Inside the dim tunnel leading to the track at Churchill Downs, the air was thick with the scent of dirt, grass, and the faint smell of anti-slip agents, all mixed with a palpable sense of hair-trigger tension.
Myriad Dreams leaned against the wall at the edge of the tunnel, habitually chewing gum.
The cool mint helped steady her pre-race heartbeat. Her blue eyes appeared exceptionally calm in the shadows.
A set of footsteps approached, stopping before her with clear intent.
Myriad Dreams looked up and saw that dazzling mane of gray hair— it was Silver Charm.
Silver Charm's gaze was sharp, carrying an undisguised fighting spirit.
She seemed intent on using her aura to seize the upper hand before the race even began.
Myriad Dreams blinked.
Thinking the other girl had come to make a final declaration of war, she thought for a moment, pulled an unopened piece of the same gum from her pocket, and naturally held it out.
"?"
Silver Charm was visibly stunned. Looking at the small piece of gum before her, her carefully cultivated aura instantly stalled, her expression a bit dazed.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Myriad Dreams unwrapped another piece for herself and popped it into her mouth, her cheeks beginning to move again.
Silver Charm snapped back to reality.
She didn't take the gum, instead, she took a deep breath, re-collecting her pride and resolve.
She stared at Myriad Dreams and said, word by word: "Listen. This race... I absolutely will not lose!"
This was her home turf, she carried countless expectations on her shoulders and could not allow failure.
Hearing this, Myriad Dreams nodded seriously and put the gum back in her pocket.
She understood this resolve and respected this fighting spirit.
She met Silver Charm's gaze, responding in a tone that was peaceful yet equally firm:
"I understand. So, I won't be holding back either."
There were no heated verbal clashes, only a promise flowing like an undercurrent beneath the calm surface.
Both knew that this would be a showdown with nothing left on the table.
At the end of the tunnel, a staff member signaled for entry. The two withdrew their gazes simultaneously and spoke no more.
Along with the other competing Uma Musume, they stepped toward the entrance shrouded in a massive roar of noise.
As Myriad Dreams stepped out of the tunnel, the iconic twin spires of Churchill Downs came into view, and the deafening cheers of the crowd washed over her like a tsunami. The vast, slightly undulating dirt track stretched out under the sun, exuding a heart-pounding sense of challenge.
But after a full month of targeted adaptation and grueling training, Myriad Dreams already knew this once-unfamiliar dirt like the back of her hand. She lightly stepped on the soil beneath her feet, feeling the familiar graininess and feedback, the last trace of foreignness in her heart vanished.
She took a deep breath of air mixed with soil and fanaticism, her gaze becoming incredibly focused.
Then, everyone entered the gates one by one.
Silver Charm stared at Myriad Dreams with a face full of hostility. Myriad Dreams, feeling helpless, could only stare seriously ahead.
Bang!
The gates slammed open amidst deafening cheers!
In an instant, over a dozen shadows poised like arrows on a string shot forth.
The wide dirt track of Churchill Downs transformed instantly into a battlefield where every inch was contested.
During the opening stage, the struggle for position was exceptionally fierce.
Several local Uma Musume known for high-speed front-running— such as "Desert Thunder" and "Midnight Comet"— sprinted forward almost recklessly.
The friction of saddle straps, ragged breathing, and the muffled thud of hooves carving into the dirt blended together.
Their bodies bumped and jostled for position, all to seize the most advantageous lead and attempt to control the early pace of the race.
Silver Charm displayed her superior tactical prowess. She didn't get sucked into the chaotic slaughter at the very front.
Instead, relying on her excellent explosive power, she precisely sliced into the gap between the lead group and the mid-pack during a brief opening, steadily occupying a prime spot near the inner rail around fifth or sixth place.
This position allowed her to avoid the exhaustion of the front-runners' excessive pace while giving her plenty of room to observe the situation and choose her path for a break-out.
Myriad Dreams, however, was leisurely keeping an eye on everyone from the very back of the pack.