute, undisputed leader.
Flightline couldn't snatch that crown even if there were two of her.
The reason was that Frankel was undefeated across his entire career and raced much more frequently. His dominance was total.
Flightline might have won every race by nearly ten lengths, but he simply didn't race enough.
On the bright side, Flightline's head was very hard. She was much luckier than Seiun Sky or Snowfall.
The horse-version of Seiun Sky famously spooked himself, hit his head, and died. Snowfall also spooked herself while sleeping and died from a head injury.
Both were tragic losses.
The good news was that Mizuki's log had exposed these dangers.
Seiun Sky immediately went to ask Duramente for tips on how to toughen her head, and Snowfall used her connections— since Deep Impact was her father— to ask Duramente for lessons too.
Duramente's response: "There's nothing to it. Just be hard-headed."
As for Winning Ticket, she was genuinely worried about Biwa Hayahide.
Since Hayahide had a large head, her probability of injury was higher than most.
But Hayahide was annoyed. Her head wasn't large! It was just the hairstyle!
"I... I'm okay," Seabiscuit said, shaking her head.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Flightline was filled with self-reproach, she really wanted to bang her own head against a wall for scaring Seabiscuit again.
"But Seabiscuit, I have a question. Why are you so afraid of lawnmowers? Did your tail get caught in one before?" Secretariat asked.
"I... I don't know. I've been afraid of them for as long as I can remember. I feel a sort of connection, maybe related to my 'Real Horse' self."
"Maybe one day, when Trainer Mizuki writes about me, I'll find out the reason... but maybe not, since everyone has something they're naturally afraid of."
"What about you, Secretariat? What do you fear?"
Seabiscuit asked back. She didn't know yet that her fear of lawnmowers was indeed tied to her real-world counterpart.
The truth, when it finally emerged, would move everyone to tears.
"I don't have anything I'm afraid of. If I had to pick one, it's a Flightline who can't be held back once she starts running. She really is like a madwoman."
"But still... did she really reach a 140 rating? That's truly staggering."
Secretariat's eyes glittered as she looked at Flightline.
Clearly, to her, Flightline had become a rival worthy of excitement. Even if she knew Flightline was slightly behind Frankel, she was still a top-tier existence on the world stage.
When she previously saw Frankel crowned as the Horse of the Year, her blood boiled with the urge to challenge her.
But now, it wasn't that she couldn't reach Frankel, it was that Flightline was more "cost-effective" as a local rival.
"It seems we have many powerful horses here in America. First Man o' War, then Flightline. One is the #1 horse of the 20th century, the other is the strongest of the 21st. My 'second place' title feels a bit lackluster in comparison," Secretariat said.
She was being humble.
Flightline was indeed powerful, but in the hearts of countless Americans, she was merely an equal to Secretariat.
"Are you really 'humble-bragging' right now? What do you mean, 'merely second place'? Honestly," American Pharoah said.
Her personality was similar to Matikane Fukukitaru, but while Fukukitaru did fortune-telling, American Pharoah did "rituals."
During beach training, her "Wit Training" consisted of building a ten-meter-high sand pyramid, which increased her intelligence and her strength.
No one knew how she did it, perhaps it was just raw talent.
"Flightline, huh? Even though she looks like an idiot when she runs, she grew to such a level. Amazing," Zenyatta added.
As an American filly, she had been paying close attention to Enable since she appeared. Zenyatta herself was incredibly powerful.
Man o' War had a 20-race win streak, a record that stood for a century. Zenyatta, the "Queen of America," achieved a 19-race win streak, falling just one step short of the record.
Among the top ten American horses of the 21st century, she ranked second, right after Flightline.
Zenyatta was sharp-eyed now. She looked like she really wanted to have a showdown with a fully-realized Flightline.
She also kept a close eye on Enable. The log said Enable made "all horses feel despair."
Zenyatta wasn't easily intimidated, she wanted to race Enable.
However, Zenyatta knew their tracks were different: One was dirt, the other turf. This made a direct confrontation difficult, much to her regret.
