Secretariat had seen right through everything.
After she and Ruffian had taken turns setting up their [blockade] against Sham's potential private encounters with Dr. Lin...
The method of this blockade was simple yet highly effective: on the days Sham was scheduled for her treatments, they made sure another Uma Musume just happened to have an appointment at the clinic as well.
Thus, turning a pair into a trio, effectively cutting off any chance for Sham to get closer to Dr. Lin.
"We succeeded twice back then."
"But on the final attempt, an unexpected situation arose…"
"Dr. Lin, he suddenly… got up."
Secretariat looked down at her phone screen, scrolling to find the chat logs from that day.
Flightline, who was on duty that day, had simply written in the group chat, [Dr. Lin's clinic is closed today, he's taken the day off], before returning to her training.
Because they had succeeded twice…
Even though they missed that last attempt, and Dr. Lin Anran had taken a leave of absence, the busy, battle-hardened Secretariat hadn't sensed a problem at the time.
Looking back now, upon careful reflection… it was full of holes!
"Flightline, you let me down!!"
"That girl, of course she'd drop the ball at the critical moment, just like always."
Secretariat frowned slightly as she stepped through the clinic's entrance.
She didn't think Flightline was some magnanimous 'thieving cat' who would ally with Sham; that girl shouldn't be that easygoing.
Flightline, so talented yet physically slightly inferior, had to focus all her efforts on race planning and strategy to challenge for a legendary seat. She probably didn't have time to play 'thieving cat' in the short term, right?
So, rather than worrying about whether Flightline had some scheme or would become a rival… Secretariat was far more concerned about what exactly happened during those [three days] between Lin Anran and Sham.
In terms of threat level, Sham was currently the highest!
A moment later, her expression returned to its usual calm composure, like a stunning yet thorny crimson rose. This well-proportioned, young Big Red Beauty was about to see the familiar, black-hearted young doctor again after a long time.
"Dr. Lin, it's been a while."
--+--
Meanwhile.
The current Ruffian was in her own bedroom.
In fact, just as a certain reliable Big Red Monster had predicted, Ruffian was currently hunched over her desk, deep in thought…
What this young and beautiful Triple Tiara queen was pondering wasn't the specifics of how to write a challenge letter, but rather what race conditions, track, and distance to set.
She had achieved the [Undefeated Triple Tiara]!
But in all the various news reports, from the US to overseas, her achievements were completely overshadowed by Nearl's spotlight.
By comparison, one was headline news, while the other barely made the front page, perhaps relegated to the middle or even the bottom.
And Ruffian wanted to prove that the CLassic Triple Tiara wasn't necessarily inferior to the Classic Triple Crown!
In the US dirt racing scene, where [match races] had once been popular, her intention to "issue a challenge" wasn't common, but it was far from rare.
Why? Because of that legendary Uma Musume, the most influential and popular in American history—Seabiscuit!
Her race that cemented her legend was precisely a [match race]!
Back then, Seabiscuit wasn't considered the strongest Uma Musume. There was a younger sister from the famous Man o' War lineage, named War Admiral, who had achieved the [US Triple Crown] feat.
One was Seabiscuit, initially underestimated, with more than one or two losses. The other was the descendant of the legendary Man o' War, who had surpassed Man o' War's two-crown achievement with a historic Triple Crown.
Therefore, even though most spectators probably preferred Seabiscuit, when it came to voting on the predicted winner, the majority voted for War Admiral.
Yet, in that match race that captivated the entire nation, Seabiscuit not only achieved an incredible victory but won by a dominating margin, solidifying her legendary status in one fell swoop.
To some extent, Seabiscuit's legendary battle sparked an upsurge for match races, inspiring many subsequent American Uma Musume to follow suit.
Unfortunately, hardly any Uma Musume in later years could replicate Seabiscuit's iconic moment in a match race; none reached that level of classic, awe-inspiring intensity.
And Ruffian… she wanted to use a stunning match race to replicate, even surpass, Seabiscuit!
