Recaps

As Kitasan Black prepared for the Takarazuka Kinen, she wrestled with the pressure of being seen as her rivals’ strongest opponent but found renewed resolve with Anjing Zhen’s support. At the tunnel, she discovered that Tokai Teio had come to see her before the race.

• Anjing Zhen explained the Takarazuka Kinen’s final straight and advised Kitasan Black to adjust her acceleration timing for the rain.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen she feared she could not live up to her rivals’ expectations, then reaffirmed her determination to win and eventually beat him.
• Anjing Zhen encouraged Kitasan Black, told her to focus on the race, and said someone would meet her outside the tunnel.
• Kitasan Black completed her equipment checks and went to the tunnel, where she was surprised to find Tokai Teio waiting for her.

Tokai Teio visited Kitasan Black before the Takarazuka Kinen and encouraged her to race with all her strength. As Kitasan Black headed to the paddock, Teio told Mejiro McQueen that carrying others’ expectations was already Kitasan Black’s own reason to run.

• Tokai Teio told Kitasan Black she had arranged time off to cheer her on and reminded her that foreign Horse Girls planned to race in the Japan Cup.
• Kitasan Black explained that her friends expected her to win and vowed not to let them down, despite feeling nervous and afraid.
• Tokai Teio told Kitasan Black to run with everything she had, then sent her toward the paddock.
• Tokai Teio told Mejiro McQueen that Kitasan Black had already found her own reason to run by carrying others’ expectations.
• Tokai Teio called the Takarazuka Kinen the home of dreams and the best stage for Kitasan Black to make hers come true.

Kitasan Black entered the Takarazuka Kinen in strong condition after Tokai Teio encouraged her, and the race began on the rain-soaked track. She surprised the crowd by settling into an early-lead position instead of contesting the front.

• Anjing Zhen watched Kitasan Black approach the starting gate and noted her renewed determination.
• Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen joined Anjing Zhen, Almond Eye, and Wang Ziding in the stands, where Tokai Teio said she had come to cheer for Kitasan Black.
• Mejiro McQueen warned Little Anzu that the tricky track and strong field made the outcome impossible to predict.
• The Takarazuka Kinen began with Toho Lone Wolf and Tenka Yuiitsu contesting the lead, while Satomi Noble ran close behind.
• Kitasan Black followed Satomi Noble rather than challenging for the lead, surprising the commentator and crowd with her early-lead strategy.

Kitasan Black surprised the field in the Takarazuka Kinen by using a Frontrunner style instead of her usual lead-taking approach. Her flexible position unsettled her opponents and forced Satomi Noble to return to her familiar Early Lead position as the race continued.

• Kitasan Black stayed among the front runners rather than seizing the lead, alarming the spectators and Wang Ziding.
• Tokai Teio explained that Kitasan Black was using a Frontrunner style, a tactic chosen with Anjing Zhen to preserve stamina and adapt to her opponents.
• Anjing Zhen reflected that the unfamiliar style could catch rivals off guard, especially in a middle-distance race where Kitasan Black could not rely on her usual long-distance strengths.
• Toho Lone Wolf, Adroit Labyrinth, and Clear Sky all found Kitasan Black's position at the front unexpected and reconsidered their race plans.
• Satomi Noble abandoned her plan to disrupt Kitasan Black from the start and moved into the Inner Lane to reclaim her Early Lead position.

Kitasan Black surprised her rivals by choosing Early Lead instead of fighting for the front, using the slipstream and her awareness of the pack to conserve stamina. The runners entered the first turn, where the tightly packed field began to surge and shift positions.

• Kitasan Black's rivals realized their plans to stop her from taking the lead no longer applied to her new strategy.
• Kitasan Black used the slipstream behind Toho Lone Wolf and adjusted her pace to conserve stamina while monitoring the other runners.
• The commentator reported Toho Lone Wolf in first, with Kitasan Black and Tenka Yuiitsu close behind, as the other runners settled into position.
• The seventeen contestants charged into the first turn, accelerating and cutting toward the inside as the pack became turbulent.

