By the time Koichi and the others reached the waiting area, there were still tears in the corners of Kuga Kai's eyes.
At last, his first Grade 1 win!
To him, this victory had been anything but easy. They had come within a hair of being caught.
"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly."
"They probably didn't expect our tactics, either. If they'd deliberately tried to block us, it definitely wouldn't have been this easy."
Koichi began taking off the Number Cloth and Saddle.
He felt pretty good about this one.
He had dictated the pace in a Grade 1 race and won.
"Epiphaneia worked hard today, too. Next, he can have a little rest before we get ready for the Derby in May."
"No problem. We could find a nearby ranch for some pasture rest. The one Gold Ship went to last time was pretty good."
Megumi Mitsumori was now an experienced horse trainer, too.
Their previous arrangement had worked out well, so she was naturally willing to send Epiphaneia there again for a short rest. Once he had rested enough, he would return to the Training Center to continue training.
As for Epiphaneia, who was being led by Kuga Kai, his gaze remained fixed on Koichi.
With this victory, he had added another win to his sire's record.
Kuga Kai lingered for a while before taking Epiphaneia away for a shower.
Running two thousand meters from the front at a slow pace had taken a lot out of him.
"Yeah, we'll talk when I get back."
"Sure. Good luck with the interview."
With that, Koichi and Megumi Mitsumori went their separate ways.
After handing his things to his agent, Koichi hurried to the Interview Room.
It was time for the familiar routine again.
"Jockey Sasaki, did