Into the gates.
Looking left, looking right.
The other racehorses had begun entering the gates, but Golden Masterpiece was still surveying the surroundings.
A handsome horse even standing still.
The sight drew cheers from quite a few spectators.
There was simply so much worth witnessing in this race.
"Jockey Sasaki."
"Right."
Koichi nodded, then gave the command to move forward.
Entering the gate went just as smoothly this time.
Japan Jordan was once again the last to enter.
Whew...
Koichi let out a soft breath, then adjusted his cap.
Whether he could end the year on a satisfying note would come down to this race.
The opposition was formidable!
He gently patted Golden Masterpiece's neck.
Golden Masterpiece tossed his head in response.
After such a long rest, his stamina had long since recovered.
It was just that he had never faced any of these opponents before.
Another point was their considerable advantage in assigned weight. Golden Masterpiece was one of the three horses carrying the least weight in the field.
Three-year-olds naturally carried less weight when racing against four- and five-year-olds.
As for the other jockeys, they were naturally working out how to deal with Golden Masterpiece.
Lovely Scenery had already shown signs of weakness.
Japan Jordan had changed jockeys, leaving Triple Crown winner Golden Masterpiece as the greatest threat.
They would squeeze directly toward gate ten, denying Golden Masterpiece any chance to break out.
56th Arima Kinen Turf, right-handed, 2,500 m Weather: sunny Turf: firm Post time: 15:25
"The fifty-sixth Arima Kinen is finally about to begin."
"I'm sure everyone has been looking forward to this race for a long time."
"The strongest racehorses in the country have all gathered here!"
Toot, toot, toot...
The band, already standing ready, began playing the fanfare for the race.
As