Back at Tracen:
"So America is full of monsters too? Man o' War, Secretariat, and Flightline... and Flightline reached a 140 score? No wonder Trainer Mizuki wrote that Equinox could only become the 2023 Horse of the Year because Flightline had retired."
"If they were in the same era, Equinox would have been overshadowed," No Reason said.
Even someone as optimistic as her couldn't stay calm before such data.
She had been happy that the JRA finally reached the world's peak with the "Titan of the Turf," Equinox, but it still wasn't enough.
They needed to get even stronger.
The famous horses from the UK, USA, and Ireland... just pulling a few of them out was enough to make Tracen Academy feel breathless.
Even their "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf, along with Deep Impact and Orfevre, seemed insufficient when faced with the likes of Frankel, Enable, Secretariat, Sea The Stars, and Galileo.
The Umas they admired were still very far from the top of the world.
For a moment, No Reason felt a sense of "smallness." They were so small. But they were improving.
Even as other countries moved forward, the bloodlines of the JRA were spreading.
Kitasan Black swallowed hard. "The top of the worldis still very far away. Even if we've made progress, we can't be proud. But we don't need to feel inferior either."
"Racing in Japan has a short history, but in the same amount of time, our progress has been massive. Maybe in a hundred or two hundred years, we'll have someone that can stand at the top of the world."
Duramente looked at her hands. "Has my 'Royal Blood' been passed down? And Kitasan Black..."
"Here!" Kitasan Black responded nervously.
"How many children do you plan to have? Your bloodline is excellent. Don't you plan to keep it going?" Duramente asked seriously.
"Wait, wait! Duramente-san, how am I supposed to answer that? Equinox is great, but that doesn't mean every child I have will be an Equinox!"
"And you know my real-world self... well... 'that part' of him wasn't very... functional..." Kitasan Black's face turned beet red.
Through the diary, stories of how the real-life Kitasan Black "failed" several times in the breeding shed have become well-known.
"Ahem..." Duramente realized her mistake.
"Sorry. I just meant that if you have royal blood, you should try to pass it down. Look at me— I have many: Titleholder, Liberty Island, Stars on Earth."
"They're all my children. If it were me, and I could afford to raise them, I'd have as many as possible."
Kitasan Black muttered, "Is that so... I don't really know. Does the real-world Kitasan Black like having kids? You'd have to ask the wife if she's willing!"
If Kitasan Black knew the reality of her real-world self, she'd be stunned.
The real Kitasan Black is visibly exhausted, lying in her stall with an expression that says: "I have depression."
Equinox, living across from him, says: "Father, do your best!"
In the UK:
"Man o' War, huh? So imposing. The #1 horse of the 20th century. Even if the 100-length lead was due to weak competition, breaking the world record by 4 seconds is incredibly difficult," Frankel gave a high evaluation.
She always respected her predecessors. Without their trials and research, she wouldn't have been so well-cared for.
But her gaze soon shifted to Flightline.
Unlike her usual self, the moment she saw a rival with the same score, she exploded with a terrifying aura that was hard to imagine.
Standing there, her battle-hungry pupils, sharp gaze, and overwhelming pressure made hearts pound just by looking at her.
Enable was stunned for a moment but quickly calmed herself. An ordinary opponent would have been terrified.
"Is this... her full presence? Or does she still have room to spare?"
Enable looked at Frankel. Her vibe was completely different now. She was clearly extremely interested in Flightline, who shared her score.
Frankel's aura was sharp and aggressive, as if she wanted to devour her opponent whole.
Beside Enable, Alpinista grabbed Enable's leg in fear, but her eyes weren't filled with terror, they were filled with deep admiration.
'So cool... Frankel-senpai is so cool.'
As expected, she admired her "father."
"This aura... she releases this much pressure just by feeling motivated? If it were a real race, what kind of pressure would her opponents feel?"
Sea The Stars watched from afar, her heart fluttering.
'Frankel, if you really clashed with Flightline... or with Sea The Stars... what kind of terrifying things would happen?'