She, just like that Big Red Monster Secretariat, had long had her sights set on Nearl.
The current Ruffian had already achieved the feat of the [Undefeated Triple Tiara], and had even broken records and achieved total victories in classic filly GI races.
But because the outside world generally viewed the Classic Triple Crown as superior to the Triple Tiara, even if she issued a challenge for a match race, Ruffian's popularity would undoubtedly be lower than Nearl's.
After all, Ruffian broke records, and so did Nearl; Ruffian was undefeated in her career, and so was Nearl.
Under similar conditions, but with a tougher race schedule and stronger opponents, Nearl also possessed unique skills like [Stellar Descent], [Armored Charge], [Unburden] and those [Pegasus Hall] visual effects!
Currently, across the entire US, having only been in her classic year for half a year, Nearl was already ranked among the top three most popular active Uma Musume!
"Back then, War Admiral, the one Seabiscuit challenged, was a renowned Triple Crown Uma Musume, and Seabiscuit received fewer votes than her."
"And Nearl, the one I will challenge, is also the latest Triple Crown Uma Musume. The votes I receive will definitely be less than Nearl's."
"The beginning is the same, so the ending must be the same too!"
Ruffian was not like Sham and Sunday Silence, who had already suffered definitive defeats on the track.
Sham lost to Secretariat three times, completely out of the running for the title of legend or strongest. Sunday Silence was the same.
Therefore, they were no longer fully dedicated to surpassing Nearl or Secretariat, knowing it was likely impossible, and had instead… begun to shift their focus, or at least split their attention, to another [war] outside of racing!
But Ruffian would not give up so easily.
With her excellent record, so outstanding that she was considered one of the few capable of challenging Nearl and Secretariat currently, she indeed possessed the theoretical possibility of competing for [GOAT].
But just how high that possibility was, no one knew.
"As long as I defeat Nearl, I will definitely become a legendary Uma Musume."
"And then, defeat Secretariat, and become the [GOAT]!"
According to their agreement, once she became the strongest, Dr. Lin would have to agree to anything she said!
A beauty like him is only fit for the strong to possess!
On the path to claiming the GOAT title, defeating both Nearl and Secretariat, these two Triple Crown queens, should be enough to achieve it.
After all… both Man o' War and Seabiscuit cemented their legendary status by defeating a Triple Crown Uma Musume.
If she could truly defeat both Nearl and Secretariat consecutively, she would be the unprecedented, unparalleled [Triple Crown Slayer]! [Legend Slayer]!
In American history, there existed those who defeated one Triple Crown winner, but never a monster who defeated multiple!
Not to mention… both Nearl and Secretariat were legendary Uma Musume, not ordinary world-class or historical-level Triple Crown winners who achieved it in less competitive years by luck; they stood at the very pinnacle of Triple Crown achievement.
Even Man o' War, the contemporary GOAT Uma Musume, among the heavyweight Uma Musume she defeated, none reached the heights of a Pegasus or a second-generation Big Red!
Anyone capable of defeating both of them would instantly soar to heights surpassing even Man o' War, unprecedented in history!
Even if the difficulty was extremely high, Ruffian would not retreat.
In her view, she might drop the ball off the track, and wasn't as clever as Senior Flightline; her chances of winning a Great Escape victory in the [Lin Anran Cup] weren't great.
Therefore, she had to secure that [shortcut] through racing!
If she lost… then she would consider [sneaking ahead]. If that really didn't work, then she'd go [ally] with Senior Flightline!
But that was a matter for after losing—
Right now, she only wanted to win! She only wanted to defeat the Pegasus fair and square in a match race!
The highly ambitious Ruffian lowered her head in contemplation, pondering the contents of the challenge.
"First, the distance absolutely cannot be 2400 meters."
"The Radiant Knight, who created a 40-length gap and surpassed Secretariat's legendary race in the Belmont Stakes, must be at her full power at 2400 meters."
A confident Ruffian did not mean a reckless one.
