To prepare for next week's Reigetsu Stakes, an open dirt race for four-year-olds and up at Hanshin Racecourse, Mr. Yutaka Take had unusually gotten up early to attend morning training. Then came a call from a JRA contact: he had suffered a fall during training and been hospitalized.
For those working in the racing world, injuries caused by horses were not exactly rare. The phrase "racing with one's life on the line" was no mere exaggeration.
Even so, upon hearing the news, my heart still lurched uncontrollably.
"Please, how serious are Mr. Yutaka Take's injuries?"
"Sorry, but we don't know the specifics either. All we can do now is wait patiently for the hospital's diagnosis."
Though that was a more detailed reply, the tension and worry in my heart did not ease. Instead, they grew heavier.
An injury serious enough to require hospitalization—
After hanging up, I stared at my phone screen as terrifying possibilities began spreading through my mind.
"This is really bad..."
At that moment, old man Nishiyama, who had also just ended a call, let out a sigh.
"Kou must have heard as well, right?"
"That's right."
His tone was noticeably heavier than before.
After hurriedly saying goodbye to old man Nishiyama, I changed my plans at the last minute and boarded the Tokaido Shinkansen bound for western Japan.
Contacts and racing agents kept calling along the way. Even after I entered the carriage and switched my phone back to silent mode, it continued vibrating with incoming messages.
As the speeding Shinkansen swayed from side to side, I scrolled through my phone, trying to find the latest news.
So far, things did not seem optimistic—
Apparently, the horse had suddenly been startled during a Timed Workout and crashed toward the rail. Rather than choosing the safer option