The aura eventually dissipated as Frankel realized those around her were uncomfortable. She returned to her calm, gentle self.
But Alpinista liked the "cool" Frankel better.
Everyone continued reading.
They knew this log was rich with information, mentioning world-class Uma Musume: the "First Empress" Enable and the top American horses.
Soon, under everyone's focused gaze, Mizuki's log continued:
[Since we're talking about American legends like Man o' War and Secretariat, there's one more horse that must be mentioned: Seabiscuit.]
[As for Seabiscuit, many people don't know her.]
[But her story is deeply moving. However, today is about Enable, so I don't have time to write more about Seabiscuit.]
[I'm just wondering... is Seabiscuit terrified of the sound of lawnmowers?]
[Based on the relationship between the real horses and the Tracen world, I think it's very likely.]
[Because most settings for Uma Musume in Tracen are closely tied to the real horses, their jockeys, and their stories.]
[For example, the pattern on Oguri Cap's hair accessory is the pattern from Yutaka Take's silks in Oguri's final Arima Kinen.]
[And T.M. Opera O's image and personality are a bit like her jockey, Ryuji Wada— dashing and narcissistic.]
[So I speculate that Seabiscuit might fear lawnmowers because of her jockey. If I have the chance to go to America, maybe I can ask her.]
[After all, I quite like Seabiscuit.]
Back at Tracen:
"Jockey Ryuji Wada... I've always tried to imagine what he looks like. He actually looks like me?"
"Ha—Hahaha! Incredible! Truly incredible! Then it seems Jockey Ryuji Wada is also very handsome, he's completely different from the 'old man' image I imagined!"
T.M. Opera O let out a high-pitched cry of surprise.
This was the first time Trainer Mizuki had mentioned Ryuji Wada's appearance.
As her partner, she was naturally curious. Hearing that he shared looks with the "Overlord of the Century's End," she was relieved.
'Wada-kun, you must be very, very handsome.'
But she realized a strange problem:Now that she knew he looked like her, she was even more curious to see his actual face.
'Damn it! Is this the legendary suspenseful trap of a Victorian Opera? Even an Overlord like me cannot escape this swamp of agony!'
But she remained optimistic. She'd see him one day. If he was a guy who looked like her, he'd be perfect.
As for Meisho Doto, she immediately pictured Ryuji Wada: A male version of T.M. Opera O, standing with hands on his hips, laughing loudly.
Meisho Doto curled her "cat-mouth" and began imitating T.M. Opera O: "Ha~~hahahaha! I am the jockey of the Overlord of the Century, Ryuji Wada!!"
"H-How was it, Opera O? Did I get it right?" Doto asked timidly.
"Superb, Doto! You're a natural-born actress. If you ever meet Ryuji Wada in person, you must perform exactly like that," T.M. Opera O suggested with a grand flourish.
"Oh? So some of our designs are actually closely linked to the horses, jockeys, and even owners of another parallel world?" Silence Suzuka noted.
She had frequently heard Special Week mention that she unconsciously spins in circles to the left, she wondered if it was because her jockey liked spinning too.
However, Suzuka didn't know that her habit had nothing to do with anyone else— it was purely her real-horse counterpart's quirk.
In fact, the real Silence Suzuka would get depressed if he was restricted from spinning.
The Tracen trainers had long since given up on correcting her habit, figuring that if the poor girl wanted to spin, they should just let her spin.
"But how did Trainer Mizuki deduce that Seabiscuit is afraid of lawnmowers? Is she also being guided by Shiraoki-sama?" Matikane Fukukitaru asked curiously.
"I don't know, but I'm very afraid of thunder. My father said that if it thunders, my tail will be taken away," Mihono Bourbon said seriously.
"But Bourbon-san, don't you know your dad was just teasing you?" Rice Shower asked.
"However, Halwa Sweet's tail looks like it has taken away. My database has been updated, this may be a factual reality," Bourbon replied with a straight face.
"Hey! I was born short! My tail wasn't 'taken away'! It's short, but it's still there!"
