Chapter 50. The Yasuda Kinen Unfolds with Surprises [Part 2]
"Click!"
The sound of the starting gate opening felt somewhat unfamiliar to Mejiro Dober. The starting gates used in Japan sounded different from those in Australia.
However, that did not prevent her from bursting smoothly out of the gate. She immediately tucked in behind Meiner JooB, who was accelerating aggressively in an attempt to seize the lead, preparing to use her position to break the wind resistance while conserving ground.
Yet after charging forward for roughly fifty meters, Mejiro Dober unexpectedly discovered that the formation of the field had developed far beyond both her and Ann's expectations.
Running in seventh place, she noticed that Daitaku Helios had not chosen to fight for the lead. Instead, she decisively settled directly in front of her. Considering that Daitaku Helios had started from gate five, ending up in sixth place clearly indicated that she had no intention of contesting the front position.
"Oh no, why did Daitaku Helios suddenly decide not to accelerate and take the lead?"
Mejiro Dober frowned.
Had she not been racing at full speed, unable to speak while facing the rushing wind, she would certainly have voiced the question aloud.
Meanwhile, when Meiner JooB found herself at the very front of the field, she failed to spot the figure she had expected.
Because the opening straight stretched for 550 meters, she dared not look back while running down it and therefore had no way of confirming whether Daitaku Helios was lurking directly behind her, waiting for an opportunity.
If she looked back and discovered that Daitaku Helios was indeed there, then the lead she had worked so hard to secure would likely be stolen away in an instant.
Meiner JooB simply did not dare take that gamble.
As a result, she could only lower her body, drop her center of gravity, and continue charging forward with her head down.
"I don't care! No one is taking this lead away from me before my legs give out!"
With that resolve, Meiner JooB galloped forward with all her strength.
When Shuta An realized that Daitaku Helios had not gone for the lead as expected, he had to admit that a moment of panic flashed through his mind.
However, once Meiner JooB stepped into Daitaku Helios's role and adopted a runaway pace, the young man immediately relaxed.
"Although I didn't anticipate Daitaku Helios's move, I did account for Meiner JooB," Shuta An explained to the visibly worried Uma Musume around him. "In this situation, Dober continuing with our planned tactics isn't inappropriate."
"In my projections, Meiner JooB should cover the first six hundred meters in approximately thirty-three seconds. If she maintains that pace, Dober will have a very good chance."
"Thirty-three seconds for six hundred meters is way too fast, isn't it?" Tokai Teio blurted out. "Even my Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes wasn't run at that kind of pace."
"I originally expected Daitaku Helios to set that pace," Shuta An replied with a sigh. "I never thought that Meiner JooB, who has basically become a frightened bird, would end up serving as a substitute."
"It's a bit fortunate, honestly."
Then he added:
"I just hope a reporter interviews Daitaku Helios after the race and asks why she unexpectedly chose not to take the lead."
"Maybe she has something on her mind?" Kurofune casually guessed.
"How could that be?" Shuta An immediately shook his head. "Even if she does have something on her mind, this is still a G1 race. She should give it everything she has. Using a Senko tactic and waiting to challenge Dober in a straight sprint is not a wise tactical decision."
"Then why would she do it?" Tokai Teio asked.
Her intuition told her that such an unexpected tactical choice must have been driven by an equally unexpected reason.
"We agreed before the race that she wouldn't run like this."
Daitaku Helios's Trainer also looked bewildered.
"Why did she suddenly switch to a senko tactic? Didn't I specifically tell her before the race that taking the lead would be the best option?"
The Trainer furrowed his brows.
"Could Helios have noticed something? Did I overlook something important?"
Meanwhile, Daiichi Ruby's Trainer looked at Daiichi Ruby, who had chosen to position herself behind Mejiro Dober and Daitaku Helios, and felt even more uneasy.
"Why is the Young Lady running so far forward? Is there a problem with my tactical arrangement?"
Before the race, he and Daiichi Ruby had repeatedly confirmed that she should aim for approximately twelfth place.
Yet now it was obvious that Daiichi Ruby had not only advanced her position but had moved from the rear of the chasing pack to the very tail of the forward group, closely monitoring Mejiro Dober and Daitaku Helios.
