Wanlai Zhengming knew very well that after being absent from competition for so long, one's ability to adapt to the track would undoubtedly weaken, which would in turn affect one's performance in a race.
So rather than confusion, what worried her more was whether, if they met again on the track, Kitasan Black would be unable to display the strength she had shown at the Arima Kinen.
However, from the start of the race until now, she no longer worried about that.
Because whether it was the fierce momentum Kitasan Black had displayed coming out of the gate, or the ease with which she had handled Wanlai Zhengming's pressure from the outside lane, both proved that this opponent's strength had absolutely not diminished after four months away from racing.
Not only had it not diminished—she had even grown considerably stronger.
And that improvement, along with the strategy she was currently employing, was precisely the other thing that confused Wanlai Zhengming.
In preparation for facing Kitasan Black, she and her Trainer had studied many of her Past Races.
They had reached one conclusion: compared with taking the initiative, many of Kitasan Black's tactical choices were fairly passive.
This was also one of the disadvantages of an Escape Horse.
It was like playing cards or chess. Since an Escape Horse had to seize the Lead Position, this type of Horse Girl effectively defaulted to moving first.
The player who moved first naturally had many options, but once she made her choice, every remaining opponent could respond accordingly. That was the root of an Escape Horse's disadvantage—or rather, her passivity.
And Kitasan Black's preferred running styles, such as Slow Escape and escaping ahead, further exacerbated that disadvantage and passivity.
This kind of escape style could not open up too great a gap, which