With a faint sense of familiarity, and hearts full of anticipation and excitement, Kitasan Black and California Spangle, along with a group of Horse Girls who had come over temporarily, stepped into the starting gates that had just been brought over.
The moment she entered the gate, she quickly recalled her past training and racing experiences, taking several deep breaths, and suppressing her excitement.
As her breathing gradually became even and deep, she slowly calmed down as well.
At the same time, she keenly sensed that this seemingly ordinary Practice Race was vastly different from every race she had run before.
The track was unfamiliar, exceptionally soft dirt. Merely stepping on it caused her horseshoe-studded running shoes to sink several centimeters into the ground.
Before the race had even begun, she already sensed that every step would require greater strength to reach her normal speed.
That feeling made her calf muscles tense involuntarily, instinctively preparing in advance for the upcoming challenge.
Looking up, the track before her was no longer a lush green sight, but an entire brown dirt track spread out like a carpet.
And the scent drifting in from ahead lacked the familiar fragrance of grass, carrying only the pure smell of earth.
The scent was not unpleasantly earthy, but its unfamiliarity still made her somewhat uncomfortable, to the point that she even imagined she had breathed in some dust, making her nasal cavity and throat begin to itch slightly.
Beside her, she could faintly hear the excited whispers of several Horse Girls.
When racing in Japan, she could hear all sorts of murmurs inside the starting gates as well—words of self-encouragement.
They had all been in Japanese. She could understand them, and draw a little strength from them, giving her more confidence for the upcoming race.
But