Kitasan Black held a frontrunning position through the muddy Takarazuka Kinen as Anjing Zhen’s strategy conserved her endurance for the latter half. As the pack approached the turn’s exit, she spotted a chance to overtake.

• The commentator described Duramente surging into the middle of the pack as the runners passed the halfway point at a slow pace.
• Tokai Teio worried that Kitasan Black might lack experience outside the Lead Position, while Mejiro McQueen praised how she handled the bend.
• Anjing Zhen recognized that Kitasan Black had used their training technique to hold her position while conserving stamina.
• Anjing Zhen expected Kitasan Black to find an opportunity to return to the lead, and Kitasan Black searched the pack for one.
• Mud sprayed up around Kitasan Black as the field neared the turn’s exit, and she realized her chance to overtake had arrived.

Kitasan Black used a sudden directional change from the Inner Lane to break out and take the lead in the Takarazuka Kinen. As the field approached the final bend, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen explained that Kitasan Black needed to accelerate early and sustain it over the race’s middle stretch.

• Kitasan Black spotted a gap near the bend exit and used the directional-change technique from Chase Training to burst through the Inner Lane into first place.
• The commentator reported Satomi Noble in second, Toho Lone Wolf in third, and Tenka Yuiitsu in fourth, while Duramente remained six or seven Horse Lengths behind Kitasan Black in the pack.
• Almond Eye and Wang Ziding recognized Kitasan Black’s breakout as the technique they had practiced with her and Anjing Zhen, which they had struggled to perform themselves.
• Tokai Teio told Mejiro McQueen that Kitasan Black had to accelerate early because her Final Burst was weaker than several opponents’.
• Mejiro McQueen agreed that Kitasan Black’s technique had helped her break out and said sustaining acceleration over the middle 1,000 meters was manageable for her.

Kitasan Black’s endurance strategy carried her through the crowded third turn of the Takarazuka Kinen as her rivals closed in. As she approached the final straight, she sensed Satomi Noble tiring while she still had plenty of stamina.

• Almond Eye and Wang Ziding watched as the commentator announced that Satomi Noble and the other runners were closing on Kitasan Black, while Duramente moved to the Grand Outer Lane.
• The pack entered the third turn, where runners surged and jostled for position as the crowd erupted in cheers.
• Almond Eye, Wang Ziding, Tokai Teio, and Mejiro McQueen shouted for Kitasan Black while Anjing Zhen remained calm, knowing she and Kitasan Black had planned to conserve stamina and accelerate in the second half.
• Kitasan Black sensed her rivals’ fatigue as she neared the turn’s exit and identified Satomi Noble by her footsteps and breathing.
• Kitasan Black realized Satomi Noble was beginning to tire, while her own stamina remained plentiful.

Kitasan Black surged ahead on the rain-soaked track after conserving stamina and beginning her long-distance acceleration early, while Satomi Noble ran out of strength. As the field launched its final pursuit, Kitasan Black faced a tightening pack on the last uphill stretch.

• Kitasan Black used her saved stamina to accelerate early, while Satomi Noble realized her strategy had failed and struggled to keep pace.
• Kitasan Black widened her lead as Clear Sky, Katsuno Stone, Koushou Hayate, Satono Crown, Toho Lone Wolf, Tenka Yuiitsu, and Duramente chased from behind.
• The commentator announced that Kitasan Black led by more than two lengths with three hundred meters remaining and the field entering the final uphill stretch.
• Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Almond Eye, Wang Ziding, and Anjing Zhen watched anxiously and cheered for Kitasan Black.
• Kitasan Black ran alone in front as the pursuing racers narrowed the gap and bore down on her.

As Kitasan Black led the Takarazuka Kinen into its final stretch, Katsuno Stone realized she had underestimated her and unleashed a desperate sprint. Clear Sky, Tenka Yuiitsu, Toho Lone Wolf, Koushou Hayate, Satono Crown, and Duramente also surged after Kitasan Black, each driven by past losses, personal resolve, or a promise.

