Tactical Planning

After taking off Kitasan Black's running shoes, Anjing Zhen did not rush to put them back on, but instead turned them over to examine the soles for a moment.

Two crescent-shaped metallic glints shimmered at the front of the soles; those were the specialized horseshoes used for racing.

Due to their immense leg strength, a Horse Girl's shoes endure tremendous pressure during training and competition.

Horseshoes not only reduce wear and tear but also allow Horse Girls to better unleash their full potential.

"Hmm, the horseshoes are adjusted quite well, but remember to double-check them again before heading onto the track."

Nodding in satisfaction, Anjing Zhen looked up to scan Kitasan Black, then shifted his gaze to Satono Diamond.

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

He paused, suddenly surprised.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?"

In his eyes, both Horse Girls had flushed faces, looking incredibly shy and embarrassed.

Satono Diamond, in particular, was blushing while her eyes held a strange expression, her gaze darting back and forth between him and Kitasan Black.

"N-nothing..."

As if startled awake, Kitasan Black muttered in a strange, low voice.

Then, sitting on the back of the motorcycle, she leaned over in an awkward posture and snatched her running shoes away.

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

While Kitasan Black was putting on her running shoes with a reddened face, Satono Diamond spoke up with a peculiar tone.

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

"I see, that's very good."

After responding, Anjing Zhen turned puzzled.

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

"N-nothing at all, oh right, what I actually wanted to say was..."

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

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

"Don't worry about me; my elder sister is also going to the track to watch the race, so I'll just go with her.

"Little Kita, I'm going to find my sister now. I'll be cheering for you during your race!"

Having said that, as if trying to escape, the Horse Girl ran off at full speed.

"Hey, hey? Diamond-chan..."

Having just finished putting on her running shoes, Kitasan Black turned around to find that her friend was already nothing more than a retreating figure. She stood dazed for a moment, bit her lower lip, and turned to look at Anjing Zhen.

"Trainer, then... what about us?"

"What about us?"

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

She asked vaguely, and seeing Anjing Zhen look over, Kitasan Black hurriedly changed the subject.

Running tactics were certainly an essential part of a Trainer's homework, and Anjing Zhen already had a plan in mind.

However, the area was currently filled with other participating athletes and their Trainers.

Among them were her upcoming opponents, so he certainly couldn't discuss any arrangements right now.

"No rush, we'll talk about it once we reach the racecourse."

"Oh, oh, okay..."

Realizing the setting wasn't appropriate, Kitasan Black whispered her response and obediently followed Anjing Zhen toward the bus arranged by the academy.

The atmosphere on the bus was significantly heavier than outside; most of the other Horse Girls and Trainers were either watching Race Footage or closing their eyes to rest, showing no signs of interaction.

Influenced by this atmosphere, Kitasan Black also sat quietly in her seat, watching Race Footage.

Anjing Zhen took out his tablet to review the tactical plan he had prepared earlier.

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

There were dedicated entrances for athletes and Trainers, as well as private lounge areas and independent Preparation Rooms.

Of today's 12 races, the first one was scheduled to start at 11:00 AM. Before that, the Horse Girls would undergo track familiarization, warm-ups, and their initial appearances.

Because they had arrived at the track so early, the venue was very quiet and didn't seem to have many people around.

Noticing this, Kitasan Black leaned against the window of the Preparation Room to look out for a while, then turned to Anjing Zhen with a puzzled expression.

"That's strange... Trainer, whenever I watch races on TV, there are always so many people here. How come it feels like there's hardly anyone today?"

"The races you watch are either G1 or G2, or at the very least G3, right?"

Writing and drawing on the whiteboard in the Preparation Room, Anjing Zhen replied casually:

"Most of today's races are Pre-OP grade, with the three main events in the afternoon being the Risshun Sho, the Shirofuji Kinen, and the Saffron Sho; these three are OP grade."

"The crowd for a race day like this is indeed smaller, incomparable to a G1 Race."

"But it won't be too sparse, either."

"After all, this is Tokyo Racecourse. Even for a Pre-OP, there are quite a few spectators. Conservatively speaking..."

"By the time the races are about to start, there should be at least sixty or seventy thousand people, and reaching nearly a hundred thousand isn't impossible."

"That many people..." Little Kita exclaimed in surprise.

"A moment ago you thought there were too few, and now you're complaining there are too many... Didn't you say it always feels like there's a huge crowd when you watch races?"

Amused by his Horse Girl's childish behavior, Anjing Zhen turned serious.

"Alright, enough idle chatter. The smaller crowd is actually perfect; it's quiet, so we can focus on preparing our Running Style tactics."

Hearing this, Little Kita jolted and bounded over from the window in two steps.

"Yes! I'm ready, Trainer!"

"Mm, that's the spirit. Now, let's look at the details for this race..."

Nodding with satisfaction, Anjing Zhen pointed to the Whiteboard covered in diagrams and text.

He had done a lot of homework for Little Kita's Debut Race, scouring the data of every opponent who had pre-registered.

As a Debut Race, the other participants were, like Little Kita, novices with no racing experience, so only training data was available.

This data was public on the platform, accessible to both professionals and enthusiasts, who would provide evaluations and support based on these figures and experience.

In terms of support, Little Kita's popularity was decent, ranking third among the dozen or so competitors.

Setting aside emotional support like "first impressions," the few rational evaluations suggested that many people likely didn't consider Little Kita's top speed in training to be ideal.

The final stretch is undoubtedly where top speed is needed most, and those comments therefore argued that she wouldn't have much of an advantage in the final sprint, making it difficult for her to win.

Anjing Zhen didn't deny this, but he understood Little Kita better than those people did.

"...Your stamina, strength, and explosive power are quite outstanding. For you, an 1800-meter turf race is no problem at all to finish."

"You certainly have room for improvement in terms of stamina management, strength control, and maintaining your explosive power, but a race isn't just about data."

"As it happens, besides the data, I've also learned a little about your opponents."

"Simply put, after the start, find an opponent you find agreeable and follow behind them; you can also switch who you're following at any time."

"However, once you sense this range..."

Having analyzed the race course and opponents with Little Kita, Anjing Zhen pointed to a corner of the track on the Whiteboard.

"Start accelerating from here, and keep accelerating until the very end."

"Don't be impatient, listen to me."

"I understand that for an average Horse Girl, starting to accelerate at this distance is a bit of a stretch, as there are still over 300 meters left to the finish line."

"But, Little Kita, do you think you are an average Horse Girl?"

"Or rather, could an average Horse Girl achieve the kind of miraculous success that Tokai Teio did?"