Though based on the Trainer's understanding of Daiichi Ruby, the target was probably only the former.
"Am I going to have my Trainer contract terminated?"
Holding his head, he stood beside the track looking utterly regretful, attracting quite a few curious glances.
Shuta An naturally recognized him.
After all, there was only one colleague in the academy as humble as Daiichi Ruby's Trainer.
Shuta honestly had no idea how Daiichi Ruby managed her relationship with her Trainer to the point where it had become so strained that even other Uma Musume sympathized with him.
"It looks like Daiichi Ruby is marking Dober," Shuta judged. "This probably wasn't her intended tactic before the race. Otherwise, her Trainer wouldn't be standing there regretting everything."
"Senior Daiichi Ruby most likely intended to run a trailing strategy but changed her mind at the last moment, right?" Tokai Teio blinked.
"But changing tactics so casually—even if she once won the Yasuda Kinen—can she really perform at her best under those circumstances?"
"That would be difficult, wouldn't it?" Kurofune continued. "A strategy prepared well in advance will almost always be more complete than something decided at the last minute, unless a major accident occurs."
"Unless she somehow predicted that this race would develop into a slow pace—but that's clearly impossible."
"It's a race full of mysteries," Shuta An sighed. "After the race, I absolutely have to find out what Daitaku Helios and Daiichi Ruby were thinking."
"I hope a reporter can ask them and get some answers."
While Shuta An and the members of Team Sadalsuud continued chatting, the field gradually entered the bend.
A few seconds later, the large screen displayed the opening six-hundred-meter split of this Yasuda Kinen.
33.7 seconds.
The moment he saw the number, Shuta An's heart sank.
"I remember that in the Dream World, the corresponding race covered the first six hundred meters in 33.9 seconds. There was still some deviation after all..."
And a faster opening split meant greater stamina expenditure early in the race.
Now, the young man could only hope that Mejiro Dober—who had lost only narrowly to Grass Wonder and Special Week in the Arima Kinen—could display overwhelming determination and overcome this unforeseen problem.
On the turf of Tokyo Racecourse, Mejiro Dober was running in seventh place.
As she entered the bend, she glanced toward Daitaku Helios on her left.
"I don't know why she chose not to take the lead. It's really strange."
The undefeated Triple Tiara Uma Musume wrinkled her delicate nose and muttered to herself.
However, Mejiro Dober had no intention of dwelling on the matter. Regardless of Daitaku Helios's decision, the pace of the race remained largely consistent with what Shuta An had analyzed before the race. She only needed to make a few adjustments to certain details.
"This time, I need to accelerate earlier."
After all, although Meiner JooB could reproduce the fast pace Daitaku Helios usually established, she was not Daitaku Helios herself. It was easy to foresee that MeinerJooB would begin losing speed much earlier.
For the sake of securing a clean acceleration path, Mejiro Dober felt she absolutely had to advance her position sooner, distancing herself as much as possible from the inevitably fading Meiner JooB. If possible, she even wanted to pressure Meiner JooB so that when she dropped back, she would interfere with other opponents instead.
A Mile race was only a Mile race.
There was no room for hesitation.
Even the smallest mistake in an instant was far more difficult to recover from than in middle-distance or long-distance races.
Although Mejiro Dober had not participated in a Mile race for more than a year, she still possessed the experience of winning many races in addition to the Oka Sho's race.
"This bend is about 525 meters long, the same length as Tokyo Racecourse's final straight. I need to gradually accelerate during the latter half of the bend, overtake Bamboo Passion and Narcissus Noir, and move up into fifth place."
As she entered the bend, Mejiro Dober carefully observed the movements of the surrounding opponents while confirming her next plan.
After passing the midpoint of the bend and beginning the run toward the final straight, she could still feel that her stamina reserves remained extremely abundant.
Without hesitation, she shifted two paths outward, moving diagonally to the outside and positioning herself on the right rear of Bamboo Passion.
Although the move increased wind resistance, at least the path ahead was now completely clear.
"Very good. Now it's time to go."
Mejiro Dober was quite satisfied with the space she had created.
