Wednesday's workout gallop.
After a slight adjustment to its condition in the morning, they took advantage of its excellent form to hold a pre-race workout gallop that afternoon.
Megumi Mitsumori had also found another racehorse to run ahead, with Man o' War starting behind it.
A closer's running style now suited Man o' War quite well.
Naturally, this workout arrangement was meant to bring out Man o' War's competitive spirit.
Situations like this were common in races, so it was also a way to train the horse for them.
After the first racehorse started, Koichi waited a little before giving the command to start.
Man o' War reacted quickly, charging straight down the track.
Since the horse ahead had started earlier, the gap gradually widened.
Once Man o' War began to pick up speed, Koichi changed his posture and started pushing with his hands.
At that urging, Man o' War accelerated further to chase the horse ahead.
Apart from completing the distance, today's goal was naturally to catch the horse in front.
Clop, clop, clop-
Man o' War kicked up great sprays of dirt.
Koichi chose a position one horse-width outside the leader.
Following directly behind would mean taking a faceful of dirt, which was quite unpleasant for a turf horse.
Not every racehorse liked eating dirt from behind.
Watching the workout from the side, Megumi Mitsumori kept nodding.
Its condition and ability really did look almost unbeatable.
Although this was its first attempt at 1,400 meters, the workout gave her considerable confidence. Man o' War quickly closed the gap to the other horse and was still accelerating.
Next, all they needed to do was manage Man o' War's diet and condition so it could race without a hitch on Saturday.
After Saturday's race, they could come back and prepare