• Katsuno Stone recalled Kitasan Black's stamina-based racing strategy and accelerated, determined to catch her before the finish.
• Clear Sky stayed focused on Kitasan Black while noticing Tenka Yuiitsu and Toho Lone Wolf sprinting alongside the other challengers.
• Koushou Hayate drew on her intensive training and vowed not to let Kitasan Black escape again.
• Satono Crown remembered Koushou Hayate's reminder that the race was not just between her and Kitasan Black, then launched into a final sprint.
• Duramente charged from the Grand Outer Lane, driven by her promise to compete in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Kitasan Black, and vowed to pass, beat, and crush her.

Kitasan Black struggled to hold her lead as a pack of rivals closed in during the rain-soaked Final Straight, pushing herself past her limits. She crossed the finish line first and won the race.

• Mejiro McQueen and the other spectators urged Kitasan Black on as the commentator reported the pursuing racers closing the gap.
• Katsuno Stone, Sunday Silence, Clear Sky, Koushou Hayate, Satono Crown, and Duramente surged after Kitasan Black on the Final Straight.
• Kitasan Black ignored her pain and exhaustion, driving her legs faster as the finish approached.
• Kitasan Black saw a vision of herself running beyond her limits and chasing toward the finish.
• The commentator announced Kitasan Black as the winner.

Kitasan Black won the grueling Takarazuka Kinen after enduring a fierce late challenge, earning cheers for her Will of Steel. As the exhausted racers prepared for medical examinations, Duramente congratulated her and vowed to defeat her in the Japan Cup.

• The commentator praised Kitasan Black’s tactics and endurance as she crossed the finish line in first place.
• Almond Eye, Wang Ziding, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and Anjing Zhen reacted to the intense race, and Anjing Zhen urged the group to arrange medical examinations for all the contestants.
• Kitasan Black acknowledged her exhausted opponents, including Toho Lone Wolf and Katsuno Stone, as they recovered from the race.
• Duramente praised Kitasan Black’s Will of Steel, then vowed to beat her in the Japan Cup with her Final Burst.

After winning the Takarazuka Kinen, Kitasan Black felt a strange surge of power and promised Duramente she would meet her at the Japan Cup and never lose. Duramente’s examination showed no abnormalities, easing the worries of Symboli, Tokai Teio, and Mejiro McQueen.

• After her victory, Kitasan Black felt an unfamiliar force awaken and promised Duramente she would be ready for the Japan Cup and would never lose.
• Duramente briefly saw Kitasan Black surrounded by a powerful aura, then congratulated her on winning the race.
• Kitasan Black waited anxiously for Duramente’s examination report and relaxed when it showed normal results.
• Symboli rushed over, checked Duramente’s report, embraced her, and insisted she get follow-up examinations and plenty of rest.
• Kitasan Black left the medical center and reassured Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen that her own examination results were normal.

Kitasan Black asked Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen about the strange feelings she experienced after the Takarazuka Kinen. She concluded that she ran for the expectations and dreams she carried, including those of her loved ones, rivals, fans, and Anjing Zhen.

• Kitasan Black asked Tokai Teio why Anjing Zhen had not arrived with her and Mejiro McQueen.
• Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen briefly mistook Kitasan Black's serious manner for a possible romantic concern.
• Kitasan Black described the strange sensations she had felt after finishing the Takarazuka Kinen and said she was beginning to understand them.
• Mejiro McQueen quietly left after Tokai Teio signaled her, leaving Teio to listen to Kitasan Black.
• Kitasan Black told Tokai Teio that she ran for the expectations and dreams she carried, including those of her family, friends, rivals, fans, and Anjing Zhen.

After Kitasan Black won the Takarazuka Kinen, Anjing Zhen watched her perform and heard Tokai Teio praise her maturity. Teio then proposed that Anjing and Kitasan explore international G1 races beyond the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, especially overseas races suited to Kitasan's strength in long-distance racing.

• Anjing Zhen watched Kitasan Black perform Endless Dream at the Winner's Stage and admired how much she had grown.
• Tokai Teio told Anjing that Kitasan ran to carry the hopes and dreams of her family, friends, fans, and him.
• Anjing said Kitasan had always cared about others, both in daily life and in racing.
• Tokai Teio revealed that she, McQueen, and other Horse Girls hoped Anjing and Kitasan would bring more possibilities to the Shining Series through overseas races.
• Tokai Teio suggested that Anjing consider international G1 races other than the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, since Kitasan was better suited to long-distance racing.

