Anyway, it was a prize Yugi won with Oguri Cap in the dream world, so giving it to the real Oguri Cap was naturally the most fitting.
After a quick breakfast, Yugi arrived at the academy holding the shoebox and horseshoes.
Oguri Cap’s debut race was scheduled for 10:50 AM today, but since the Kasamatsu Racecourse was only about a ten-minute walk from the academy, Yugi had designated the academy gate as the team’s meeting point yesterday.
He stood at the academy gate, holding the box, oblivious to the questioning glances from people passing by.
“Only giving a gift to Oguri Cap and not Berno Light might make her feel a bit uneasy.
I’ll have to compensate her later,” Yugi muttered to himself, waiting for the two Uma Musume he was in charge of.
No sooner had he spoken—
“Trainer!” The two Uma Musume ran out of the academy, one after the other.
Yugi observed Oguri Cap and Berno Light, noticing that they clearly hadn’t done their morning run, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“If they had seriously done their morning run on the day of the race, I’d be in a lot of trouble.”
Once the two Uma Musume stood still in front of him, Yugi handed the box he was holding to Oguri Cap.
His gaze fell on the shoes Oguri Cap was currently wearing.
“I think your shoes need replacing, so I’ve prepared a pair for you.
The size should be fine.
Later, we’ll go to the racecourse early to have the horseshoes fitted, and then you can wear them to get used to them.”
“…” Oguri Cap froze for a moment after taking the shoebox from her trainer.
After a while, she bowed slightly and thanked him.
“Thank you, Trainer.”
Oguri Cap’s mind first flashed with the question “Why does Trainer know my shoe size?” then she felt grateful that Yugi had quietly bought her a pair of shoes.
“I haven’t even run a single race, and Trainer has already given me such a gift…” she said, noticing a shopping receipt taped to the side of the shoebox.
“Kayano running shoes, plus a pair of ‘Queen Plate’ horseshoes, totaling 100,000 yen,” Berno Light also saw it and read out the contents.
“The prize money for this debut race is—” Oguri Cap looked at her trainer.
“850,000 yen,” Yugi answered.
“If you come in second, it’s 320,000 yen.”
“That means I have to win so that Trainer doesn’t lose money,” this thought surfaced in Oguri Cap’s mind.
She hugged the shoebox tightly, continued to meet Yugi’s gaze, and earnestly vowed, word by word, “Trainer, I will definitely win today’s race!”
“Alright, even if I didn’t buy you these shoes,” Yugi pressed his forehead, “Oguri Cap, you still have to win the race — after all, our goal isn’t just to win at Kasamatsu.”
Then he turned to Berno Light and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t buy you shoes, mainly because your shoes still look quite new.”
“It’s okay!” Berno Light waved her hand with a smile.
“My family owns a sports goods store, so I took running shoes from home before enrolling.
Even if Trainer bought them for me, it would be a waste.”
“I’ll make it up to you with a gift later,” Yugi promised.
“No need,” Berno Light replied softly.
“I’m already very grateful that Trainer didn’t despise my lack of talent and agreed to let me join the team.”
Yugi found it hard to respond to that — in fact, he only agreed to let her join the team because it was Oguri Cap’s suggestion.
“Let’s go to Kasamatsu Racecourse now,” Yugi quickly changed the subject.
Upon arriving at the racecourse, Oguri Cap first found the racecourse staff to help fit the horseshoes onto her new shoes, then eagerly put them on.
After she changed, she bounced a few times, then tried a few high-knees in place.
Stopping, she widened her eyes and looked at Yugi.
“These shoes fit so well…”
“It’s good that they fit.
Oguri Cap, get used to them a bit more, warm up slightly, and prepare for the upcoming race,” Yugi sighed in relief.
“Today is the first step in our short-term plan going smoothly.
Show all the results of our training over the past month.
You will definitely do well!”
“I will definitely win!” Oguri Cap clenched her fists.
After putting on these pink running shoes, her confidence grew even stronger.
…After Oguri Cap left Yugi to prepare for the race, he glanced at Berno Light and spoke.
“You should also prepare for your race.
Your debut race starts at 11:25.”
“There are still more than two hours,” Berno Light pouted.
“Alright, suit yourself.” Anyway, for Berno Light, today’s debut race would likely be her last as an Uma Musume, so Yugi didn’t refuse her request.
“It’s also a good opportunity for you to observe the track conditions at Kasamatsu Racecourse today and decide how to seize the lead position.”