Why did she choose the Classic Triple Tiara instead of the Classic Triple Crown?
Precisely because Ruffian was somewhat lacking in stamina. Meanwhile, her power, acceleration, and burst speed were all exceptionally excellent.
Even though Ruffian could endure a heavy racing schedule to win numerous graded stakes, could win using any running style including leading, and had broken speed records in most of the races she'd run…
If she aimed for [GOAT] or [Legendary Uma Musume], she still had to recognize her own weakest ability and its limits.
So that terrifyingly classic 2400-meter distance was absolutely out of the question.
"Let's set the distance between 1600 and 2000 meters…"
"As for the race track and the date, I'll let Nearl decide those two."
Race distance, track, and date were the three key elements of a match race challenge.
Since she had already decided on the most important factor, the distance, thereby avoiding her disadvantage and maintaining a level playing field, it was only right to leave the choice of the other two entirely to Nearl.
If she decided all three herself, especially choosing conditions that suited her but were completely unfamiliar or challenging for Nearl… that would be no fun.
While Ruffian avoided her stamina weakness through distance selection…
That intelligent and powerful golden-haired Radiant Knight could, through track selection, choose a venue she was familiar with and excelled at, but one Ruffian had never run on.
And the race date could be set for a time when Nearl was fully recovered, ensuring she was in peak condition without any possibility of being off-form.
The combination of these latter two conditions would guarantee fairness, and was also a demonstration of Ruffian's confidence in herself on the track.
"Good, the [challenge]… I'll send it out later!"
The seemingly lazy, stunning young woman was like a lion opening its eyes after sleep, her aura becoming utterly terrifying.
"I might drop the ball off the track, but on the track? Never!"
--+--
Inside the clinic.
The handsome, black-haired young doctor was looking down at a newspaper.
[The Radiant Knight Nearl, surpassing Secretariat's winning margin, breaks all Classic Triple Crown records to claim the title of strongest Triple Crown winner!]
[Incredible! The challenger Secretariat must most beware of is born! Triple Crown Pegasus Nearl sweeps the Belmont Stakes!]
[Dual-Wielding GOAT, the world's first Pegasus Platinum, confirms participation in Australian The Everest, challenging Winx and Black Caviar!]
[Ruffian achieves the Undefeated Classic Triple Tiara! Together with Nearl, accomplishes the historic achievement of two Undefeated Triple Crown winners in one year!]
To think that among the recent news, Ruffian, who achieved the Undefeated Classic Triple Tiara, actually had relatively lower media attention?
Even the trending news about Ruffian still mentioned Nearl…
Counting it out, out of the top four news items, two and a half were about Nearl.
It showed just how much the American public adored the Classic Triple Crown. And the Radiant Knight, who broke the records in every single leg of the Triple Crown, naturally garnered countless fans.
Even Platinum, who was very popular in the US due to her Dubai World Cup win, and her shocking news of venturing to Australian short-distance races, still couldn't surpass Nearl's coverage in the US!
"Even if Ruffian's news isn't plentiful now, it's about to explode."
Because Lin Anran knew very well… that reckless, confident [challenge] from Ruffian was probably on its way very soon.
A match race between the Filly Triple Crown winner and the Classic Triple Crown winner…
Even in the 'martial' US, where the Classic Triple Crown was extremely rare, a once-in-a-decade event, and the Filly Triple Crown, while less intensely competitive and flashy, was also uncommon…
Having two Triple Crown winners born in the same year was an extremely rare occurrence in American Uma Musume history itself, carrying immense historical significance and topicality.
Not to mention—these two Triple Crown Uma Musume were going to face off fairly in a match race to determine the better one!
When that happened, that match race would undoubtedly attract extreme attention across the US and overseas!
Just as Lin Anran was lost in these thoughts, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside the clinic.
They were firm, resonant steps, accompanied by a nearly icy female voice that echoed through the clinic.
"Dr. Lin, it's been a while."
The next second, Lin Anran saw the long-unfamiliar, tall figure of the crimson-haired, cold beauty.
