To outsiders, Sakura Baimu and Golden Crown Eagle crossed the finish line almost simultaneously.
However, because Golden Crown Eagle was in her Zone state, she clearly saw Sakura Baimu overtake her at the very last moment.
Moreover, in a fleeting glance after hearing Sakura Baimu's "Good job," she noticed that while Sakura Baimu also had a faint white aura surrounding her, her eyes remained unchanged.
In other words, Sakura Baimu overtook her without activating her Zone.
"Is it really possible for an Umamusume without a Zone to surpass an Umamusume with a Zone?!"
Furthermore, Sakura Baimu precisely overtook her just a fraction of an instant before Golden Crown Eagle could take her final step to declare victory.
By a mere fraction of a second, she crossed the finish line first.
Golden Crown Eagle clearly remembered observing Sakura Baimu while in her Zone state: her expression was completely calm, her eyes showing no sign of impending defeat, as if she were entirely unaffected by Golden Crown Eagle's aura.
It seemed so.
It wasn't Golden Crown Eagle who came to play, but Sakura Baimu.
The Zone and aura dissipated.
Golden Crown Eagle stood frozen at the finish line, panting heavily, still unable to recover from the horrifying scene she had just witnessed.
"I actually lost?! And I lost to an Umamusume without a Zone?!"
Just as Golden Crown Eagle was filled with utter shock, that light, melodious voice rang in her ears again.
"I've accepted your 20,000 yen. Thank you for your hospitality."
Then she saw Sakura Baimu walk to the grass by the starting line, take the 10,000 yen note from under Golden Crown Eagle's wallet, and put it into her own wallet.
Golden Crown Eagle watched this scene silently. Then her eyes widened in horror as she noticed something shocking.
Sakura Baimu, who had just crossed the finish line, not only remained expressionless but also showed no signs of distress.
This was a stark contrast to her current state of heavy breathing.
Instantly, a surge of rage welled up within Golden Crown Eagle.
If only Sakura Baimu had shown even a hint of joy when taking her money, she wouldn't be so furious.
The feeling Sakura Baimu gave her now was like that of an adult facing an absurd challenge from a child.
Winning was effortless.
Winning was utterly easy.
Even if she won, she felt no joy whatsoever.
"Damn it, playing dumb with me, huh?"
Golden Crown Eagle felt utterly insulted. During her match with Sakura Baimu, she had underestimated her and hadn't even shown her full strength.
Not to mention the deliberate slowing down and sudden stops.
Even the Zone she had just activated was only the lowest level.
It was worlds apart from the one she had taught Rice Shower.
Suppressing her anger, Golden Crown Eagle went directly to Sakura Baimu's side and pulled out all the remaining cash from her wallet.
"Let's race again. I wasn't taking it seriously just now."
"No, I just finished running. I'm exhausted," Sakura Baimu said.
"Then tomorrow."
"Let's talk about it tomorrow."
Sakura Baimu said, starting to stretch on the spot, as if to say, "Practice on your own. I don't want to be disturbed."
--
Nearby, Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky, who were watching the race, had long since lost their anger; it was replaced by intense shock.
These two were probably the only people among all those present who had clearly seen what happened between Ogura and Golden Crown Eagle.
"What… what was that just now? How could Ogura overtake that blonde Umamusume just before the finish line? And she seemed to have plenty of time."
Maruzensky's blue eyes were filled with shock.
What surprised her wasn't the speed Sakura Baimu displayed at the last moment.
Instead, she was shocked by Sakura Baimu's incredibly precise timing, which allowed her to surpass an Umamusume who had used a Zone.
Logically, when an Umamusume first encounters a Zone user, she is usually overwhelmed by the surge of power emanating from that opponent.
Even with a strong enough mind to withstand the power of a Zone, it shouldn't cause any mental harm.
But it shouldn't be like Ogura, completely unfazed.
Unless…
This wasn't the first time Ogura had faced a Zone user.
"What's going on lately? Why are so many Umamusume appearing who can overwhelm Zones with sheer strength?"
Symboli Rudolf's eyes also held shock. She was the creator of the term "Zone" and had even said.
"All Umamusume who forge legends will inevitably enter that—Zone."
This statement wasn't just her own; it was the unwavering belief and word of mouth among outstanding trainers throughout Tracen and even the entire Japanese racing world.
Now, one Umamusume after another was appearing, simply crushing the Zone with sheer skill. Symboli Rudolf felt a burning sensation on her face.
Even more worrying was whether that widely circulated, long-held belief was fundamentally flawed.
Wouldn't she be the one misleading the entire Japanese racing world?
Maruzensky seemed to sense Symboli Rudolf's wavering beside her and chuckled softly.
"Rudolf, even if what you said is wrong, that's alright. No one can deny that a Zone can instantly boost an Umamusume's strength."
"McQueen is strong, Teiō is strong, and this Ogura is strong. But if they mastered a Zone, they would definitely become even stronger. Making breaking through to a Zone a life goal isn't wrong, because a Zone is what helps an Umamusume break through the shackles of strength."
"Wrong is wrong, but Symboli Rudolf, you don't need to correct it. After all, a Zone can truly greatly enhance an Umamusume's strength, and when you reach a point where you can't surpass yourself, the Zone's importance becomes apparent."
Maruzensky smiled as she spoke.
"Besides, there were Teiō, McQueen, and that Umamusume from Tenno Sho a long time ago. It's not surprising that an ordinary Umamusume defeats a Zone user."
"Moreover, the Zone this blonde Umamusume used was only the lowest level. She underestimated Ogura and made many mistakes, so it's not surprising she lost."
Symboli Rudolf listened to Maruzensky's words, and her mood gradually calmed down.
She spoke softly.
"Indeed, even Teiō and McQueen who possessed strength exceeding that of a Zone user lost to Rice Shower, who had mastered a higher-level Zone at Takarazuka Kinen…"
A Zone user still possesses an overwhelming advantage when facing an ordinary Umamusume.
Maruzensky's curiosity deepened. She watched Golden Crown Eagle on the track, clutching a wad of cash and seemingly talking to Sakura Baimu. She spoke with amusement.
"Looks like this blonde Umamusume is a bit resentful. Now, I'm curious to see how Ogura fares against the unleashed, all-out blonde Umamusume."
--
It seems no one noticed that Golden Crown Eagle, also known as Golden Pheasant, was the American horse that beat McQueen in the 1991 Japan Cup