"Red Star was holding on to the lead, but was struggling to pull any farther away from the pack."
"It looks like Red Star has reached the limit of that stamina. Eight hundred meters to go!"
"Belshazzar, the third favorite, is boxed in tight in the pack right now."
"As for Golden Masterpiece in the middle of the pack, there still doesn't seem to be any movement."
Had jockey Sasaki fallen asleep again, just like at Kyoto Racecourse?
The leader was already more than ten meters ahead of them. If they kept refusing to give chase, they were certain to lose. Staying in the middle of the pack would get them nowhere.
The third favorite was a horse suited to breaking away for a runaway lead.
Now, trapped in the pack, there was almost no hope left.
Instead, the horse that really caught their attention this time was Refined and Elegant, the fourteenth favorite.
Right from the start, Refined and Elegant had stayed in second or third alongside Danon Ballad, ridden by Yutaka Take.
Given the current situation, that position was especially advantageous.
That was one of the race's biggest surprises.
Out on the track, Yuga Kawada could clearly feel his partner's speed gradually dropping.
The earlier breakaway had drained too much of Red Star's stamina.
Getting Red Star to accelerate again in this final stretch was definitely impossible. All he could do was see what placing they could ultimately manage.
Come on!
Yuga Kawada still shouted those words in his heart.
They had held such a huge advantage at the start, but now it was all about to disappear.
He could clearly feel Red Star's stamina draining fast.
The shift from their earlier position to their current plight stirred powerful emotions within him.
As a relatively new jockey, he