Meanwhile, on the grandstand, Shuta An had initially been pleased with what he saw on the giant screen.
Then his brows immediately furrowed.
"Dober needs to start moving earlier now."
His quiet remark was clearly heard by those around him.
"Did you notice something?"
Seeing that the members of Team Sadalsuud were not asking questions, the documentary director stepped in himself.
"Yamanin Zephyr."
Shuta An answered with only a single name.
At once, Tokai Teio's eyes focused. She immediately noticed Yamanin Zephyr.
Strictly speaking, during the first half of the race, Yamanin Zephyr had been approximately half a length behind Mejiro Dober, sitting around ninth place.
However, after Mejiro Dober moved outward to create space, Yamanin Zephyr made an even more aggressive move toward the outside.
And after securing that space, unlike Mejiro Dober, who was conserving strength, Yamanin Zephyr accelerated decisively.
In an instant, she overtook Daiichi Ruby, Bamboo Passion, and Narcissus Noir.
She even edged slightly ahead of Mejiro Dober.
At that moment, Mejiro Dober also noticed Yamanin Zephyr's move.
She glanced briefly at the opponent positioned even farther outside than herself before withdrawing her attention.
"I can't afford even the slightest lapse here."
After making up her mind, she completely focused herself.
Her attention converged entirely inward.
She ignored every influence around her, as if the entire world had disappeared and she alone was running on Tokyo Racecourse.
Witnessing the change in Mejiro Dober's aura, Shuta An gripped the railing tightly.
"Is it because the pace of this race is so much faster than it was in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes? Dober is taking much longer to enter the Zone this time."
However, he quickly narrowed his eyes.
"Still, the fact that she managed to enter the Zone before even reaching the final straight means she clearly noticed Yamanin Zephyr's threat."
Naturally, the young man completely ignored the fact that he himself had repeatedly warned Mejiro Dober about Yamanin Zephyr before the race.
Just as Yamanin Zephyr approached the entrance to the final straight, she suddenly sensed something and glanced backward.
The sight nearly caused her stride to falter.
"What's going on?! She caught up the instant I looked back?!"
The impact Mejiro Dober's presence had on Yamanin Zephyr was equivalent to being jumpscared while playing a horror game.
After turning her head forward again, Yamanin Zephyr no longer dared to spare even a fraction of her attention elsewhere.
She lowered her head and desperately drove her legs, hoping to shake off Mejiro Dober as early as possible.
After passing the completely fading Meiner JooB, Yamanin Zephyr felt Mejiro Dober's terrifying presence drift away from her position.
The realization immediately reassured her.
"I shook off Mejiro Dober!"
Although that was what she believed, she still did not dare look back to verify whether her assumption was correct.
Even after entering the Zone, Mejiro Dober did not immediately launch her acceleration upon entering the final straight like Yamanin Zephyr had.
Instead, she maintained the cruising speed she had established through the bend.
Bit by bit, she eroded the advantage held by the runners ahead. One position at a time, she climbed through the field until she reached second place.
At that point, Yamanin Zephyr was still three hundred meters from the finish line.
Ahead of her lay the uphill section of Tokyo Racecourse's final straight.
Meanwhile, Mejiro Dober remained two lengths behind.
Then she also passed the 300-meter marker.
Immediately afterward, the live commentator's voice rose dramatically.
"Mejiro Dober launches a second acceleration instantly! It's as though she's equipped with a catapult! The lead Yamanin Zephyr spent two hundred meters building is completely overwhelmed by Mejiro Dober!"
"ONE LENGTH!"
"HALF A LENGTH!"
"TWO HUNDRED METERS REMAINING!"
"MEJIRO DOBER IS ABOUT TO CATCH YAMANIN ZEPHYR!"
"SHE'S CAUGHT HER!"
"SHE'S CAUGHT HER!"
"MEJIRO DOBER HAS DRAWN LEVEL WITH YAMANIN ZEPHYR!"
Less than two hundred meters from the finish line, the undefeated Triple Tiara winner had already caught her rival.
As Mejiro Dober's figure filled her peripheral vision, Yamanin Zephyr's fighting spirit instantly receeded.