Tokai Teio urged Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black to consider international long-distance G1 races as part of a broader effort to give Japanese Horse Girls more opportunities overseas. Anjing Zhen agreed to explore the possibility, while Tokai Teio and McQueen promised to help secure Association support.

• Anjing Zhen asked Tokai Teio whether other senior Horse Girls shared her long-held views on overseas racing and why she had chosen him and Kitasan Black.
• Tokai Teio explained that she, McQueen, Katsuragi Ace, and Symboli Rudolph wanted juniors to have broader opportunities, arguing that Japan's increasingly distinct tracks made domestic victories less meaningful as measures of international strength.
• Tokai Teio praised Kitasan Black's growth and Anjing Zhen's unconventional tactics, saying they had the potential and courage to succeed internationally.
• Anjing Zhen thanked Tokai Teio and promised that he and Kitasan Black would explore competing in Overseas Races.
• Tokai Teio recommended international long-distance G1 races and offered to work with McQueen to help the pair overcome Association procedures and obtain support.

Anjing Zhen met Kitasan Black and Almond Eye in Kichijoji to discuss their future plans after the exams, but found them making Tanabata wishes with Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet. Kitasan Black explained that she was praying to pass her difficult math final, and the chapter ended with her asking Anjing Zhen to believe in her.

• Anjing Zhen waited until he had arranged training and racing plans before making an appointment with Kitasan Black to discuss what came next.
• Anjing Zhen traveled to Kichijoji and bought Japanese sweets before arriving at the family restaurant where Kitasan Black and Almond Eye were waiting.
• Anjing Zhen discovered Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet were with Kitasan Black and Almond Eye, folding paper cranes for Tanabata.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen she was worried about her math final and had come to pray for success, then insisted she had studied hard and asked him to believe in her.

Anjing Zhen worried that Kitasan Black might fail her exams, but Almond Eye and Daiwa Scarlet offered to help her study. He then revealed that he wanted to discuss an overseas race with Kitasan Black, leaving her and the others focused on what it could mean for her future.

• Anjing Zhen worried that Kitasan Black's weak performance in math and other sciences could lead to a failed exam and disrupt her training plans.
• Almond Eye offered to tutor Kitasan Black, and Anjing Zhen thought Daiwa Scarlet could help as well.
• Agnes Tachyon teased Kitasan Black about needing help, then comforted Daiwa Scarlet over her stalled doctoral thesis and resumed folding paper cranes.
• Agnes Tachyon asked whether Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black wanted privacy, and Anjing Zhen explained that he had come to discuss Kitasan Black's possible overseas race.
• Kitasan Black asked why Anjing Zhen had not mentioned racing overseas before, and he described his earlier conversation with Tokai Teio and said her training camp might need to be planned around the idea.

Kitasan Black considered Anjing Zhen’s proposal that she pursue overseas races and the Hall of Fame, recognizing that the challenge would demand careful preparation and a commitment to winning. She agreed to think it over while they tested overseas training during Training Camp, and Agnes Tachyon reacted with surprise to their ambitions.

• Kitasan Black reflected on the expectations she had taken on and wondered whether she could handle the demands of racing overseas.
• Kitasan Black said she wanted to try racing outside Japan but needed time to prepare and had not decided whether to pursue the Hall of Fame.
• Anjing Zhen agreed to arrange related practice during Training Camp and planned to help Kitasan Black with her final exams first.
• Agnes Tachyon questioned Anjing Zhen about the plans and remarked that the Hall of Fame goal was especially unexpected.

Agnes Tachyon proposed joining Kitasan Black and Anjing Zhen’s seaside Training Camp to support Daiwa Scarlet’s research on overseas races and gather practical data. She also offered to help Kitasan Black with her exams and planned to invite other friends, leaving Anjing Zhen to decide whether to accept.