Halwa Sweet was fuming. She turned around and stuck her rear out, trying to show everyone her tail.
"So cute," Curren Chan said, petting Sweet Candy's tiny tail. It was like a little toy.
"Wuuu, stop touching it, there's only a bit of fluff left," Sweet Candy retracted her tail, guarding it like a treasure.
Meanwhile, in America, a group of Uma Musume was shell-shocked.
"No way... Trainer Mizuki knows even this?" Secretariat was stunned.
"Everything is predestined. The Pharaoh leads all people. Trainer Mizuki must have received a certain heavenly secret. I've long since ceased to be surprised," American Pharoah said, acting mysterious again.
"You're acting like an expert now, but I saw you looking just as shocked as us a second ago," Zenyatta exposed her instantly.
American Pharoah's face turned beet red. She was the type who acted serious on the outside but would find a corner to cry in the moment she was found out.
Seabiscuit was also in a daze.
"I didn't expect Trainer Mizuki to actually know... and my guess was right. It really is related to my 'Real Horse' self."
The group gathered around, watching the log updates with absolute focus.
[Well, as for why I made that specific deduction, the reason is simple.]
[Because Seabiscuit's first jockey, Red Pollard, was involved in an accident caused by a lawnmower suddenly starting up.]
[The noise spooked the horse he was riding that day, which bucked him off. His left leg got caught, and he was dragged for dozens of meters.]
[The immense force of a spooked horse sprinting caused a horrific, irreversible compound fracture in his left leg.]
[Despite multiple surgeries, he couldn't fully recover. While he avoided amputation, he was left with a permanent limp.]
[But that wasn't the worst part. What truly broke Red's heart was when the doctor told him he could never be a jockey again. His career was over.]
[The doctor warned him: "If you ride again and get injured, you will lose the leg entirely."]
[Red nodded. He stayed in the stables to recuperate while his partner, Seabiscuit, fought across the country and became world-famous.]
[But the good times didn't last. Soon after, Seabiscuit suffered a severe injury to one of his legs. The doctors unanimously agreed that Seabiscuit could no longer run, it was too dangerous.]
[Thus, Seabiscuit was sent back to the stables.]
[Red, still recovering and leaning on a crutch, came to see his old friend. He saw him walking slowly, his leg wrapped in bandages, looking badly hurt.]
[Red was overwhelmed with emotion. Once, they were a man and a horse in their prime, now, they were both broken.]
[Red stroked Seabiscuit and vowed to take care of him.]
[So, the two injured partners spent their days and nights together. For months, Red leaned on his crutch, massaging Seabiscuit's leg and leading him through a slow recovery.]
[Then one day, something that shocked Red happened. Seabiscuit had recovered so well that he felt the urge to run again. He began to trot through the woods as if the injury were a thing of the past.]
[Red looked into Seabiscuit's eyes and understood everything.]
[Without hesitation, he threw away his crutch. Using his good leg to support his injured one, he climbed onto Seabiscuit's back.]
[They began to run— first a slow trot, then faster, then... a full gallop.]
[Red's body rose and fell with the rhythm. He couldn't contain his excitement as they surged forward.]
[Faster! Seabiscuit was getting faster! The familiar wind whistled past his ears, the crisp sound of hooves rang out.]
[For some reason, Red felt that in this moment, all injury and pain were forgotten in the rushing wind. All that remained were the beautiful woods.]
[They thundered through the trees and across the pastures, as if they had returned to their youthful, spirited days. The doctor's warnings were cast aside.]
[Red was that kind of man— if he weren't crazy and obsessed, how could he have conquered the equally spirited Seabiscuit? They were a perfect match.]
[After stopping, Red told everyone that he understood Seabiscuit's heart. His competitive spirit hadn't faded. He could still run.]
[Having made up their minds, the camp decided to enter Seabiscuit in the Santa Anita Handicap, a race he had failed twice before, intended as his retirement race.]
[But the jockey, Red, insisted that he would be the one to ride him.]
[Undoubtedly, it was a mad request. Everyone in the camp refused.]
