Chapter 95. Dream World's Big Upset (Part 2)
After passing the straight in front of the grandstand, Shuta An and Main Caster maintained thirteenth place, while Dai Yusaku dropped back slightly, almost running neck and neck with them.
Jockey Kumazawa, in the saddle, had partnered Dai Yusaku for many races and understood his abilities well. He knew that Dai Yusaku's strength lay in his explosive finishing burst, so he simply borrowed an idea from Shuta An—who was also riding a late-charging horse in this race.
"Following Mr. Shuta to find a position shouldn't be a problem, right?" Kumazawa thought to himself. "As long as I can break out of the pack and move forward, that's enough."
He was quite confident in his ability to find an opening.
Shuta An also noticed Kumazawa glancing at him every few seconds. He wasn't stupid; he quickly guessed the reason.
"Well, well…so you can mark a jockey as well?" the young man mused, unconcerned.
Main Caster and Dai Yusaku were both horses of limited caliber. Even if Kumazawa marked him, the most they could fight for was a place in the top five.
"Anyway, winning this race is hopeless," Shuta An thought. "And I can't expect Yutaka Take to pull off another miracle ride. Even second place will be difficult."
At that moment, he suddenly missed Tokai Teio.
"If I were riding Teio, I would mark Mejiro McQueen here, move up when entering the final bend, break out when turning into the straight, and once we hit the final stretch, no one would catch us."
Shuta An shook his head lightly.
"Forget it. Right now I'm riding Main Caster. She simply can't meet those demands."
After entering the straight opposite the grandstand, Kumazawa still chose not to move forward for position. Meanwhile, Shuta An guided Main Caster one horse-width outward.
He had no intention of breaking out immediately. It simply made it easier to find space before entering the final straight.
Shuta An had noticed that several opponents were stubbornly hugging the inner rail. In that case, the best strategy was naturally to do the opposite.
After all, after several years in Japan, the young man had a very clear grasp of thetechnical habits of most domestic jockeys.
Kumazawa saw Shuta An's maneuver—but he didn't follow.
Because once Shuta An shifted outward, the horses ahead of Kumazawa created a small gap, faintly revealing a potential breakout lane.
So Kumazawa held his position and waited.
"I just hope the guys in front don't notice this opening—" he prayed silently.
Just as they were about to enter the final bend, Kumazawa suddenly saw Shuta An angle Main Caster sharply toward the inner rail.
"Damn it! Did Shuta really discover the breakout path I was preparing?!"
Kumazawa bit his lip and prepared to drive Dai Yusaku forward.
"Even if we collide, I'll defend this path! I absolutely won't give it to Shuta An!"
He had only entered the profession one or two years earlier than Shuta An. In terms of seniority, he was far from a veteran. In results, he had been thoroughly overshadowed by both Shuta An and Yutaka Take.
But today, Dai Yusaku felt exceptionally sharp beneath him.
The long-suppressed desire to win suddenly erupted. Yet what shocked Kumazawa even more was that Shuta An did not use the breakout lane he had targeted at all.
After cutting inside, Shuta An pushed Main Caster even closer to the rail, letting the horses on the outside form a natural barrier—preventing Main Caster from drifting outward.
But Kumazawa soon had no time to think about it. Because along the opening he had discovered, Dai Yusaku surged forward. Ahead of him, he could already see the backs of Yutaka Take and Mejiro McQueen.
"I have a chance to win!"
The thought exploded inside Kumazawa's mind.
Shuta An guided Main Caster through the pack, while Kumazawa burst into open space as he exited the bend and entered the final straight.
Kumazawa raised his whip.
The first strike fell—like the opening note of a symphony of fate.
Dai Yusaku responded instantly, launching forward in his favorite rhythm.
At the same time, Twin Turbo, who had completely exhausted himself, dropped behind Main Caster.
Now sprinting along the rail under Shuta An's urging, Main Caster also had a clear road ahead—if one ignored Mejiro McQueen in front.
At that moment, Yutaka Take had also successfully broken free from the pack.
He looked ahead. A completely unobstructed path.
His mood brightened instantly.
