Chapter Summaries

After celebrating Kitasan Black’s win at an onsen villa, Anjing Zhen learned that Vodka would become a dormitory manager and agreed to help train Kitasan Black. The chapter ended with Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet vowing to train alongside Kitasan Black and Anjing-kun.

• Anjing Zhen took Kitasan Black, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka to an onsen inn to celebrate Kitasan Black’s victory.
• Vodka told the group she had studied mechanical manufacturing engineering in Europe and researched ways to reduce wind resistance for Horse Girls.
• Kitasan Black asked whether Vodka could help train her, and Anjing Zhen welcomed the idea because Vodka had won the Japanese Derby as a Female Horse Girl.
• Vodka agreed to train Kitasan Black, and she and Daiwa Scarlet challenged each other to do their best alongside Kitasan Black and Anjing-kun.

Anjing Zhen adjusted his training plan to include Vodka and arranged an Imaginary Training session with her, Daiwa Scarlet, and Kitasan Black. After the seniors reassured Kitasan Black that they were glad to help her in return for her kindness, Anjing Zhen started the group run.

• Anjing Zhen revised his training plan for Vodka and scheduled an early session with the three girls.
• Anjing Zhen assigned Daiwa Scarlet to use her usual front-running style, Kitasan Black to follow her, and Vodka to practice Simulated Lag.
• Kitasan Black realized the exercise was Imaginary Training, in which runners imagined opponents alongside them.
• Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka reminded Kitasan Black how she had helped them and other seniors, including Teio-senpai, and said they wanted to support her now.
• Anjing Zhen signaled the start of the 1,800-meter side-by-side practice.

Anjing Zhen reviewed Kitasan Black’s first two races and explained how he had used her opponents’ rhythms and adaptability to guide her tactics. He warned her that the strategy would not keep working against stronger rivals and set her next goal: develop her own running style and control the race.

• Anjing Zhen asked Kitasan Black to compare the opponents and racing conditions in her Debut Race and Condition Race.
• Kitasan Black described how she changed whom she followed when the runners’ rhythms felt wrong, then accelerated to win her debut.
• Vodka marveled at Anjing Zhen’s ability to read the runners and plan for the race before it began.
• Anjing Zhen explained how Sato no Takarazuka’s adaptability made her a useful horse girl for Kitasan Black to follow during the Condition Race.
• Anjing Zhen told Kitasan Black not to rely on letting opponents dictate the pace and assigned her to develop a running style that could take control of the race.

Anjing Zhen received a drone and explained his plan to use it for filming Kitasan Black’s training. Vodka and Kitasan Black recognized the idea’s potential as Einis Fushin realized Anjing Zhen was Kitasan Black’s trainer.

• Einis Fushin delivered a package to Anjing Zhen and explained that she continued working to help support her two younger sisters.
• Anjing Zhen signed for the package and said he would skip dinner to test the equipment before training the next day.
• Kitasan Black and Vodka asked about the package, and Anjing Zhen explained that it contained a drone he hoped to use to film training from multiple angles.
• Vodka said the drone could reveal new details and might make Anjing Zhen the first trainer in Japan to use the method.
• Einis Fushin asked whether Anjing Zhen was Kitasan Black’s trainer.

At Central Treisen Academy, Kitasan Black and her friends discussed how her kindness and good fortune had brought her together with Trainer Anjing-kun, then turned to the Japanese Derby. Vodka's reaction to Daiwa Scarlet calling Kitasan Black and Anjing-kun a perfect match sparked an unexpected romantic thought in Kitasan Black.

• Einis Fushin praised Trainer Yasui, and Kitasan Black gratefully described how patiently he trained her.
• Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka said Kitasan Black's kindness had helped bring her and Anjing-kun together.
• Vodka suggested that Kitasan Black's luck might help her in the Japanese Derby, while Kitasan Black said her trainer preferred practical preparation.
• Daiwa Scarlet called Kitasan Black and Anjing-kun a perfect match, and Vodka blushed and got a nosebleed at the romantic implication.
• Kitasan Black privately wondered whether Anjing-kun might think about romance after recalling how he changed her shoes before her debut race.

