Saturday.
Racing at Tokyo Racecourse went on as usual.
Koichi was working hard, too.
Besides the Derby and the Meguro Memorial that week, he also needed to work toward his 100th Win.
If he got off to a good start on Saturday, things would certainly be much easier afterward.
Megumi Mitsumori and Mirai had naturally come to the racecourse to cheer him on.
Everything was ready for Gold Ship now. All that remained was to wait for the race to begin, so they could wander around the racecourse.
Besides racing, the racecourse naturally offered plenty of other recreational activities, such as seeing famous retired racehorses or trying out riding.
Another popular attraction was watching the lead horses perform.
"Looks like there are quite a few people here today."
Mirai glanced around as she spoke.
If they weren't careful, they really could get separated.
"It's mostly because there are so many famous jockeys here. Everyone's preparing for tomorrow's Derby, after all, so they've drawn a lot of fans."
Megumi Mitsumori answered.
Her emotions were extremely unsettled at the moment, so getting out for a walk was a good thing.
"Megumi, it's almost time."
Mirai waved the phone in her hand.
They had done enough wandering. It was time to head to the stands to watch the race.
Watching a race in a crowd had a different feel to it.
"Yes, it's about time. Let's go."
Megumi Mitsumori felt she had wandered around enough, too.
Although there were plenty of things to do at the racecourse, most were better suited to children.
This was a good chance to see what kind of form Koichi was in today.
By the time they arrived, the horses had just finished entering the track.
The horses were warming up under their jockeys' guidance.
"Just in time."