Target-Mixed Newcomer Race

On the first day of August, the air was stifling.

Despite August being known as the month of autumn winds, it felt as though they were standing inside a furnace.

As he made his rounds through the stables, dark patches began appearing on the back of his shirt after only a few steps.

"It's amazing you can still have an appetite in this heat. Still, eating more is a good thing."

As he passed a bay horse that had its head lowered and was devouring its feed, Tanaka undid the button at his collar.

"Kobayashi, turn the fans up!"

He called out to the stablehand behind him.

"They're already at maximum power, Teacher Tanaka!"

Stablehand Kobayashi replied.

"Then find a way to get some basins of ice. Put them in front of the fans."

Ever since Repeat Victory, the G1 winner of the 2022 Kikuka Sho, had died of heatstroke-induced organ failure, both JRA and NAR had introduced numerous measures to deal with summer heat.

Riding that wave, Tanaka had installed several high-powered fans and temperature-and-humidity sensors throughout the stables in one go.

But judging from the current situation, they did not seem to be doing much.

He looked up toward the sensor.

The stable temperature was 34.9°C.

This was Hokkaido, the northernmost part of Japan.

"You two, go help them as well."

Temporarily suppressing the unease stirring in his heart, Tanaka spoke to the other two stablehands.

Then he continued onward.

When he passed one particular stall, he stopped.

The black-bay horse inside had poked its head out and kept curling its upper lip at the fan.

"Her physique looks a little tighter than it did in her previous two races, and her temperament has developed in a more proactive direction. If she races again, she should put on a good performance."

The assistant trainer spoke while fanning himself with a baseball cap.

"Taisei Vellon... he really has grown compared to a few months ago. This time, there's a good chance he'll finally get out of the maiden ranks."

Tanaka nodded, then took out his notebook and opened it to the appropriate page.

[Both physique and mental state have improved. Condition is good.]
[Suitable to race.]

After writing down those two lines, he continued forward.

[Still somewhat loose. Needs more exercise.]
[Condition is somewhat unstable. Evaluate further based on training performance.]
[Seems somewhat fatigued. Reduce the training load appropriately.]

Every time he passed a stall, Tanaka assessed the horse's physical condition and made a note of it.

Only by understanding a horse's condition could he make corresponding adjustments to its race schedule and training.

However, there were times when interference came from outside the plan.

When that happened, there was nothing he could do.

By the time the inspection was over, both Tanaka and the assistant trainer had their backs completely soaked with sweat.

"Thanks for the effort, Teacher Tanaka."

After crossing off the final column on the list, the assistant let out a breath.

"Did we miss anything?"

Undoing the second button at his collar, Tanaka asked.

"All 109 horses currently in the stable have been checked."

The assistant nodded in confirmation.

"Then thanks for your hard work. Go back and rest early."

"You too, Teacher Tanaka."

After the assistant left, Tanaka remained alone in the stable for a while longer.

"Mejiro Tenma and Mejiro Sakuya..."

Besides the 109 horses in the stable, he was also managing two other racehorses.

"As for Mejiro Tenma, just enter him for the 1,500 meters according to the original plan."

He had heard that both the horse's physical condition and training results were quite good.

Though he was not an especially flexible racehorse, judging from his performance over 1,200 meters, the extra 300 meters to 1,500 should still be within his range.

"As for Mejiro Sakuya..."

Though she belonged to the same owner, her situation was far more complicated than Mejiro Tenma's.

After successfully passing her ability test, the next challenge was a newcomer race.

In terms of timing, August was already somewhat late.

There were six two-year-old newcomer races in total, and every one of them was a mixed race.

Although she was noticeably sturdier than other fillies physically, that advantage might not be so significant in a mixed race.

Nishiken Farm, which was responsible for managing her, had sent word that she had already been brought into racing condition.

If she delayed racing for too long, the cycle of "training—racing—rest" would be disrupted.

When that happened, they might have to waste a great deal of time getting her back into condition.

For a horse with a limp, successfully establishing such a seasonal schedule was no easy matter.

"Then this one. The 1,000 meters in the tenth race on the eighth."

He chose a race as late in the program as possible.

The lower temperatures in the evening could ease some of the strain on Mejiro Sakuya's affected leg.

The downside, however, was that the soft dirt baked by the daytime sun would become firmer after a full day of racing.

For a racehorse more inclined toward power, that could be a somewhat unfavorable factor.

After considering that, Tanaka also added the 1,000 meters in the first race on the ninth to the backup plan.

As for which proposal they would adopt, that depended on the owner himself.

The next day, the owner, trainer, and jockey held a meeting in the stable.

"Let's go with the race on the eighth."

Kitano made his choice quickly.

It was not a difficult decision.

"Does the race order really have that much effect on track conditions?"

As a new owner, he immediately asked.

"It depends on the specific circumstances, but generally speaking, the innermost and outermost lanes are less affected."

Tanaka explained patiently.

Compared with owners who constantly made unreasonable requests like, "I want Toyo to ride next time," or, "We can make this year's Derby, right?" Mr. Kitano was quite easy to work with.

"I see."

Kitano nodded, then turned toward Ochiai. "What about you, Jockey Ochiai?"

"I have no problem with it."

Ochiai readily accepted the riding request.

"Then I'll submit the entry application."

The decision was made quickly.

Mejiro Sakuya would run in the JRA-certified two-year-old mixed newcomer race, Monbetsu Race 10 on August 8.

"Genta, what impression did you get from that horse?"

After Kitano left, Tanaka stopped Ochiai.

Next came the tactical discussion between trainer and jockey.

"She feels incredibly powerful when she runs. She doesn't look like a horse with a limp at all."

Ochiai answered without hesitation.

In that regard, Tanaka, as her trainer, particularly admired his memory.

"However... after receiving an instruction, she needs some time before responding. She's also the type that isn't very sensitive to the whip."

Recalling their time getting accustomed to each other, Ochiai continued.

"So she really is a rather dull horse after all—"