Tactical Planning

After taking off Kitasan Black's running shoes, Anjing Zhen didn't put them back on right away. Instead, he turned them over and examined the soles.

Two crescent-shaped flashes of metal gleamed at the toes: racing horseshoes.

Because of their powerful legs, Uma Musume's shoes endured tremendous stress during training and races.

Horseshoes reduced wear and tear, and helped Uma Musume make better use of their abilities.

"Hmm, the horseshoes are adjusted really well. Just remember to check them again before you race."

Nodding in satisfaction, Anjing Zhen looked up at Kitasan Black, then turned to Satono Diamond.

"Little Kita, did you adjust them yourself, or did Diamond classmate..."

He paused, then looked surprised.

"Why are you two staring at me like that?"

Both Uma Musume had flushed cheeks and looked rather embarrassed.

Satono Diamond in particular was blushing, her eyes full of something strange as her gaze kept darting between him and Kitasan Black.

"N-no, it's nothing..."

As if jolted back to her senses, Kitasan Black murmured in an oddly strained voice.

Then, sitting on the back seat of the motorcycle, she leaned forward in a very awkward pose and snatched up her running shoes.

"I-I can put them on myself..."

As Kitasan Black put on her running shoes, her cheeks still pink, Satono Diamond spoke in an equally peculiar tone.

"Little Kita adjusted them herself. She spent a long time on it last night..."

"I see. She did a great job."

After replying, Anjing Zhen turned to them with a puzzled look.

"So what exactly is going on with you two..."

"N-no, it's nothing. Oh, right, what I actually wanted to say was..."

Before Anjing Zhen could finish, Satono Diamond waved her hands in a fluster.

"Since Trainer came all the way to pick up Little Kita, she should go to the racecourse with you.

"Don't worry about me. My big sister is going to watch the races, so I'll go with her.

"Little Kita, I'm going to find my sister. I'll cheer you on when it's your turn!"

With that, she dashed off as if trying to escape.

"H-hey? Diamond-chan..."

Kitasan Black had just finished putting on her running shoes. When she turned around and saw that all she could make out of her friend was her back, she froze for a moment, bit her lip, then looked at Anjing Zhen.

"Trainer, then should we...?"

"Should we what?"

"N-nothing... Oh, right, Trainer. How should I run today?"

After asking vaguely, Kitasan Black saw Anjing Zhen look her way and hastily changed the subject.

Planning a running style and race tactics was a trainer's bread and butter. Anjing Zhen had already figured out what to do.

But there were other competitors getting ready for their races all around them, along with their trainers.

Some of them would be in the upcoming race, so now wasn't the time to discuss their strategy.

"No rush. We'll talk once we get to the racecourse."

"Oh, okay..."

Realizing that this wasn't the right place, Kitasan Black replied quietly and obediently followed Anjing Zhen toward the bus arranged by the Academy.

The atmosphere on the bus was noticeably more somber than outside. Most of the other Uma Musume and trainers were watching race footage or resting with their eyes closed. No one seemed to be talking.

Influenced by the mood, Kitasan Black sat quietly in her seat and watched the race footage too.

Anjing Zhen, meanwhile, took out his tablet and reviewed the tactical plan he'd prepared earlier.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at Tokyo Racecourse.

Competitors and trainers had their own entrance, as well as a dedicated Rest Hall and separate Preparation Rooms.

Of the twelve races scheduled for today, the first would start at eleven. Before then, the Uma Musume would get familiar with the track, warm up, and make their initial appearances.

As a result, the course was very quiet when they arrived early. There didn't seem to be many people around.

Noticing this, Kitasan Black leaned against the Preparation Room window and looked out for a while, then turned to Anjing Zhen in confusion.

"Strange... Trainer, when I watch races on TV, there are always so many people here. Why does it feel like hardly anyone's come today?"

"The races you watch are G1 or G2 events, or at least G3, right?"

Anjing Zhen scribbled on the whiteboard in the Preparation Room as he replied casually.

"Most of today's races are Pre-OP. The three big races this afternoon are Risshun Sho, Shirofuji Kinen, and Saffron Sho. Those are all OP-level.

"There really are fewer spectators on days like this. They can't compare to G1 Races.

"But it's not as if there'll be hardly anyone here.

"After all, this is Tokyo Racecourse. Even a Pre-OP race draws plenty of spectators. I'd conservatively estimate..."

"Latest novels first on Taiwan Novel Network!"

"Once the races are about to start, there'll be at least sixty or seventy thousand people. It could even get close to a hundred thousand."

"That many people..." Kitasan Black exclaimed in surprise.

"You thought there weren't enough people a moment ago, and now you're worried there'll be too many... Didn't you say it always seemed like there were lots of spectators when you watched races?"

Amused by his own Uma Musume's childlike reaction, Anjing Zhen's expression turned serious.

"All right, enough small talk. It's nice and quiet with fewer people around, so we can focus on planning your running style and tactics."

At that, Kitasan Black sprang into action and darted over from the window in two steps.

"Yes! I'm ready, Trainer!"

"Good. You've got plenty of spirit. Let's start by going over the details of this race..."

Nodding approvingly, Anjing Zhen pointed to the whiteboard covered in diagrams and notes.

He'd done a lot of preparation for Kitasan Black's Debut Race, studying the profiles of every competitor who'd signed up in advance.

Since this was a Debut Race, the other competitors, like Kitasan Black, were rookies with no racing experience. That meant only their training data was available.

That data was public on the platform, where professionals and enthusiasts alike could review it and offer their opinions and support based on their own experience.

In terms of support, Kitasan Black was fairly popular. Out of the dozen or so competitors in the race, she ranked third.

Setting aside subjective support, such as simply liking the look of someone, the few rational comments mostly seemed to suggest that Kitasan Black's top speed in training wasn't particularly impressive.

The final sprint was undoubtedly where top speed mattered most. Those comments therefore suggested that she wouldn't have much of an advantage in the stretch and would struggle to win.

Anjing Zhen didn't disagree, but he understood Kitasan Black better than those people did.

"...Your stamina, strength, and explosive power are all excellent. You won't have any trouble finishing an 1,800-meter turf race.

"You still have room to improve in how you manage your stamina, control your strength, and maintain your explosive power. But a race isn't decided by numbers alone.

"Besides looking at the numbers, I've also taken a little time to learn about your opponents.

"To put it simply, after the start, pick an opponent you like the look of and follow behind her. You can switch who you're following whenever you want.

"But once you notice this point..."

After going over the course and her opponents with Kitasan Black, Anjing Zhen pointed to one section of the track on the whiteboard.

"Start accelerating here, and keep accelerating all the way to the finish.

"Don't rush. Hear me out.

"I know that for an ordinary Uma Musume, starting to accelerate from this far out would be a little much, since the finish line is still more than 300 meters away.

"But Little Kita, do you think you're an ordinary Uma Musume?

"Or rather, could an ordinary Uma Musume achieve a miracle like Tokai Teio did?"