Chapter 68
Having seen Special Week in person, whether it was when she was hiding in the bushes by the underground passage exit or her various behaviors after arriving in the stands, Yasui Makoto's impression of her remained the same.
She appeared to have the same silly, airheaded personality that could cause her to be late for academy reports or almost get locked out of the dorm.
However, that impression had shifted slightly before the race even started.
At first, when he saw Special Week re-tying Kitasan Black's number cloth, he hadn't thought much of it.
But after briefly recalling the parade ring broadcast, he realized that his black-haired girl's number cloth had been put on backwards.
Since it was the number "1", which looked almost the same forwards and backwards, it was hard to notice unless you looked closely, and he had overlooked it at first.
The fact that Special Week had noticed meant this horse girl wasn't completely the airhead she appeared to be.
Her earlier analysis had proven that even more clearly.
She might not have a deep understanding of advanced training theory, but as a top-class horse girl, Special Week possessed an intuition for racing that many trainers couldn't match.
With that kind of ability, she didn't need complicated theory to see many things clearly during a race.
For example, how Kitasan Black had handled the early stage.
After noticing this, Yasui Makoto reflected for a moment and turned his gaze back to the track.
The first bend was already behind them, and the field had reached the exit of the second bend.
The positions hadn't changed much. Susan Muse was still leading by about three lengths, with Kitasan Black in second, and the rest of the horse girls stretched out in a long line behind her.
The live commentary reported it accurately as well.
"Heading into the back straight, the overall pace of the field has slowed down.
"200 meters in 12.7 seconds, 400 meters in 24.3 seconds, 600 meters in 36.7 seconds. The pace to 800 meters will likely remain relatively slow as well."
The analyst followed up:
"Susan Muse isn't a high-speed front-runner, so this pace suits her well.
"However, this also gives closers like Duramente plenty of stamina in reserve. If the cruising pace continues to slow or stays the same, Duramente's advantage on the straight will be significant.
"We hope Susan Muse has a corresponding tactical plan."
Hearing this, Yasui Makoto glanced at Special Week beside him.
Even before he obtained his trainer license, he had been well aware of his own situation.
No matter how much future knowledge he had or how early he prepared for his trainer career, lack of experience was ultimately a weakness.
At first, he hadn't paid much attention to this weakness.
In his view, with some foresight and sufficient preparation, he should be able to achieve good results no matter which horse girl he trained.
Reality, however, was not that simple.
After being rejected for months upon arriving in Tokyo, he could only study materials and books on his own. Resources were limited, and he couldn't handle many training and racing matters as smoothly as he wanted…
These were the realities he faced.
After going through all that, he gradually realized that his advantages, just like those of the horse girls, had to be proven through tangible race results.
His recent interactions with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, his previous contact with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, and now his conversation with Special Week — none of these top horse girls would have engaged with him so deeply if it weren't for Kitasan Black's two consecutive wins.
At best, they would have shown only basic polite respect because of his exam results and his position as Kitasan Black's trainer.
Two consecutive wins changed everything.
Daiwa Scarlet and the others didn't just pay attention to Kitasan Black; they also valued him, willingly shared their past training and racing experiences and insights, and helped him solve various training and racing issues as much as they could.
These experiences had unconsciously made Yasui Makoto think more carefully about his future plans and want to learn even more from these top horse girls.
With that thought in mind, he was about to ask Special Week for her impression of the current race when, just like before, the horse girl began muttering to herself in a thoughtful tone.
"Susan Muse's pace… is indeed a little too comfortable.
"The early pace really isn't fast. Ah, 800 meters in 49.8 seconds is even slower.
"But with only a three-length lead, trying to hold off the closers' kicks…"
After muttering, she frowned for a moment, then looked at Yasui Makoto with curiosity.
"Trainer Yasui, Kita-chan isn't planning to keep following at this relaxed pace the whole way, is she?"
Hearing this, Yasui Makoto nodded inwardly.
Special Week had guessed correctly. Kitasan Black did have plans to accelerate later, which showed that, in Special Week's view, such a move was necessary.
For a front-runner to win, creating an early lead to save stamina was crucial.
Naturally, this could also be countered or turned into a battle of wits.
For example, "positioning pressure."
By maintaining the right distance and chase speed, you could prevent the front-runner from getting any rest. That was "positioning pressure."
Using this tactic well was not easy.