After Vodka recovered from her nosebleed, Kitasan Black and her seniors saw Sato no Takarazuka looking distraught with T.M. Opera O. Vodka explained that Takarazuka’s Trainer had likely been fired by the Satomi family, leaving Kitasan Black shocked and uncertain what would happen next.

• The doctor confirmed Vodka was fine and advised her to avoid getting too excited.
• Einis Fushin agreed to help Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka deliver research materials and then prepared to leave the Academy.
• Kitasan Black spotted T.M. Opera O walking with Sato no Takarazuka, who looked as if she had been crying, but Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka stopped her from approaching.
• At a milk tea shop, Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet explained that Takarazuka was unlikely to be upset simply because she had lost a race.
• Vodka told Kitasan Black that Takarazuka’s Trainer had probably been fired by the Satomi family.

Kitasan Black learned that Satono Takarazuka’s trainer had been dismissed despite her past results, and that the trainer had never coached a racing girl to a G1 victory. She realized Takarazuka was likely grieving the loss of someone who had supported her, and suspected Anjing Zhen understood the situation but had kept it from her to spare her worry.

• Vodka explained that T.M. Opera O had once struggled to find a trainer, while Daiwa Scarlet described how even Oguri Cap’s talent had initially gone unrecognized.
• Vodka said T.M. Opera O had been supported by a trainer who was then a Trainer Academy student and later became a licensed trainer.
• Vodka revealed that none of the racing girls coached by that trainer had won a G1, helping Kitasan Black understand why the Satomi family dismissed her.
• Kitasan Black reasoned that Satono Takarazuka had been crying because her trainer had been dismissed after one failure, despite all the support she had given her.
• Kitasan Black looked toward Anjing Zhen’s apartment and concluded that he knew about the trainer’s situation but had kept quiet to avoid worrying or pressuring her.

Kitasan Black decided to help Anjing Zhen by investigating the students she would race against. Meanwhile, Anjing Zhen brought his drone to the Student Council Office to demonstrate how it could record training, and Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen watched it take flight.

• Vodka agreed that Anjing Zhen had anticipated Kitasan Black's worries and encouraged her to trust her Trainer.
• Kitasan Black resolved to help Anjing Zhen and decided to investigate her upcoming competitors without anyone noticing.
• Anjing Zhen brought his drone to the Student Council Office and explained its features to Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
• Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen approved a demonstration, and Anjing Zhen launched the drone through the office window.

Anjing Zhen showed Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen how a drone could film training, and they discussed its potential and problems. As McQueen brought the drone back, they spotted Kitasan Black crouching suspiciously in the bushes beside the field.

• Tokai Teio flew the drone over Central Treisen Academy while Mejiro McQueen watched its footage and learned it could reach 60 kilometers per hour.
• Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio recognized the drone's potential for filming training and asked Anjing Zhen whether he had recorded Kitasan Black.
• Anjing Zhen explained that he had not filmed yet because the prototype was noisy, had software problems, and raised privacy concerns.
• Tokai Teio considered how the Academy could address privacy concerns as Mejiro McQueen took the controller to bring the drone back.
• Mejiro McQueen spotted Kitasan Black crouching in bushes beside the field, holding a leafy branch in each hand.

Anjing Zhen watched Kitasan Black secretly study the field and discussed her upcoming opponents and weaknesses with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. He focused on Duramente’s powerful Final Burst and explained how he was preparing Kitasan Black to face similar runners.

• Anjing Zhen raised the drone and realized Kitasan Black was watching horse girls train, including a potential Spring Stakes opponent.
• Anjing Zhen noticed Duramente on the field and discussed her consistent Final Burst times with Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
• Anjing Zhen explained that Duramente would be one of Kitasan Black’s Satsuki Sho opponents and that strong Final Burst runners challenged Kitasan Black.
• Tokai Teio described Kitasan Black as a late bloomer and said she had considered Slope Triple training but feared it would be too harsh.
• Anjing Zhen said he had been building Kitasan Black’s strength and was using her front-running practice with Daiwa Scarlet and Final Burst training with Vodka to prepare her.

Tokai Teio arranged university department support and paperwork to help Anjing Zhen resolve the drone’s technical and approval issues. That evening, Kitasan Black presented him with a little notebook she had secretly prepared.