"Ann-san won the Tenno Sho (Autumn)—but this time, the Arima Kinen is mine."
Only 100 meters remained.
He glanced to the side—no pursuers in sight.
Confidence filled him.
But the next instant, something flashed across his peripheral vision.
A horse was charging up rapidly.
"What the hell?! Is that Ann-san and Main Caster? Can they really catch up?!"
Yutaka Take's eyes widened, and he nearly dropped his whip.
But when he saw the racing silks, he froze.
"That's…the horse ridden by Kumazawa, right? What was his name again?"
Which top jockey would bother remembering the second-to-last favorite before a race?
Naturally, Yutaka Take couldn't recall the name in that split second.
But it didn't matter anymore. At that exact moment—
Dai Yusaku overtook Mejiro McQueen.
And then he pulled away cleanly.
In the grandstand, the mistress of the Mejiro family instantly darkened in expression.
She couldn't blame Yutaka Take.
So her gaze shifted toward Trainer Ikezoe.
Ikezoe himself felt a bitter lump in his throat. From his perspective, Mejiro McQueen had been in perfect condition before the race. His performance hadn't been poor either.
But who could have predicted that Dai Yusaku—ignored by almost everyone—would suddenly explode like this?
On the other side of the stands, Yoshida Zenya smiled faintly.
"Finishing in the top five will be enough to explain things to Main Caster's fractional owners."
"Yes," Main Caster's trainer agreed. "Being placed fifth in the Arima Kinen and earning 12 million yen in prize money should make everyone quite satisfied."
"We really have to thank Mr. Shuta," Yoshida Zenya said with a relieved sigh.
At that moment—
Dai Yusaku crossed the finish line first.
The live commentator froze for a second before shouting the name of this year's Arima Kinen champion.
Everything after that would have to be improvised.
After all, every congratulatory speech prepared for Mejiro McQueen before the race had instantly become useless.
A moment later, Shuta An and Main Caster crossed the finish line in fourth place.
Ahead of them stood Nice Nature, whom Shuta An and Tokai Teio had "defeated" in the Kikuka Sho.
"Does this count as revenge?"
The young man felt quite pleased, teasing himself quietly in his heart.
After crossing the finish line, Yutaka Take felt somewhat dazed. He had originally intended to wash away the "shame" of being defeated twice in a row by Shuta An in this Arima Kinen. Yet although he had finally beaten Shuta An this time, he had lost to a dark horse that appeared out of nowhere.
He shook his head and forced a smile as he congratulated Kumazawa, who still looked completely bewildered.
For Jockey Kumazawa—who had been active for over five years—this Arima Kinen was the first G1 victory of his career. And that first G1 happened to be a Grand Prix race. Even now, he still felt as though he were dreaming.
"Congratulations, Senior Kumazawa," Yutaka Take said proactively.
"Thank you, Mr. Take," Kumazawa replied blankly, almost reflexively, still struggling to process what had just happened.
Seeing Kumazawa's stunned expression, Yutaka Take's mood eased considerably. He had heard stories before of once-in-a-lifetime explosions, when an overlooked horse suddenly erupted and overturned the entire race.
This time, however, he and Mejiro McQueen had become the demon kings who were overthrown.
"Sigh~ McQueen still only has two G1 titles," Yutaka Take thought to himself. "Looks like I'll have to work even harder next year."
He was certain the mistress of the Mejiro family would not replace him. Strictly speaking, this Arima Kinen was not a "man-made disaster." And even if they wanted a replacement, the more suitable candidate would be Shuta An, who currently ranked higher in the jockey standings.
But in the choice between Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio, the former had already been excluded once. The Mejiro family's mistress would not put herself in that situation again.
"I've sounded out Ann-san before…he seems satisfied just holding a work visa," Yutaka Take reflected, shaking his head slightly. "But even so, with his ability, the JRA still needs to promote both him and me if they want to attract new fans."
Shaking off those thoughts, Yutaka Take turned his head to look behind him.
At that moment, Shuta An had already walked alone toward the underground passage, leaving only his back in view. Yet from that retreating figure, Yutaka Take sensed no disappointment, no frustration—no negative emotion at all.