[The owner warned Red that it was just a race, not worth gambling his life's happiness. If something went wrong, he'd be a cripple forever.]
[Moreover, Seabiscuit was coming back from injury. Anything could happen.]
[But Red said once more: "It doesn't matter. Between Seabiscuit and me, we have four good legs. That's enough."]
[That sentence left the owner with no reason to refuse. Because the person saying it wasn't a "normal" person who took advice— he was a fanatic.]
[And the owner liked him precisely because he was a madman.]
[So Red and Seabiscuit, partners of day and night, stepped onto the turf for their final Santa Anita Handicap. The result is history.]
[Seabiscuit reignited his fierce fighting spirit, completing a miraculous comeback. Under the disbelieving eyes of the crowd, he broke the world record, causing an unprecedented sensation.]
[For years, Seabiscuit's Santa Anita win has been considered one of the most moving races in history.]
[That's why people who know history say he is a combination of Tokai Teio and Oguri Cap.]
[If Seabiscuit were a Japanese horse, Cygames would definitely have made him a main protagonist.]
[I think if people heard Seabiscuit's story, they'd be deeply moved. A ditz like Special Week would probably switch to "Special Cry" mode immediately.]
[But before she could start crying, she'd turn around to see that Narita Top Road has beaten her to it.]
[I've digressed, but I believe it's because of Jockey Red that the Uma Musume Seabiscuit is probably afraid of lawnmowers.]
[But that's just a guess.]
[Of course, there are many more stories about Seabiscuit, which can be told separately later]
America.
"So that's it. I'm afraid of the sound of lawnmowers for this reason. Irreversible fractures, a limp for life... how could this be...?"
Seabiscuit was also stunned for a moment. She finally understood why she was afraid of the sound of lawnmowers, but the price was difficult for her to accept.
She was actually very curious at first about who her jockey was and what his feelings were towards her.
However, after seeing it, regardless of whether Uma Musume like Special Week and Narita Top Road cried or not, her own eyes welled up with tears.
Because she knew that even though Red Pollard himself was injured, he still stayed with her day and night, taking care of her, massaging her legs, until she recovered.
To be honest, when Seabiscuit saw Red Pollard still insisting on competing in the final race, she was terrified, because the cost was something she couldn't bear.
If Red Pollard got injured and she could bear it for him, she would absolutely be willing, but she would absolutely not risk Red Pollard's safety.
Although the outcome was good, to be honest, if given another chance, Seabiscuit felt that she would still advise Red Pollard to be careful.
However, Seabiscuit also thought of another question...
'Why would Red Pollard, as a Trainer in the Real Horse World, be in danger?'
She had seen the previous log entries, which mentioned that after Red Pollard discovered she could run, he also rode on her racehorse body.
At that time, she could still understand it, as she was an Uma Musume, and if she ran, Red Pollard definitely couldn't keep up.
So, at that time, she must have been carrying Red Pollard while running, allowing him, who was already limping, to experience the feeling of running once again.
But later, it still made her a bit strange.
Perhaps it was just the Trainer giving commands?
Or perhaps, the race she participated in at that time wasn't a solo run, but a race where an Uma Musume pulled a person?
However, Seabiscuit also felt it was impossible. There are no races like that in America, and she's never gone overseas.
What Seabiscuit didn't know was that she was infinitely close to the answer.
"Seabiscuit... I didn't expect your jockey, Red Pollard, to have gone through such a thing. He truly is a madman, but indeed, I also like such madmen."
Secretariat expressed high praise for Red Pollard.
Seabiscuit was noncommittal, but she still felt that if she went to the Real Horse World, she would definitely try to advise him.
It was just a race, and there was no need to take such a risk.
But, inexplicably, Seabiscuit seemed to know that even if she personally advised him, it would definitely be useless.
No one could stop a man's heart from wanting to gallop and charge forward with all his might.
And she also made up her mind that this time she would change Red Pollard's fate by completing her Development Goals.
Their story, their era, will definitely be even more perfect and known by more people.
This time, they will once again work together to break various records.