Many racing tactics for horse girls could be described as double-edged swords — they affected the opponent, but they could also unconsciously affect oneself.
Take Major Miner in the early stage. While she was interfering with Kitasan Black, her own attention had been distracted.
Similarly, if Kitasan Black wanted to use "positioning pressure" to restrict Susan Muse, she would have to close the gap at several well-timed moments.
Every time Susan Muse heard hoofbeats coming from behind, she would have to make a split-second judgment and decision.
She would have to decide whether Kitasan Black was genuinely trying to overtake her for the lead, applying "positioning pressure," or using some other type of "tactical acceleration."
If she judged it to be the latter two, she would either have to accelerate to pull away or give up the lead, both of which would consume a large amount of stamina that most front-runners weren't particularly good at managing.
This process would definitely not be easy for Susan Muse.
And the battle between these two front-runners would inevitably affect the judgment and decisions of the horses behind them.
Similarly, the horses behind would have to decide whether the two in front were genuinely fighting each other or trying to increase the overall pace of the race.
The former would be good news for the horses behind — an internal fight among the leaders would consume a lot of stamina, allowing them to run more comfortably later and giving them more flexible options.
But if it was the latter, they would be forced to accelerate as well.
After all, everyone knew that once the leaders pulled away, winning would become extremely difficult.
Yasui Makoto had already given Kitasan Black instructions for this entire series of analysis and corresponding plans, skipping over many complicated principles.
However, he previously hadn't had many people he could consult with and had only learned from books, magazines, papers, and past race footage.
Fortunately, when he had discussed it with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka earlier, both of them had strongly approved of this tactic.
Now, with Special Week's attitude added on top, his confidence surged.
"I arranged a positioning pressure tactic for Kita-chan."
After quickly running through his plan in his mind, Yasui Makoto looked at the back straight opposite the stands and nodded firmly.
"From what I remember, Special Week-senpai often chose stalker tactics in your races, so you should be quite familiar with this kind of strategy."
"Mhm, that's right. Otherwise, letting the front-runner stay comfortable all the way to the end…"
Nodding in agreement, Special Week's eyes suddenly sharpened. She grabbed the railing of the stands and leaned forward toward the track.
"Here it comes! Kita-chan is making her move!"Chapter 68: The Game
Yasui Makoto's impression of Special Week had remained the same, whether he was hiding in the bushes outside the underground passage exit or watching her various reactions after they reached the spectator stands.
She seemed to have the naive personality of someone who would be late for Tracen Academy orientation and nearly locked out of her dorm room.
However, that impression shifted slightly right before the race started.
At first, he didn't think much of it when he saw Special Week re-tying Kitasan Black's bib number. But after recalling the live broadcast from the parade ring, he realized that his black-haired girl's number had been put on backward.
Since it was the number "1," which looked almost identical whether viewed from the front or back, it was easy to miss without a close look. He had overlooked it initially.
The fact that Special Week had noticed it showed that this Uma Musume was not as completely naive as she appeared.
His previous analysis only further proved the point.
She might not understand the deeper professional theories of training, but as a top Uma Musume, Special Week possessed an intuition for races that many trainers could never match. Thanks to this ability, she could discern a great deal from a race without needing any complex theories.
For example, she had clearly picked up on Kitasan Black's handling of the early stages.
After realizing this, Yasui Makoto let out a small sigh and continued watching the track for a while.
The field had already passed the first turn and was exiting the second turn.
The order remained unchanged. Musee Sultan still led by about three lengths, with Kitasan Black sitting comfortably in second. The rest of the Uma Musume followed in a single file line behind her.
The commentator accurately called the situation.
"Heading into the backstretch now. The overall pace of the pack has slowed down considerably."
"200 meters in 12.7 seconds, 400 meters in 24.3 seconds, 600 meters in 36.7 seconds. The slow pace is expected to continue through the 800-meter mark."
The commentator went on.
"Musee Sultan is not a high-speed front runner, so this pace is very suitable for her."
"However, this will also preserve plenty of stamina for a strong closer like Real Steel. If the cruising pace remains this slow or slows even further, Real Steel's advantage in the final spurt will be quite significant."
"We hope Musee Sultan has a proper tactical plan ready."
Hearing this, Yasui Makoto glanced at Special Week beside him.
Before obtaining his Trainer license, he had been well aware of his own situation.
No matter how much he knew about the future or how thoroughly he prepared for his Trainer career, a lack of experience was still a clear disadvantage.