• Agnes Tachyon asked Anjing Zhen where he planned to hold the Training Camp, and he said they were considering the seaside to simulate overseas racecourses.
• Daiwa Scarlet explained that she wanted to research overseas races but lacked enough cases and was still struggling to settle her thesis topic.
• Agnes Tachyon revealed that she had begun an application to assist with the Training Camp so Daiwa could gather research material.
• Agnes Tachyon offered to invite friends and help Kitasan Black prepare for her final exams, while encouraging Daiwa to collect detailed data for her paper.
• Agnes Tachyon asked Anjing Zhen what he thought of her proposal.

Anjing Zhen accepted Agnes Tachyon’s offer to help with tutoring and Training Camp planning while Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond prepared for final exams. After both girls passed, Kitasan postponed their crepe celebration to answer Tokai Teio’s invitation.

• Anjing Zhen accepted Agnes Tachyon’s proposal and began revising the Training Camp and race plans while arranging tutoring for Kitasan Black and Almond Eye.
• Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond checked the posted results and discovered that they had both passed every final exam.
• Kitasan Black celebrated by hugging and spinning Satono Diamond, drawing attention from the other Horse Girls.
• Kitasan Black noticed that Satono Diamond had earned perfect scores in math and English, and Diamond began to say something before changing the subject.
• Kitasan Black received a message from Tokai Teio, postponed her crepe outing with Satono Diamond, and hurried off to meet her.

Kitasan Black met Tokai Teio at Tokyo Racecourse, where Teio invited her to run a casual 2,400-meter race. The two launched into a spirited contest, with Teio following closely behind Kitasan Black.

• Satono Diamond watched Kitasan Black sprint away and worried that she was only good at academics before Mejiro McQueen called her.
• Kitasan Black hurried to Tokyo Racecourse and found families enjoying the grounds on a non-race day.
• Tokai Teio gave Kitasan Black strawberry daifuku as a reward for passing her final exams, then invited her to run.
• Kitasan Black accepted, set the daifuku aside, and prepared to race Tokai Teio over 2,400 meters.
• Tokai Teio flicked a coin to start the race, and Kitasan Black surged forward with Teio close behind.

Tokai Teio and Kitasan Black raced together at Tokyo Racecourse as spectators watched and cheered. Kitasan Black treated the run as practice for the Japan Cup and prepared to use her acceleration as her best chance to beat Teio.

• Tokai Teio tested Kitasan Black on the track, admired her growth, and tried to close the gap through a turn.
• Spectators recognized Tokai Teio and Kitasan Black and began cheering while debating their pace and chances.
• Kitasan Black felt a new desire to defeat her admired senior and assessed the 2,400-meter course as a model for the Japan Cup.
• Kitasan Black reached the cruising phase and prepared to accelerate, feeling power surge through her legs.

Kitasan Black and Tokai Teio raced fiercely, with Kitasan Black pushing herself to the limit as Teio caught up near the finish. After the race, Teio gave Kitasan a coin and told her she would definitely surpass her.

• Kitasan Black pulled ahead of Tokai Teio and wondered why Teio had not made her move.
• Tokai Teio launched her final sprint on the downhill stretch, and Kitasan Black fought to hold her lead.
• Kitasan Black kept running past the finish line until Teio called out to her, and the two stopped to catch their breath.
• Tokai Teio found a coin she had dropped and gave it to Kitasan Black.
• Tokai Teio praised Kitasan Black's run and told her she would definitely surpass her.

Kitasan Black excitedly recounted her close race with Tokai Teio as Anjing Zhen considered arranging another race to help her vent and improve. The group arrived at the seaside training camp, where they met Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet, and Anjing explained that formal training would begin the next day.

• Kitasan Black enthusiastically retold how she nearly tied with Tokai Teio, who had said she might someday surpass her.
• Anjing Zhen considered having Kitasan Black race someone to channel her excitement and recalled Tokai Teio’s assessment of her progress and potential.
• Anjing Zhen, Kitasan Black, and Little Anzu arrived at their seaside inn for the training camp.
• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet greeted the group, and Daiwa Scarlet gave Kitasan Black and Little Anzu shell bracelets.
• Agnes Tachyon asked about the day’s training assignments, and Anjing Zhen said the group would get accustomed to the surroundings before training began tomorrow.