The 64th Mainichi Okan (Grade 2) Racecourse: Tokyo Distance: 1,800 m Track type: turf Weather: clear Track condition: firm
Clack-!
The instant the starting stalls opened, One-Way Passage shot out.
One-Way Passage had no trouble with the break, while the favorite alongside chose to drop straight back.
No. 11 accelerated forward.
Koichi chose to hold his position.
Although they were on the far outside, it made little difference. He could adjust their position a little later.
He could clearly feel how fast the pace of a 1,800-meter race was. The horses ahead kept accelerating, and No. 11 charged straight to the front.
This was exactly what he had wanted to experience.
Hrrrff-
Hrrrff-
One-Way Passage responded well, too. Once the field stretched out, they moved a little closer to the inside.
Now he needed to keep an eye on the well-fancied horses hanging back.
For instance, Shadow of the Night, the third favorite, was currently on One-Way Passage's inside.
Up at the front.
"No. 7, Clarent, has taken the lead, closely followed by No. 11, Red Sword."
"Yuga Kawada has successfully secured first position."
"The favorite, Shonan Mighty, is in the rear half of the field."
"Eishin Flash, ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, has secured a good position in fourth, with Shadow of the Night and One-Way Passage behind."
"One-Way Passage has had an excellent trip so far. Now we'll have to see how the rest unfolds."
The commentators gave a brief rundown of the situation.
Most of the well-fancied horses had chosen to stay in the middle or rear of the field. After all, this was Tokyo Racecourse, where three turns led into an exceptionally long home straight.
Coming from behind was hardly an impossible task.
What Koichi was watching most closely now was Yuga Kawada's pace.
As