"Past the third turn, number one, Thunderbolt Steed, was the first onto the straight!"
"Japan Jordan, five or six lengths back, was picking up speed and beginning the final sprint! Could Japan Jordan win back-to-back titles?!"
"Right behind was the three-year-old queen, Gentildonna!"
"Extraordinary Steed was moving up on the inside, followed by Dominant Position, still farther back!"
"Who would claim the Japan Cup crown?"
Push!
Koichi had entered his final sprint, too.
He had thought Japan Jordan would keep holding the inside, but as soon as they entered the straight, that lane opened up.
The horses in the middle of the pack were also surging forward.
After entering the straight, Mirco Demuro used his whip a few times, then put everything into driving his mount onward.
Their rhythm had been quite good this race, but whether they could hold their position or catch the leader depended on Japan Jordan's condition.
And Gentildonna beside them was naturally their greatest rival.
With Gentildonna occupying the inside, Masayoshi Ubaname could only pull Extraordinary Steed out.
The maneuver went smoothly, partly because they had secured a good position from the start.
"On the far outside! Dominant Position was charging up from the far outside!"
"Number ten, Shadow, was coming up as well, while Eishin Flash was boxed in among the pack!"
"Gentildonna, what a fast final kick! The final kick we saw in the Oaks was back!"
By the time the camera returned to the leaders, their positions had already changed.
Gentildonna had successfully surged into first place along the inside.
Japan Jordan, meanwhile, had moved a little farther out.
Mirco Demuro could clearly feel that Japan Jordan no longer had the strength to charge from behind.
As expected, fighting for position earlier in the race had consumed too much stamina.
Once Gentildonna