Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

Rather than a team, it would probably be more appropriate to call it a gang or a den.

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

After getting permission, a somewhat unfamiliar face walked into the lounge door.

"You are Master Huangshan, right?"

After looking back and forth between the two of them for a while, the short, thin man asked towards the barren mountain.

"Yes, I am the barren mountain."

Standing up from his seat, Huangshan nodded.

"I'm the rider Ryuji Wada, please give me your guidance."

The man bowed slightly, raised his head and asked cautiously, "I don't know about the expedition you mentioned on the phone yesterday."

"We've made our decision, and the goal is the Kentucky Derby."

Huangshan's voice was extremely calm, not as enthusiastic as when the Kentucky Derby was first mentioned.

"Then there will be no problem on my side."

Wada also nodded calmly.

"Since this is a long-term assignment, I'll likely be spending a considerable amount of time overseas next year. Is that okay?"

At this time, Kitano stood up and asked.

"This is Mr. Kitano, the horse owner."

Huangshan was introducing the scene on the side.

Wada bowed slightly in greeting.

After a brief pause, he continued, "No problem."

The Kentucky Expedition consisted of three people.

There are 131 days left until the 2026 Kentucky Derby.

Thanks to the Moon in the Sea for the 1000 starting coins and the Phantom Shot Down King for the 500 starting coins.

Thank you for your support

Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒★

Chapter 82 The End of Winter

When the last dead leaf falls in the wind, winter arrives as promised.

For horse racers, this is the season to prepare for a new life.

Hot water boiled into the porcelain cup, and white mist carrying the astringent aroma of black tea climbed up the back of the hand.

Burying his body in the rocking chair, Ogawa Jō let out a sigh of contentment.

Occasionally, I could hear the sound of rustling papers.

Kana Ogawa was lying lazily on the sofa, holding a paperback book with several lines of titles in her hands.

Until the start of the breeding season, the ranch entered a rare period of leisure.

Apart from the training work, the only thing that needs to be paid attention to throughout the winter is the condition of the pregnant mares.

Holding the teacup in both hands, Ogawa Jō watched the flickering flames in the fireplace.

The clouds moved to make way for the sunlight.

Even the weather outside was rarely clear.

"Dad——"

The powerful voice broke the dullness of winter.

"what happened again?"

Putting down the teacup, he shook his head and stood up.

Outside the house, a familiar face followed Ogawa Sheng.

"Good morning, Mr. Kitano."

After saying hello, Xuhe Zhang slowly turned around and started to make tea.

Ogawa Kana, who was sitting on the sofa, had started sitting upright with her knees bent since someone told her not to.

After brushing off the snow on his shoulders, Kitano hung his coat on the hanger in the entrance hall.

"I came here this time because I want to ask Mr. Xuhe something in person."

After taking the teacup and thanking him softly, Kitano raised his head.

"I still want to let Sakuya try."

Not surprised by such words, Ogawa Jō just nodded slightly.

No less talented than Fengji.

Xin Guan and other people all commented on the young horse owner in front of them.

However, Ogawa Jō has a different opinion on this.

Stubbornness that is as important as talent—

From this point of view, he is more like the horse breeder who cultivated the symbol of "Emperor" Ludo.

"If that's the case, Mr. Kitano should have considered the difficulties of the Kentucky Road clearly, right?"

Putting down the teacup in his hand, Xuhe Zhang asked slowly.

"K-Kentucky—"

Ogawa Katsu opened his mouth unconsciously, but was stopped from saying anything else by Ogawa Kanna's stern look.

"That's right."

Kitano nodded slightly and continued, "Although it's more difficult than I expected, it should still be possible to run."

"Well, let me tell you about the Kentucky Road."

Moving the tea set aside, Ogawa Jō spread a blank piece of paper on the table.

"First comes the registration part."

As if some memories were brought back, his steady voice became a little vague at a certain moment.

"Although the deadline for first-time applications is the last Monday of January, both email delivery and review take time, so please be aware of this."

【2026.1.26】

After checking the calendar on his phone, Ogawa Jō wrote down this number on a piece of paper.

"The second application deadline is the first Monday in April, and this time the review process will be slightly faster."

"However, if it's overseas, the time it takes for the mail to arrive also needs to be taken into consideration."

【2026.4.6】

He wrote down another date on the paper.

"Then comes the second point, overseas transportation."

"The Middle East Road's hospitality is different from the Japan Road. Transportation plans for the Kentucky Derby through the Middle East will be determined by local promoters."

"In order to avoid being scheduled on the same flight as American horse racing, you need to prepare a plan for self-transportation."

Due to quarantine policies, overseas racehorses cannot travel to the United States on the same flights as domestic racehorses.

If such a problem arises, the camp may be forced to give up the hospitality and bear the transportation costs to the United States on its own.

"Besides, both the Middle East and the United States are foreign lands to the Japanese camp."

"When playing away from home, it's very likely to be affected by some objective factors. Mr. Kitano, you should understand what I mean, right?"

In other words, it's something like a "home whistle."

This is unavoidable in any sport.

Kitano nodded.

"So, if we want to avoid interference from the organizers, both humans and horses can only follow local rules as much as possible."

Ogawa continued.

"Although it may be a bit redundant, please prepare as comprehensive a report as possible regarding the physical diagnosis of the racehorse."

"And, a very important point—"

At this point, Ogawa Jō raised a finger.

"Before heading to the United States, please make sure the horses are back to a comfortable level."

"In order to prevent the spread of CEM (Equine Infectious Metritis), the US has implemented extremely strict controls on horses traveling overseas. Any entry or exit from stables requires permission from a local veterinarian."

It's completely unreasonable and the rules are written on your face.

For a racehorse with a difficult temperament, this is a fatal blow.

Kitano frowned slightly.

“Things like vaccination certificates and import and export permits should also be prepared before the UAE derby.”

Before I knew it, the originally blank paper was gradually filled with words.

"Also, all foreign feed, including various supplements, is prohibited from entering the United States. Please be aware of this."

"As for the specific intelligence in the Middle East, I'll have to trouble Mr. Kitano to gather it on his own."

After saying that, Xuhe Zhang finally put down the pen in his hand.

The paper was completely filled with writing.

"Thank you so much."

Kitano sincerely thanked Ogawa Jō.

Then I took a picture and uploaded it to a LINE group with only three people.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Kitano, what do you think is the first thing to consider when going on an expedition?"

Picking up the already cold teacup and taking a sip, Xuhe Zhang suddenly asked.

"It should still be strength."

Kitano was a little uncertain.

"Strength—it's indeed important."

Xuhe Zhang nodded, then shook his head.

"But if it's a situation in the Middle East, physical strength needs to be taken into consideration even more."

"Next year's match in Saudi Arabia will be held earlier to avoid the Muslim holy month of Ramadan."

"Under less severe weather conditions, the world's top teams, including Gu Moa, Jude Wang and Godolphin, are likely to send out top horses from all disciplines."

I have no idea about the names that Ogawa Jō mentioned.

However, this did not hinder his understanding.

You are still far away -

Kitano accepted this reality calmly.

"Thank you again, Mr. Ogawa, for your advice."

He bent down deeply.

Chapter 83: Runaway Login

"Mr. Kitano, may I ask what the current situation is for your camp?"

Handing the notes to Kitano, Ogawa Jō asked.