He could only murmur softly, "Ann-san really takes things in stride."
Then he stopped thinking about it. After all, what was there to be dissatisfied with? Riding the 11th favorite and finishing fourth in the Arima Kinen was already an excellent result.
Shuta An had never been the type of jockey who demanded victory regardless of which horse he rode.
In truth, most Central jockeys abandoned that mindset soon after entering the profession.
When Shuta An arrived at the underground passage, he was greeted by Trainer Uda and Yoshida Zenya.
"Sorry," he said politely. "I did my best."
"No, it's us who held things back," Yoshida Zenya said first.
"This year, Sunday Silence covered 77 broodmares. Seventy conceived, and we expect around sixty foals to be born."
Before Shuta An could ask why he had suddenly brought up breeding statistics, Yoshida Zenya continued.
"Oguri Cap covered 70 broodmares this year. Sixty-five conceived, and we estimate about fifty-seven foals."
"We used Shadai Farm's best broodmares for both stallions," Yoshida Zenya said with a shrug. "But the results ultimately depend on their own ability."
"You understand—we are a stallion station. We cannot keep allocating valuable resources to stallions without achievements simply because of sentiment."
"I understand," Shuta An replied quietly. "But if Oguri truly can't produce good results—I hope he can remain at Shadai for retirement."
Even as he said it, he knew he had little authority to request such a thing.
"That's only natural," Yoshida Zenya nodded. "Oguri Cap is a memorable existence for our Shadai Race Horse Club. We will certainly provide him with the best retirement environment."
"Even if Shuta-kun hadn't mentioned it, I would have arranged it."
"As for Sunday Silence…" Shuta An scratched his head slightly. "I have a feeling he'll produce incredible racehorses."
"It's just a premonition."
"Then I'll entrust many of Sunday Silence's offspring to Ann-san in the future," Yoshida Zenya said seriously.
Shuta An's lips curved into a faint smile.
"I'll try to raise Sunday Silence's stud fee again. And please entrust Oguri Cap's offspring to me as well."
"Deal," Yoshida Zenya agreed immediately.
—
After waking up the next morning, Shuta An originally believed he would receive no reward for the previous night's Arima Kinen. After all, finishing fourth usually brought nothing special.
But when he habitually opened the attribute interface, he suddenly noticed that one of his skills had changed.
SS Creator+
The skill description had also gained a new effect.
Previously:
"All horses in the Dream World possessing Sunday Silence's bloodline will obey your riding commands and gradually develop affection toward you. In the real world, Uma Musumes corresponding to Sunday Silence's bloodline from the other world will significantly improve their training efficiency when trained by you. You will also have extremely high initial intimacy with them."
Now an additional effect had appeared:
"Reduces the injury risk of partnered Sunday Silence bloodlines in the Dream World and increases rewards after partners win a G1."
"If only this applied in the real world as well…" Shuta An sighed inwardly.
He remembered that Silence Suzuka fell within the scope of this skill.
Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to make use of it.
At present, Suzuka was the only Uma Musume on the team who benefited from this skill. Even the newly joined Kurofune was outside its range.
"But Kurofune's initial intimacy was 110—that was unexpected. Maybe it's because we made contact very early on."
Just as that thought crossed his mind, someone knocked on the door.
"Ann, I'm coming in!"
Berno's voice sounded from outside.
"I haven't even washed up yet!" Shuta An hurriedly slipped into the bathroom. "Berno, what's the matter?"
"Aren't we going shopping today?" Berno Light said after opening the door. "I thought we could finish buying everything early, come back sooner, and then go out with Oguri to pick a gift for Suzuka."
Shuta An, brushing his teeth, simply nodded toward the girl standing at the doorway.
Soon after finishing, he changed clothes and left the house with Berno Light without even eating breakfast.
As he drove, he asked, "Is Oguri still asleep? We didn't prepare breakfast for her either."
"She seemed to go to bed very late last night," Berno Light replied. "I'll just bring back some takeout for her later."
"Alright," Shuta An muttered while driving.
"I just hope Oguri hasn't gnawed through everything in the house by the time we get back."