“At least experience the feeling of running ahead of all your opponents, right?” He raised an eyebrow, teasingly.
“Even if I come in last, it’s okay?” Berno Light continued.
“If Trainer doesn’t think I’m embarrassing the team then, I have no problem.”
“Coming in last isn’t embarrassing,” Yugi gently shook his head.
“Winning through dishonorable means is the most embarrassing.”
===
As in the dream world, Oguri Cap was assigned gate 5 in this debut race, while Fujimasa March was assigned gate 1.
When Yugi and Berno Light arrived at the spectator stands by the track, they easily recognized Kitahara-san’s figure.
But he didn’t walk over to watch today’s race with his friend as usual; he simply waved, acknowledging him.
After all, the Uma Musume they were in charge of were about to compete in this local race, and if they watched together, it would be awkward to celebrate freely no matter who won.
“Trainer seems very nervous,” Berno Light, standing to Yugi’s left, broke the silence.
Yugi stared intently at the starting gates, responding, “The outcome of this race is very important, as it will determine Oguri Cap’s future race schedule.
Only by winning this race will I arrange for her to challenge the Uma Musume in Nagoya.”
“However, more than the race result, I care about something else.”
The young man’s addition sparked Berno Light’s curiosity.
“Besides winning or losing, Trainer has something else he cares about more?”
“I devised race tactics for both of you,” Yugi glanced at Berno Light.
“I hope Oguri Cap can diligently execute the race tactics I arranged before the race.
The same goes for you later.”
“Burst out of the gate, seize the lead, and escape to the finish, right?
I won’t forget such a simple tactic,” Berno Light stuck out her tongue.
“Oguri’s tactic requires her to mark Fujimasa March after leaving the gate.
Trainer is more focused on that point, aren’t you?”
Yugi did not continue to explain, only shaking his head imperceptibly.
…On the track, Oguri Cap, as the Uma Musume in gate 5, was the third to enter the starting gate with the help of the staff.
In her daily training in April, Yugi had specifically trained Oguri Cap’s entry and exit from the gates from the beginning, and her performance had been very good, so the young trainer by the track was not worried that Oguri Cap would have problems with gate entry or exit.
Watching the Uma Musume he was responsible for obediently enter the gate, Yugi’s heart tightened.
It was completely different from when he was on the West Coast in America.
“Even though the Uma Musume I was responsible for as an intern trainer was challenging a G1 race back then, the pressure on me was far less than it is now.”
Yugi clearly knew why this abnormal behavior was occurring — after all, Oguri Cap was the first Uma Musume he had independently trained to debut as a trainer.
“I hope to start my trainer career with a victory,” he murmured.
“Ding~~~~~” The electric bell rang, and the starting gates opened.
Under Yugi’s gaze, Oguri Cap burst out of the gate like an arrow from a bow… then began to decelerate at an exaggerated rate.
“No way?!” Yugi nearly jumped over the railing to rush to Oguri Cap’s side — but just as he was about to, he was pulled back by Berno Light.
“Oguri is fine!
Fujimasa March was just late!” The chestnut-haired Uma Musume quickly reminded her trainer to avoid any chaos.
“That’s true.” Yugi collected himself, shifting some of his attention to Fujimasa March.
“To be late… how is Kitahara training her?
A late start is fatal for a lead Uma Musume.”
Kitahara, on his end, bit his lip.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have told Fujimasa March about the bet with Yugi-san?
She seems to have felt a lot of pressure after I told her.”
But at Kasamatsu Racecourse, the most agitated person right now was Fujimasa March.
After her late start, realizing the situation was bad, she immediately accelerated, wanting to use her advantage on the innermost lane to reclaim the lead position.
But just as she began to pick up speed, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the gray Uma Musume with number 5 on her back looking at her and slowing down — as if waiting for Fujimasa March to accelerate past her.
“Damn it!” Fujimasa March naturally knew who number 5 was — her trainer had mentioned it before the race: the training camp of number 5 had made a bet with him for a kaiseki meal.
“After seeing my late start, instead of trying to widen the gap, you’re slowing down to wait for me?” Fujimasa March gritted her teeth, her body tensing even more, taking step after angry step.
“Who are you looking down on?!
You’re too arrogant!”
“Trainer told me to stay behind her and maintain the gap.
I just did as I was told, so why does she look so furious?”
