Recaps

Kitasan Black overcame a tactical trap to win the Kikuka Sho and complete the final jewel of the Triple Crown. As she prepared for the Arima Kinen, conversations with Oguri Cap and Wanlai Zhengming led her to question what she herself ran for, and Anjing Zhen urged her to look to the past for an answer.

• Anjing Zhen trained Kitasan Black to improve her start and prepare for the Kikuka Sho, while Aoba Recall encouraged her and gave her a Kurissura plushie.
• At the Kikuka Sho, Kitasan Black was boxed in by the pack, then broke through a fleeting opening near the fourth turn and took the lead.
• Kitasan Black held off Futanari Shingang to win the Kikuka Sho, and Anjing Zhen and Saburo Kitajima celebrated her victory.
• After the race, Anjing Zhen was mistaken for a harasser when Kitasan Black found him in his underwear, but Aoba Recall clarified the misunderstanding and helped them reconcile over Kitasan Black’s cooking.
• Kitasan Black learned cooking from Oguri Cap, who asked her to consider whether she had a reason to win the Arima Kinen for herself.
• Kitasan Black met Wanlai Zhengming, who spoke of making a one-of-a-kind melody at Nakayama, and later told Anjing Zhen she was glad to have him as her Trainer.
• Anjing Zhen showed Kitasan Black records of Oguri Cap’s congenital nerve disorder and suggested that overcoming it might be Oguri Cap’s unique reason for running.

Anjing Zhen prepared Kitasan Black for the Arima Kinen by studying her rivals and helping her confront her doubts. Kitasan Black won the race after holding off a surging field, while Anjing Zhen was knocked down in the celebration and hurt his left arm.

• Anjing Zhen helped Kitasan Black study Wanlai Zhengming and the other Arima Kinen contenders while she searched for a personal reason to keep running.
• After worrying that Gold Ship had declined, Kitasan Black learned from Anjing Zhen that Gold Ship’s physical condition remained excellent but her mental abilities had weakened.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen about her doubts, then studied the contenders’ strengths and devised race simulations for Nakayama Racecourse.
• Tokai Teio calmed Anjing Zhen before the race, and the sixteen runners launched into an unusually fierce fight for position.
• Kitasan Black surged into the lead, then stayed composed as Gold Ship charged through the field and the other contenders pressed her.
• Kitasan Black recalled Gold Ship’s encouragement and resolved to win for herself, Anjing Zhen, and Gold Ship.
• Kitasan Black unleashed her final burst and won the Arima Kinen ahead of Golden Lyric, Wanlai Zhengming, Clear Sky, and Gold Ship.
• The crowd celebrated Kitasan Black’s victory as several people rushed to embrace Anjing Zhen, knocking him down and hurting his left arm.

After Kitasan Black won the Arima Kinen, Anjing Zhen injured his arm and relied on her care while they considered an overseas study trip. As Almond Eye prepared for Central Treisen Academy, the group began planning international racing while Kitasan Black weighed a possible challenge to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

• Kitasan Black celebrated her Arima Kinen victory, but the group found Anjing Zhen injured in the stands, and a doctor diagnosed him with a hairline fracture.
• Kitasan Black cared for Anjing Zhen at home, taking him to Agnes Tachyon for an examination and staying overnight in a nurse uniform.
• Kitasan Black returned from the market to find Almond Eye embracing Anjing Zhen, then learned that Almond Eye had reached Full Maturity and planned to train with him.
• Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Deep Impact, and Gold Artisan discussed an overseas study trip for Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black, and the two agreed to consider a two-week visit to observe the Dubai World Cup.
• Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black received awards at the URA Association’s New Year gala, then welcomed Anjing Zhen’s mother, Kikou Misuzu, and took her to Senso-ji Temple with Little Anzu.
• After returning from a visit to his family, Anjing Zhen prepared Almond Eye for her entrance examination by having her race Kitasan Black, who exposed Almond Eye’s weak start and pacing.
• Anjing Zhen assigned Almond Eye practice focused on her start and pacing, while Kitasan Black planned to target the Tenno Sho Spring before overseas training.
• Anjing Zhen considered a year-long campaign toward the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and Kitasan Black said she wanted to see world-class Horse Girls abroad before deciding whether to pursue it.

Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black helped Wang Ziding prepare for the academy entrance exam while Anjing Zhen shaped a racing plan around Almond Eye’s temperament. At the exam, Almond Eye won the Simulation Race and encouraged Wang Ziding before her Dirt Race.

• Kitasan Black and Anjing Zhen visited the Gold Ship Family, where Wang Ziding raced in a simulated 2,000-meter run and finished behind Nakayama Celebration, Gold Artisan, and Gold Ship.
• Anjing Zhen praised Wang Ziding’s composure and recognized that temperament could guide a Horse Girl’s Running Style, then advised Almond Eye to save her competitive drive for the final stretch.
• Wang Ziding worried about her entrance exam, and the Gold Ship Family reassured her and offered advice before Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black returned to prepare Little Anzu and the applicants.
• At the academy exam, Almond Eye and Wang Ziding met, completed the physical assessments together, and discovered Wang Ziding had been assigned a 2,000-meter Dirt Race.
• Almond Eye made a Slow Start in the 1,400-meter Simulation Race, then maintained her rhythm and advanced through the pack as Sayaka, Gaojie Baihe, and Qingrou Ruge challenged her.
• Almond Eye welcomed the pressure from the other racers, accelerated around the final turn, and won the Simulation Race.
• Almond Eye urged Wang Ziding to face the Dirt Race with confidence, while Sayaka vowed to win next time, Gaojie Baihe resolved to challenge Almond Eye again, and Qingrou Ruge offered to support Wang Ziding.