• Tokai Teio proposed consulting Berno Light, Vodka, and Air Shakur about the drone’s hardware and software.
• Tokai Teio completed the applications for drone use, and Mejiro McQueen prepared to provide Anjing Zhen with the department heads’ contact information.
• Anjing Zhen considered how his prior contacts and the drone’s creator, Weijie Kuma, could help attract the university researchers’ interest.
• Anjing Zhen returned to the Trainer office, finished his tasks, and continued Kitasan Black’s training that evening.
• Kitasan Black handed Anjing Zhen a little notebook she had secretly gathered, and he accepted it while pretending to be curious.

Kitasan Black gave Anjing Zhen a notebook of research on his upcoming opponents, hoping to help ease the pressure he faced over her results and their contract. Touched by her concern, Anjing Zhen told her that her investigation had given him a new way to assess racehorses’ temperaments.

• Kitasan Black showed Anjing Zhen a notebook of research she had gathered on his next-race opponents, and Vodka asked to look too.
• Kitasan Black explained that she wanted to help Anjing Zhen because she knew his upcoming G2 and her contract’s performance expectations put him under pressure.
• Anjing Zhen considered the commercial forces behind racing and worried that Kitasan Black’s family or Ono Trading Company could end their arrangement if she failed to achieve ideal results.
• Anjing Zhen felt moved by Kitasan Black’s sincere concern and said her investigation had given him a useful new approach to studying temperament and psychology.
• Kitasan Black blushed when Anjing Zhen revealed he had spotted her hiding in the grass with her backside sticking up while he tested the drone, and Vodka objected to his teasing description.

Anjing Zhen explained the purpose of Kitasan Black’s investigation and led her and Vodka through positioning training. Afterward, Vodka praised Kitasan Black’s progress and described Yamato’s instinctive, unconventional front-running, then asked Anjing Zhen to confirm that Kitasan Black should focus on her solid fundamentals.

• Anjing Zhen decided to speak candidly with Kitasan Black after seeing the care she put into her investigation and training.
• Anjing Zhen instructed Kitasan Black and Vodka to complete six sets of Early Position Gain training.
• Kitasan Black and Vodka finished the drills, and Anjing Zhen praised Kitasan Black’s performance.
• Vodka told Kitasan Black that her training-based front-running differed from Yamato’s instinctive and unconventional racing style.
• Vodka reassured Kitasan Black that her solid foundation was enough for now and asked Anjing Zhen to agree.

After Satono Crown shared imported milk with Kitasan Black, she noticed Kitasan was worried about qualifying for the Spring Stakes and asked about her absent Trainer. Kitasan explained that he had gone to the University Department, while Crown left her own gloomy feelings unspoken.

• After class, Satono Crown gave Kitasan Black imported milk, and Kitasan traded her bottle for a banana-flavored one.
• Kitasan asked whether the foreigners at Crown's Yayoi Sho celebration had all been Trainers, then worried about the Spring Stakes and her chances of entering the Satsuki Sho.
• Crown noticed Kitasan had kept looking toward the stands for her Trainer and teased her about missing his usual presence.
• Kitasan considered asking Crown about her gloomy expression but held back, then told her that her Trainer had gone to the University Department.
• Crown guessed that Kitasan's Trainer was there to learn about training research and did not ask further questions.

Satono Crown reflected on Anjing Zhen’s racing instincts while Kitasan Black described her plans to train at home before the Spring Stakes. Two days later, Anjing Zhen ran into Kitasan Black speaking broken English with the foreign Trainer Chris and introduced himself.

• Satono Crown recalled that Anjing Zhen’s race strategies seemed either exceptionally perceptive or lucky, though she privately favored the former explanation.
• Kitasan Black told Satono Crown she planned to do light running at home instead of joining her friends, determined to prepare for the Spring Stakes and meet Crown at the Satsuki Sho.
• Two days later, Anjing Zhen spotted Kitasan Black trying to explain racing to a foreign woman near Treisen Academy.
• Kitasan Black introduced Anjing Zhen to Trainer Chris, and he greeted Chris while identifying himself and Kitasan Black.

Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black learned that Chris was a French trainer who had won a European G1 at age twenty, inspiring Kitasan Black to aim for a G1 victory that would make Anjing Zhen the youngest G1 trainer. As they prepared for the Spring Stakes, Anjing Zhen assessed Kitasan Black’s strengths and her difficulty controlling her bursts of speed.