The gray Uma Musume couldn’t quite understand, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
Because during this time, Fujimasa March, who had regained the lead, had already entered the turn.
“Trainer’s instruction is for me to create acceleration space on the turn and then, upon entering the final straight, overtake her with a burst of speed.” Oguri Cap repeatedly went over Yugi’s plan in her mind.
Even though Oguri Cap believed she had enough stamina to overtake Fujimasa March on the turn, she still intended to faithfully follow her trainer’s instructions.
“Trust Trainer’s arrangements.
There must be a reason for them,” Oguri Cap admonished herself.
Despite having joined the team just over a month ago, she now had great faith in Yugi.
Although her training regimen was different from other Uma Musume at the academy, Oguri Cap clearly recognized that she was improving every day, and that was more important than anything else.
So, as she entered the turn in second place, she immediately veered slightly outwards, creating distance between herself and Fujimasa March.
===
Oguri Cap’s action of pulling outwards to create space was immediately noticed by Fujimasa March, who glanced back using the curve of the track.
She didn’t understand Oguri Cap’s move.
“Going to the outer lane is just a waste of effort, isn’t it?
What is she thinking?” The gray Uma Musume, leading the pack, felt puzzled.
The turn at Kasamatsu is very short, only a little over 200 meters, and the effect of centrifugal force is very noticeable when running on it.
Therefore, Fujimasa March quickly refocused her attention on herself.
“Never mind, I just need to lead all the way and maintain my advantage until the end!” she told herself.
On the sidelines, Kitahara watched as the Uma Musume he was responsible for training stopped focusing on Oguri Cap and instead galloped forward single-mindedly.
His heart, which should have felt relieved, was inexplicably clenched.
“Although Fujimasa March is in ideal condition right now, why do I keep feeling that I shouldn’t ignore Oguri Cap?” He scratched his head, unable to find an answer.
Kitahara inadvertently looked toward Yugi nearby and saw his colleague talking to the Uma Musume he was in charge of.
“Yugi-san doesn’t look anxious at all… Is he really preparing some secret weapon?” He grew more nervous.
“I wonder if Fujimasa March can hold out until the end.”
At this moment, Kitahara felt a little regretful.
“I should have prepared some trump cards for Fujimasa March.”
But even if he said that, if he really had to prepare, he wouldn’t know what to prepare.
“I still have a lot to learn… I should buy more books and read them when I go back.” Kitahara took this to heart.
…Although Oguri Cap veered outwards on the turn, giving up a large chunk of the inner lane, no opponent was able to utilize that space.
On one hand, the Uma Musume at Kasamatsu truly didn’t know how to counter centrifugal force.
On the other hand, anyone who wasn’t blind could see that the sand in the inner lane was much thicker than in the outer lane.
In dirt races, thicker sand means slower running speed.
The participating Uma Musume had a basic understanding of this common knowledge.
Of course, positioning in a race isn’t rigid.
Yugi was well aware of this, but the opponents Oguri Cap faced and the races she participated in right now didn’t require those strategies at all.
“I need to gradually put these things on the agenda,” he muttered to himself, his gaze remaining fixed on Oguri Cap for not a single second.
As she was about to exit the turn and enter the final straight to begin her sprint, Fujimasa March’s body involuntarily shifted outwards.
Not wanting to waste unnecessary energy, she simply yielded to this force and veered outwards.
“So that’s it!” Fujimasa March had only taken a few steps when she immediately understood why Oguri Cap, who was diagonally behind her on the turn, had veered outwards and created distance between them.
“She knew I would inadvertently veer outwards when exiting the turn, so she created distance to avoid being hindered by me during her sprint!”
She turned her head to the left, and Oguri Cap’s figure appeared in her line of sight.
In a flash, Fujimasa March made a judgment.
“I can’t stop her sprint!”
So the gray Uma Musume, the lead Uma Musume, simply abandoned her interception plan.
“Then let’s compete with our final burst of speed!”
Although Fujimasa March adopted a lead strategy from the start, the race was only 800 meters long, so the previous energy expenditure would not affect her explosive power.
“In such a super-short-distance race, as long as you get the lead, the Uma Musume behind you won’t be able to catch up!” This was Kitahara’s saying, and also Fujimasa March’s thought.
“I won’t lose in a burst of speed either!” With this thought, Fujimasa March lowered her center of gravity, her upper body almost parallel to the ground, and like a flying arrow, she cut through the air, sprinting towards the finish line 200 meters away.