Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

Mejiro Sakuya leaned against the wall, half closing her eyes and enjoying the cool air blowing in from the air vent directly above.

It looks no different from usual.

After entering the stable, Kitano bent down and touched the hoof wall of the deer-hair horse.

Temperature is normal.

There seemed to be no difference in his gait while standing.

However, during the subsequent stretching, slight tremors in the leg muscles were observed.

The buttocks and hind legs also feel stiffer than usual.

When pressing the main working muscle groups, Mejiro Sakuya did not show any obvious resistance.

However, after letting go of his hand, the deer-haired horse turned around looking a little depressed.

After all, I am tired.

"In that case, why not take a few more days off?"

Walking out of the stable, Kitano told the results of his palpation.

"Just do it."

The trainer nodded, then showed a somewhat distressed expression.

"In this kind of weather, I can't even relax my muscles at a place like the wildebeest arena—"

The harsh climate makes any outdoor training program more rigorous.

In addition, the quarantine stables used to entertain overseas racehorses will be closed in three days.

Is to return to Japan to recuperate for a while -

Or go directly to the United States——

In any case, we must hurry and make a choice.

For Kitano, this was not a question that required long consideration.

"Let's go back to Japan first."

Although Mejiro Sakuya's recovery momentum is still optimistic, it is still too difficult for her to go to Kentucky in such a state.

And even if you arrive in the United States early, there seems to be very limited things you can do.

The rumors about the "Kentucky Prison" are actually not false.

"Then let's go back first."

Huangshan nodded as if he was relieved.

"But the transportation entertainment is also okay, right?"

The trainer raised his head again and asked.

If the flight is not directly to the United States via the UAE, the transportation and hospitality of the UAE derby winner will be deemed to have been waived.

"Rather than that, it's more important to find a way to adjust your condition."

Kitano said, his eyes turning to the dozing deer-haired horse.

"That's right—"

Huangshan nodded and turned to look at Mejiro Sakuya.

The silence continued for some time.

"Then I'll contact Flyt Express to inquire about the return plan."

After a moment, Huangshan's face became stern again.

"Excuse me."

Kitano gave a slight nod of thanks and headed towards the stable exit.

In the passage, I met Yahagi who seemed to be in good spirits.

The baseball cap I'm wearing today is red, the same color as the Kentucky Derby.

"Good morning, Master Kitabuma."

Yahagi greeted them with a smile, and there was no sign that the two sides had been in opposing camps until yesterday.

"Good morning, Master Yahagi."

After saying hello as well, Kitano was about to take a step forward.

"By the way, Mr. Kitano, if it's convenient, could I know about your transportation plan?"

Yahagi bowed slightly and asked in a low voice.

"Ah, it's okay."

Kitano answered readily.

At least when it comes to the transportation plan, there is nothing to hide.

"We plan to return to Japan to recuperate for a while."

Yahagi nodded, without much surprise in his eyes.

"Is that so—"

Reasonable itinerary planning, more meticulous care than usual, and of course financial support from the horse owners -

This is the whole truth about "Yahagi Magic" that excels at transportation.

However, compared to such simple facts, most people in the industry prefer to believe in rumors of magic or secret recipes.

Of course, there are occasional exceptions.

Thanks to Renyi Fei for the 500 starting coins, thanks to Yabai Desne for the 100 starting coins, thanks to Mingming Lu Rou for the 500 starting coins, thanks to Ailuo De for the 1500 starting coins

Thank you for your support

Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒★

Chapter 110 Rhythm

On April 4, the expedition, which lasted a whole quarter, finally came to an end.

At Haneda Airport, the exhausted expedition team disbanded on the spot.

Wada, who has not received a commission from the Classic Front for a long time, will return to Kansai to prepare for the cherry blossom viewing that will soon bloom.

Arashiyama and Ogawa Masaru took Mejiro Sakuya back to Kobayashi Ranch and took the time to adjust their condition.

Zepu, a hoof trimmer, also chose to stay in Xiaolin.

On the flight to Hokkaido, Kitano opened this month's issue of "U-Shun" with red eyes.

Racehorses do not need to adjust to jet lag like humans do. They have almost no concept of time and can even rest day or night.

But people are different.

Although he was so sleepy that he could hardly open his eyes, his consciousness was still clear.

Jet lag is such a painful thing.

When concentration is extremely distracted, simple words melt and twist into unfamiliar shapes like wax.

Kitano glanced at the progress bar which was barely moving and rubbed his nose with a headache.

He closed the magazine decisively.

But sitting there doing nothing made the aches and pains all over my body even more pronounced.

Kana Ogawa, who was sitting next to me and wearing an eye mask, looked like she was sleeping soundly.

Kitano followed her example and closed his eyes.

Not long after, it opened again.

I can’t sleep at all—

In this case, I have to find something to do to pass the time.

Yawning silently, he opened the system panel.

There are not many green amulets left.

When on an expedition, there is simply no time to take care of daily tasks.

It is foreseeable that until the end of the Kentucky Derby, there will probably not be much green amulet income in the entire first half of the year.

However, now is not the time to economize.

Click on the mall and choose to buy.

The number of green amulets, which were not many to begin with, instantly dropped to single digits.

Become more and more proficient in using props.

"Can I receive messages on the plane?"

Kitano suddenly thought of something that he had to consider.

Sure enough, fatigue makes the mind dull.

But it's too late to regret.

Fortunately, the next second, the phone felt a familiar vibration.

"As expected of the system."

After breathing a sigh of relief, Kitano opened LINE.

There are still the familiar three unread messages.

Changfeng:

The horse's physical growth has gone further than when it was two years old. Although it has not yet reached full maturity, it is already strong enough to cope with further challenges.

However, continued weight gain may affect the horse's performance, so please pay more attention to daily weight management.

My relaxed spirit has grown during my recent overseas experience, and the 10F distance I walked this time is also within the theoretical optimal range.

However, if one wants to challenge the world's top G1 events, willpower and stability under high-pressure environments still need to be further tempered and verified.

In fast-paced mud-track events, you need to be especially vigilant about the hidden dangers of your legs.

Although it is a weak year for mud stallions, both the rider and the horse must put in 15% effort to achieve a victory at Churchill Downs.

Recommended rider: Ao Tianxin (foreign)

“Is that so—”

Kitano read this somewhat lengthy evaluation word for word.

The emotional fluctuations are much calmer than expected.

Can we win the Kentucky Derby?

There is not much point in pondering such questions at this moment.

"The luckiest horse wins the Derby."

The assertions from the Showa era seem to be somewhat out of date.

However, in the Kentucky Derby, where there are often more than 20 runners, winning the race does require a certain degree of "luck".

He looked at the next advisor's suggestion.

[Kappa wood:

With good bloodline potential and correct guidance, the horse's physical maturity is significantly ahead of that of horses of the same age, and its current physical condition is in a rare window of advantage.

For both humans and horses, the journey to Kentucky in a completely unfamiliar environment will be a difficult and outstanding challenge.

A tribute to the brave mare who challenges the Derby.

Recommended rider: Wada Ryu (Chestnut/self)

After reading the last sentence, which was hard to tell whether it was a mockery or a compliment, Kitano couldn't help but shake his head.