Aoe Ranch
"Koichi, why are you here so early today?"
Ayumu Kusakawa had naturally received word too, so he had come out early to wait for him at the entrance.
He was extremely pleased with Koichi, so much so that he would brag about him to anyone he met.
Koichi would definitely be Mirai's first-choice jockey!
"I didn't have much on today, so I thought I'd come a little earlier and have a look around the ranch."
Koichi walked over as he spoke.
This was where they had started, too. Once things got busy, though, he had rarely come back.
"Fair enough. So, are you heading back today, or this afternoon?"
Ayumu Kusakawa patted Koichi on the shoulder.
Koichi was practically the family's prized treasure now.
"I have to head to Sapporo this afternoon, then catch a flight back."
Koichi had also received his schedule from his agent.
Although he could not stay long, he was still quite happy. At least he had gotten to see the young horses he liked again.
"Young people should keep busy."
Time was money.
Ayumu Kusakawa also knew that missing races would cost Koichi a lot of prize money.
"I need to work a little harder lately. My expenses have been pretty high."
Koichi felt it was time to put in some serious effort.
At the very least, he needed to earn back more of the money he had spent on the house.
"You just won the Kikuka Sho, so that's another big payout. As long as you don't go too wild with your spending, you'll be fine."
The Kikuka Sho's prize money was substantial, too.
Of course, the upcoming Japan Cup was where the real money lay. Unfortunately, Gold Ship could not compete this year.
"The more I earn, the more things I