The Chaser's Back

One weekday morning.

After finishing the morning stable inspection, he walked to the main gate of Nishiken Farm to welcome Trainer Yoshida, who had come to visit.

Besides checking on Baozuo, who had returned to the farm for winter break, the trainer had also come to discuss his plans for the coming year.

The trainer stepped out of the rental car and exchanged greetings with him. Then the two crossed the road side by side toward North Barn.

"President Kitano, are you really not going to reconsider?"

"No. Our main goal for the first half of next year will be the NHK Mile Cup. Didn't Ryan Moore say the same?"

"That's true, but still..."

Trainer Yoshida wore a somewhat helpless wry smile.

As Baozuo's day-to-day trainer, he had probably already recognized the horse's lack of stamina.

Yet given his current results, if the trainer were the one to propose, "We won't challenge the Classic Triple Crown," an ill-tempered owner might very well turn it into a transfer-of-stables situation.

Even with the understanding their camp had already reached, making such a decision was no easy matter.

After all, Baozuo had won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. If they did not plan his next season around the Triple Crown, outsiders would surely question the professionalism of both trainer and owner.

Though as the owner, he had begun to get somewhat used to such things.

As for any regret over giving up the Classic Triple Crown—there was no such thing.

He had known Baozuo's range from the very beginning. It would have been stranger to still harbor fantasies about the Triple Crown under those circumstances.

Still, the horse racing world was not an isolated environment that could run on just one or two people.

With club-owned horses or jointly owned horses, members or