The colors of the sky had grown brighter.
Even in Hokkaido, the seasons had finally begun to turn. The hum of air conditioners in both the stables and staff dormitory had gradually become more frequent.
A season that made one easily excited... if only that were the case.
For owners, plans had already been made for every generation, from the older horses to the yearlings still undergoing training.
On the other hand, whether it was seeing horses bred at their own farm fetch high prices at auction or bidding as buyers, they were unlikely to experience such scenes again for the rest of this year.
Even with Chongli about to head into the spring's final showdown, the owners' predictions went no further than hoping they could give it their best shot.
Pressure, nervousness—those emotions felt as though they had not appeared for several days now.
Early in his career as an owner, whether buying racehorses from farms and auctions, arranging races, or traveling to watch them in person, nearly every occasion had been filled with excitement.
But as time passed, just as any hobby brought new considerations once it became a profession, he now often found himself thinking about questions such as "How can this continue?" and "What path should we take?" as both an owner and breeder.
"So, BOSS, you really can't stand being idle, can you?"
The one who poked his head out from behind the computer at that jab was the assistant farm manager.
"No, honestly, I've been enjoying these past few weeks quite a lot."
Zepp's face was full of suspicion, and he merely shrugged as he leaned closer to the screen.
The foals born with natural athletic talent were fitted with GPS monitoring devices before being turned out, allowing the farm to track their activity