After the first week's races, Koichi went straight on to compete in the Oaks in the second week.
The Oaks was won by Yutaka Take's younger brother, Koshiro Take.
After the race, Koichi took a day off before heading to the Training Center.
His earnings in the first week of May had been decent, and the second week had been even more rewarding. The third week, of course, brought Epiphaneia's Derby, and he would need to give it everything he had.
As things stood, there was a very good chance that everyone would target Epiphaneia, whose weakness was his fiercely competitive nature.
If they surrounded him and boxed him in, it would definitely have a major effect on Epiphaneia. He might even defy Koichi's commands and accelerate forward.
"Looking at it that way, our starting stall and tactics will be crucial."
Megumi Mitsumori looked over the horses entered in the race.
Besides Flagship, who had finished second last time, there was now Deep Bond, ridden by Yutaka Take.
Deep Bond's previous performance in a graded stakes race had clearly drawn everyone's attention, and Yutaka Take himself was a jockey with several Derby wins.
"With his final kick, Epiphaneia certainly could run as a closer or a mid-pack runner."
Koichi spoke.
He was sitting in the horse trainer's office, discussing the upcoming race.
If they drew a starting stall in the middle, they would most likely get boxed straight into the pack.
With his unbroken winning streak, Epiphaneia was naturally their biggest threat. It was only to be expected that they would use other horses to keep him in check.
Gold Ship and Golden Masterpiece had received the same treatment in previous races, but both had found ways to break through.
"Epiphaneia has a powerful final kick, but his temperament also