• Chris revealed that she spoke fluent Japanese, said her native language was French, and left after greeting Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black.
• Kitasan Black explained that Chris had been heading to the URA Association, and Anjing Zhen said Chris had won a European G1 at twenty and was likely collecting a long-term trainer’s license.
• After learning Anjing Zhen was eighteen, Kitasan Black vowed to win the Spring Stakes and Satsuki Sho and make him the youngest G1 trainer.
• Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black went to the academy for training less than a week before the Spring Stakes.
• Anjing Zhen reviewed Kitasan Black’s strong fundamentals, rhythm, endurance, strength, and short-distance explosiveness, while noting that she struggled to control her burst speed and conserve stamina.

Kitasan Black wondered why she still could not beat Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka in their practice races, despite her hard work. Daiwa Scarlet praised Kitasan Black’s drive to surpass stronger rivals and told her to finish training with them before asking Anjing Zhen how to win.

• Anjing Zhen ended a practice set and told Kitasan Black, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka to take a short break.
• Kitasan Black thanked her seniors and asked what she was still lacking because she had not beaten either of them in their recent practice races.
• Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka recognized that Kitasan Black wanted to outrun them and teased her about challenging two experienced G1 winners.
• Daiwa Scarlet reassured Kitasan Black that she was not mocking her and praised her for focusing on how to beat strong opponents rather than avoiding the challenge.
• Daiwa Scarlet said that learning how to surpass her and Vodka was Anjing Zhen’s responsibility, but Kitasan Black should finish her training with them first.

After Kitasan Black lost another training race to Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, she reflected on what she could learn from their tactics. At dinner, she discovered that the seniors planned to cheer for Gold Ship in Osaka, and Anjing Zhen worried about what her connection to Kitasan Black might mean.

• Kitasan Black lost another 1,800-meter training race to Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, then considered how they had disrupted her rhythm and timed their moves.
• Kitasan Black decided to focus on mastering what she had already learned instead of asking Anjing Zhen about their finishes.
• Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka told Kitasan Black they would miss her race to cheer for an old friend in Osaka.
• Anjing Zhen checked the race schedule, and Kitasan Black and the seniors teased him to guess who they planned to support.
• Anjing Zhen guessed that the old friend was Gold Ship, then worried about Gold Ship's history with Kitasan Black.

Anjing Zhen explained how he identified Gold Ship and learned that she might race alongside Kitasan Black, while Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka planned a reunion surprise for Kitasan. On March 21, Anjing and Kitasan arrived at the academy branch near the racecourse to prepare for their upcoming races.

• Anjing Zhen explained that Gold Ship was the most famous entrant in the Hanshin Daishoten and said he had guessed her identity from the race promotion.
• Daiwa Scarlet described Gold Ship as a talented senior who might race alongside Kitasan Black because she had reached full maturity late.
• Anjing Zhen considered Gold Ship's likely upcoming races and the possibility that she and Kitasan Black could meet at the Arima Kinen.
• Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka told Kitasan Black that they had invited former friends to watch her race as a surprise, and Kitasan promised to do her best.
• On March 21, Anjing Zhen arranged temporary dorm rooms and an office at the academy branch near the racecourse so Kitasan Black could adapt before her race.

Anjing Zhen analyzed Gold Ship’s chances in the Hanshin Daishoten and warned Kitasan Black not to imitate her unusual running style. He then prepared Kitasan Black for her upcoming race, explaining the likely tactics against her and reviewing her opponents.

• Kitasan Black watched Crimson Pure win the Wakaba Stakes and asked Anjing Zhen whether Gold Ship could win the Hanshin Daishoten just as impressively.
• Anjing Zhen judged Gold Ship likely to win because of her long-distance ability and strong record at Hanshin Racecourse, but warned Kitasan Black not to copy her unusual tactics.
• Anjing Zhen explained that Kitasan Black’s Gate 1 draw could leave her vulnerable to gate-blocking and instructed her to keep her rhythm if opponents disrupted her early lead.
• Anjing Zhen reviewed the race’s competitors and focused especially on the popular Futanari Shingang and Noda Gold Foal.