"Ladies and gentlemen, when you think of Baltimore, what is the first image that comes to mind? The Stars and Stripes flying forever? The busy container cranes? Or perhaps the bustling aquarium? I daresay it would be hard to find another aquarium—or even zoo—as comprehensive as our National Aquarium."
The host rambled on and on about Baltimore's virtues, sounding almost ready to begin with the city's founding and work his way forward from there. Thankfully, he still remembered what today was really about. After speaking at breakneck speed for a full minute, he finally raised his voice with dramatic emphasis:
"But the true focus today—no, the true focus of this entire month—is this pulse-pounding race before our eyes: the second leg of the American Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes!"
"Without further ado, let us turn our eyes to our beloved and admirable horse girls. First, of course, is the overwhelming favorite. She comes from the Far East, crossed the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic, stormed her way to victory in the Two Thousand Guineas, then continued displaying her crushing superiority on American soil by taking the Kentucky Derby with ease… Good heavens, how can she possibly be this strong? How can she keep defeating one formidable horse girl after another despite such punishing schedules and brutal conditions?"
"I'm sure everyone here wants the answer to that question. But before that—let us all raise our voices for her name: Xingyun Liuge!"
He dragged out each syllable until veins nearly bulged on his forehead.
Driven by his call, the grandstands erupted into a roar so fierce it seemed capable of splitting the clouds themselves. Countless voices were shouting Xingyun Liuge's name. Even the people shouting probably no longer knew how many times they had cried it out.
Feeling the heat of the American crowd's passion, Oguri Cap trembled all over. She had received thunderous cheers in Central too, cheers fit to welcome a hero—but compared to what she was witnessing now, even those past ovations suddenly felt subdued.
A boundless ambition welled up inside her. Someday, she wanted to be welcomed like this too.
Xingyun Liuge, on the other hand, treated the whole spectacle as only natural.
Come on—setting all her other races aside, she had already won both the Two Thousand Guineas and the Kentucky Derby, and by huge margins under adverse conditions no less. Wasn't it only obvious that she'd be greeted like a conquering hero?
As for the fact that the other horse girls' cheers were nowhere near as intense as hers—that was even more natural. If they won, they would receive even louder cheers than this.
Xingyun Liuge walked calmly into her gate. After a moment, she turned to the horse girl beside her and said, "I saw you skipped the Kentucky Derby, so I thought you were just here sightseeing, Miss Latifa. But thanks to you, I ended up with more time to train, so I really ought to thank you."
"…"
Latifa had originally intended to snap back at her teasing, but after hearing the latter half of that sentence, she found herself speechless.
Xingyun Liuge had thanked her.
What was she supposed to say to that?
A faint flush spread over Latifa's delicate face as she replied, "It was only a small favor. If you really want to thank me, then win this race cleanly and decisively. I—"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
Because at that instant, she realized she had made a terrible mistake.
As a horse girl, once she stepped onto the track, she was supposed to pursue victory and glory with all her might. How could she encourage an opponent right before the race began? Wasn't that basically surrendering before the start?
The thought made her blush deepen further.
Xingyun Liuge instantly seized the chance to tease her. "How cute."
"…"
Latifa could only stare straight ahead and pretend she hadn't heard anything. Of course, that self-deception accomplished nothing. She could feel her heart pounding so violently it seemed on the verge of rivaling the thunderstorm Xingyun had called down in Dubai.
As they spoke, the pre-race presentation quietly came to an end, and the event moved into its most thrilling phase.
About 1900 meters — Preakness Stakes, dirt, sunny, good track
The gates flew open.
While keeping a wary eye on Xingyun Liuge, the horse girls launched themselves forward with the power and technique they had carefully honed.
Risen Star shot straight to the front. Winning Colors tried to contest her for the lead, but failed and was forced to settle for second. Goodbye Halo fell half a length behind Winning Colors, taking the outside lane.
Then came Forty Niner and Brian's Time. Latifa temporarily sat in sixth, the last horse girl in the stalking group. Her ears twitched as she cautiously gauged the situation behind her.
Xingyun Liuge was the favorite. Naturally, the others were guarding against her with everything they had. It was perfectly normal for her to be bombarded with gate skills right from the break.
Latifa only wanted to know when Xingyun Liuge would make her move. She didn't want to miss the sight of Xingyun blazing across the track.
The host rattled through the front-runners' rankings at high speed before exclaiming in his most focused tone, "Has the crowd's boundless enthusiasm distracted our top favorite? Or does this mysterious horse girl from the Far East perhaps have a little habit of sleeping in? Xingyun Liuge has broken poorly and is now at the very back, with fifteen horse girls in front of her!"
But because Xingyun Liuge had once turned the entire race upside down with a deep-closing strategy in the Two Thousand Guineas—and because she had already stumbled out of the gates more than once before—the audience did not care in the slightest about this little "mistake." If anything, they only grew more excited, eager to witness her overturn the race once again and seize victory from the rear.
Of course, the crowd's support was not limited to Xingyun Liuge alone. If given the chance, they would have loved to see Secretary's masterpiece win as well—or Winning Colors, or Goodbye Halo.
Goodbye Halo had unleashed a terrifying closing burst in the Kentucky Oaks, one as relentless as a rainstorm, and the Preakness was a full hundred meters shorter than that race. Naturally, the crowd was placing enormous expectations on her.
Having tasted defeat in the Kentucky Derby, Risen Star had reflected deeply and set herself an almost punishing new routine, hoping to sharpen her strength as much as possible and wash away that humiliation in the Preakness.
So after taking the lead, Risen Star kept raising the pace, trying to shatter the horse girls behind her.
The first quarter mile took her 23.00 seconds—already a brisk clip.
The first half mile took 46.01 seconds—she maintained that quick tempo throughout.
If her rivals had been ordinary horse girls, such a demanding rhythm from start to finish would have been enough to break their stamina and endurance and hand her an easy win.
But she was racing in the golden age of American horse girls.
And she was facing Xingyun Liuge, an invader from overseas.
To win with ease?
One could only say: dreams were free.
Still, the first to make a move was not Xingyun Liuge.
It was Brian's Time and Forty Niner, both smarting from defeat in the Kentucky Derby. Seeing the race nearing its midpoint, the two horse girls accelerated at the same moment, aiming to disrupt Risen Star's rhythm.
And when they burst from the pack side by side, not only the spectators and announcers but even they themselves were startled.
Trying to upset the leader's rhythm with a mid-race move was nothing strange.
But for two horse girls to independently think of the same tactic and launch it at exactly the same instant—that was rare enough to be called remarkable.
Gasps of surprise rippled one after another through the stands.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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