"I can't beat her..."
Participating in her first G1 race, Yamanin Zephyr felt an overwhelming urge to retreat.
The moment that thought emerged, Mejiro Dober's momentum completely overwhelmed her.
Their positions reversed.
"I lost."
Even with more than one hundred meters remaining before the finish line, Yamanin Zephyr reluctantly accepted that reality.
At the same time, Daitaku Helios was also attempting to break free from the pack.
However, as a Uma Musume accustomed to front-runner tactics, she found it extremely difficult to navigate through rivals who were already losing momentum in front of her.
For a front-runner, finding a route through a crowded field was simply too difficult.
Yet what troubled her most was not her inability to escape the pack.
It was something else entirely.
"Where's Ruby?! Why can't I see her ahead?"
Daitaku Helios could not help imagining the most likely possibility.
That Daiichi Ruby's situation was even worse than her own and that she was completely trapped within the pack.
"Eh?! Ruby, who once won the Yasuda Kinen, is actually in a worse position than me?!"
Daitaku Helios could hardly bear the thought. Unfortunately, she had no time to mourn Daiichi Ruby's predicament.
She had to focus entirely on finding a route to escape.
One length behind her, Daiichi Ruby was also searching for a way out.
However, she could clearly feel that her legs were no longer as powerful as they had been years ago.
She understood exactly what that meant.
"So this really will be my final year in the Twinkle Series. If I continue next year, I'll only bring disgrace upon the family."
Lowering her center of gravity slightly, she prepared to force her way through.
"At the very least, I must finish in the top five."
While Daitaku Helios and Daiichi Ruby struggled to escape the pack, Mejiro Dober had already left Yamanin Zephyr behind.
"MEJIRO DOBER TAKES THE LEAD!"
"THE WORLD-CONQUERING MEJIRO DOBER REMAINS UNSTOPPABLE EVEN AFTER HER RETURN! HAVING CONQUERED AUSTRALIA, SHE IS NOW GOING TO CONQUER JAPAN ONCE AGAIN!"
The commentator was practically shouting with excitement. With only fifty meters remaining, the outcome of the race had essentially been decided.
"SECOND PLACE, YAMANIN ZEPHYR!"
"TO ACHIEVE SUCH A RESULT IN HER VERY FIRST G1 CHALLENGE—COULD SHE BECOME THE NEW STAR OF THE MILE CHAMPIONSHIP DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR?!"
"THE BATTLE FOR THIRD IS EVEN MORE INTENSE!"
"MARUMATSU ACE AND MOVIE STAR ARE NECK AND NECK!"
"BEHIND THEM, DAITAKU HELIOS HAS FINALLY ESCAPED THE PACK—BUT IT'S CLEARLY TOO LATE!"
"DAIICHI RUBY HAS SUNK INTO THE FIELD!"
During the final fifty meters before Mejiro Dober crossed the finish line, the commentator rapidly announced the projected top finishers before pausing briefly.
Then the undefeated Triple Tiara winner crossed the line with a two-length advantage.
"MEJIRO DOBER CROSSES THE FINISH LINE! THE TRIPLE TIARA QUEEN NOW CLAIMS THE NEW CROWN OF SPRING MILE CROWN!"
The commentator unleashed the line he had carefully prepared.
"THIS IS THE UNDEFEATED TRIPLE TIARA!"
"FOLLOWING THE JAPANESE DERBY, TEAM SADALSUUD HAS ACHIEVED CONSECUTIVE G1 VICTORIES!"
"AN UNDEFEATED DOUBLE CROWN IS POWERFUL! AN UNDEFEATED TRIPLE TIARA IS EVEN STRONGER!"
Hearing the final sentence, Shuta An reached out and rubbed Tokai Teio's ear.
However, the Derby-winning Uma Musume paid no attention to the commentator's words.
She was simply clapping enthusiastically, cheering for her senior.
Seeing Tokai Teio's reaction, Shuta An withdrew his hand and turned around.The reporters had already crouched down, cameras trained entirely upon him.
Then the young man raised one arm. The smile on his face was so radiant that it seemed to outshine even the flashes of the cameras.