In a corner at the front of the cheering stands, Duramente waved from afar at Kitasan Black, who was directly across from her. Gold Ship wore a broad smile, the corners of her mouth pulled toward the others beside her.
"Come on, say something..."
Vodka waved with the same smile on her face, but said gloomily through clenched teeth, "At a time like this... what are we supposed to say? Besides, with a finish like that... who could have imagined Little Kita would lose...?"
As if she had been choked by those words, Gold Ship grew gloomy too.
"That's exactly what I thought, which is why I'm asking how we're supposed to comfort Little Kita later..."
"Uh..."
Vodka hesitated, glancing at Daiwa Scarlet from the corner of her eye. "Daiwa, what do you think...?"
"I mean, if you were caught by that kind of speed... what would you think...?"
Daiwa Scarlet was also waving at Kitasan Black. Hearing that, she pretended to straighten her clothes, lowered her head, and fell silent for a moment.
"There's nothing you can do..."
"Huh...?"
Vodka was dumbfounded. "Then what are we supposed to say when we see Little Kita later...?"
"Hey, Little Kita isn't as fragile as you think, okay?"
Daiwa Scarlet suddenly sounded a little irritated. "If I really had to say something, I could only tell her... next time, run away even faster."
"Faster... but Little Kita already ran fast enough, didn't she?" Vodka's gaze unconsciously drifted between Daiwa Scarlet and Silent Suzuka.
Noticing Vodka's look, Silent Suzuka exchanged a glance with Daiwa Scarlet. After a brief silence, she shook her head.
"Little Kita... isn't a speed-type escape horse.
"If it were me, I'd have to open up a ten-horse-length lead before the Final Straight. Only that kind of gap would give