At first, he hadn't paid much attention to this shortcoming.
In his opinion, with his predictive ability and sufficient preparation, he should be able to achieve good results no matter which Uma Musume he trained.
But reality was not that simple.
After arriving in Tokyo, he had been rejected for several months straight. He could only study on his own through books and materials, and resources were limited in every way. It was difficult to handle many aspects of training and racing smoothly.
These were the harsh realities he faced.
After experiencing all of this, he gradually understood that his advantages, just like those of the Uma Musume, had to be proven through actual results on the track.
This was true of his recent interactions with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, his earlier conversations with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, and his current exchange with Special Week.
If not for Kitasan Black's two consecutive victories, these famous Uma Musume might not have interacted with him so deeply.
At most, they would have shown basic politeness out of respect for his exam scores and his position as Kitasan Black's trainer.
Two straight wins made all the difference.
Daiwa Scarlet and the others now paid attention not only to Kitasan Black but to him as well. They were willing to share their past training and racing experiences and insights, and to help him with training and race matters within their means.
This experience made Yasui Makoto unconsciously begin considering more detailed plans for the future and made him eager to learn more from these top Uma Musume.
With that in mind, he was about to ask Special Week for her thoughts on the current race when the Uma Musume muttered to herself.
"Musee Sultan's pace... really is a bit too comfortable."
"The early part of the race isn't fast at all. Ah, if the 800-meter split is 49.8 seconds, it's even slower than expected."
"But with only a three-length lead, trying to hold back everyone's final spurt..."
After muttering to herself, she frowned slightly and looked at Yasui Makoto with some curiosity.
"Trainer Yasui, Kita-chan shouldn't keep following at this slow pace, right?"
Hearing her words, Yasui Makoto nodded to himself.
Special Week had guessed correctly. Kitasan Black did have plans to accelerate later, which meant that in Special Week's view, such a move was very necessary.
For a front runner to secure victory, it was crucial to build a lead early and conserve stamina.
The natural counter to this strategy was a battle of tactics.
One effective method was "positional pressure."
Maintaining the right distance and pursuit speed to prevent the leader from relaxing was known as positional pressure.
Mastering and using this tactic effectively was no easy task.
Many tactical running styles used by Uma Musume could be described as double-edged swords. While they pressured the opponent, they also affected the user themselves.
Just like how Daiwa Major had become distracted while pressuring Kitasan Black in the early stages.
Similarly, if Kitasan Black wanted to limit Musee Sultan's performance through positional pressure, she would need to close the gap at several key moments.
Every time Musee Sultan heard hoofbeats closing in behind her, she would have to make a quick judgment: Was Kitasan Black genuinely trying to overtake her, applying positional pressure, or using another form of tactical acceleration?
If she determined it was one of the latter two, she would either have to accelerate to pull away or surrender the lead. Either option would consume a large amount of stamina, which most front runners were not particularly skilled at managing.
This process would definitely not be easy for Musee Sultan.
And the struggle between these two leading Uma Musume would inevitably influence the judgment and choices of the horses running behind them.
They too would have to decide whether the two in front were truly competing against each other or trying to raise the overall pace of the race.
The former would be welcome news for the trailing Uma Musume. When the leaders fought among themselves, they would burn through their stamina, allowing those behind to run more comfortably and keep more options open for later.
But if it was the latter, the horses behind would also be forced to accelerate early.
After all, everyone knew that once the leaders opened up a significant gap, it became extremely difficult to catch up.
Yasui Makoto had already given Kitasan Black instructions for this entire series of analyses and the corresponding strategy, after simplifying many complex principles.
He had mostly learned these concepts from books, magazines, research papers, and recordings of past races, since he previously had few people to consult with.
Fortunately, when he discussed this tactic earlier with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, both of them had strongly approved.
Now, seeing Special Week's reaction as well, his confidence surged.
"I've arranged a positional pressure tactic for Kita-chan."
His thoughts quickly ran through his plans. Looking out at the backstretch across from the stands, Yasui Makoto nodded with a serious expression.
"From what I remember, Special Week often runs from a mid-pack position, so she should be quite familiar with this kind of tactic."
"Hmm, that's right. Otherwise, letting the front runner cruise comfortably all the way..."
Just as she nodded in agreement, Special Week's eyes suddenly lit up. She gripped the railing tightly with both hands and leaned forward toward the track.
"Here she comes! Kita-chan is charging!"