As the media spread the story of the Derby, its impact continued to grow.
Clips of Koichi Sasaki interacting with Epiphaneia went viral online as well. No matter how you looked at them, the deep bond between horse and rider was plain to see.
Especially knowing how competitive Epiphaneia was by nature, it was clear that he had worked very hard to restrain himself during this race.
[Epiphaneia and Jockey Sasaki really do love each other.]
[Looking at it this way, winning this Derby was quite a pleasant surprise. Not only were they targeted by so many horses earlier in the race, but Koichi Sasaki himself wasn't in great shape either.]
[It wasn't easy for Epiphaneia to pull this off. According to the later updates, he went straight back for pasture rest.]
[I'm so glad Jockey Sasaki gets to ride a horse like this.]
[That moment when their foreheads touched in the Parade Ring was so heartwarming.]
[Epiphaneia and Jockey Sasaki looked so cool crossing the finish line!]
[Epiphaneia did a great job protecting Jockey Sasaki after he fell, too!]
[I love Epiphaneia so much. Can't wait for his races in the second half of the year!!]
Amid all the discussion, Epiphaneia's flight landed safely.
Following Koichi's instructions, the staff from Hokkai Ranch had long since arrived at the airport to wait.
Haruki Kuchiki had made a special trip over this time, too.
Watching the race had frightened him so badly that he had jumped to his feet. Fortunately, the commentator had said everything was all right.
"Ranch Manager Kuchiki."
"Divine Might, thanks for all your hard work. Let's go home."
Epiphaneia looked around, then ignored him.
Naturally, he recognized Haruki Kuchiki.
After all, he had spent quite a long time at Hokkai Ranch. During his pasture rest, he had