Those scarlet eyes were as deep and inscrutable as ever, her figure slender and graceful, but her aura far surpassed ordinary people, like a stunning, thorny red rose.
"Has it really been that long?"
The black-haired youth in the white coat stood up, speaking in a serious tone.
"Your recent race is a GI in three or four days, right? Is this a pre-race checkup?"
Lin Anran without hesitation showed his close attention to Secretariat's schedule.
This was America. With races held across dozens of states, there were dozens of GI races per year at a minimum, and the number was increasing year by year.
Therefore, the situation was similar to Australia's regarding GIs: except for the top few GI events, the average viewer might struggle to keep up with them all.
Even as an Uma Musume doctor, Lin Anran, who ostensibly wasn't an Uma Musume or a trainer, why would he remember specific races, let alone a [countdown to race day]?
As soon as Lin Anran's question left his mouth, the crimson beauty's lips curled into a slight smile. She looked deeply at him, the ice in her demeanor seeming to melt, only for the temperature to drop sharply.
Secretariat's mood immediately brightened. But she hadn't forgotten her purpose for coming.
"No. It's not an opponent like Nearl or Flightline. No need for specialized, harsh training or a pre-race checkup."
"I came specifically for you."
Secretariat got straight to the point, addressing Lin Anran directly.
This wasn't excessive arrogance or looking down on her opponent; it was a judgment she'd made after early analysis.
The black-hearted young doctor had indeed looked it up: Secretariat's next race was the [Woodward Stakes], a GII race that wasn't among the top-tier GIs; it wasn't like the UK's Epsom Derby or King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which are very close to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in prestige.
Thus, the number of top-tier Uma Musume certainly wouldn't be high.
Typically, the top three most popular Uma Musume could be considered favorites, all possessing strong abilities that earn them votes from the public. But when there's an overwhelming gap in votes, it indicates that in the public's eye, the one or two with that overwhelming popularity are the most likely winners.
Without a doubt, Secretariat was in a league of her own, with a vote percentage that crushed the rest, the undisputed sole favorite to win. Even the second-most popular Uma Musume, [Prove Out], paled in comparison.
Prove Out was an Uma Musume with a low profile and wildly varying performance limits. She had both defeated other hall-of-fame level [Legendary Uma Musume] and suffered losses more than once to Uma Musume who weren't even world-class.
To draw an analogy, it was like the Japanese Uma Musume, Rice Shower: capable of overtaking the long-distance overlord Mejiro McQueen, winner of the GI Tenno Sho (Spring), yet also suffering a crushing defeat in a GII race to an unknown Uma Musume.
Not only was the strongest opponent in her next race a "wild card," with complex and unstable performances…
But also, the venue was Belmont Park.
It was at Belmont Park, in the final leg of the Triple Crown, that Secretariat had run Sham into a breakdown, achieving her near-deified legendary performance!
Moreover… the weather forecast predicted rain in the next two days. On the relatively primitive, poorly-draining track of Belmont Park, it would certainly open as a heavy, muddy track.
For Secretariat, with her excellent stamina and immense power, a heavy track like this only served to widen the performance gap, a huge buff for a monster like her.
Weak overall competition, with only Prove Out, who had once beaten a Legendary Uma Musume; the venue was the site of Secretariat's legendary race; plus, a heavy track that Secretariat could handle with ease.
She was widely recognized as the strongest active and second-greatest historically, an Uma Musume poised to potentially surpass Man o' War and become the undisputed dirt racing GOAT in her next classic race.
With so many factors, so many advantages combined, in the eyes of many fervent Big Red fans, for Secretariat not to open the champagne before the race was the epitome of restraint!
Even with the race only three or four days away, the current Secretariat couldn't hold back any longer. She had come to the long-unfamiliar clinic of Dr. Lin.
"You're right. You are Secretariat, after all."
"The almost-greatest of all time versus Prove Out, who can't even be called the strongest modern runner? How could you possibly lose?"
Lin Anran voiced his approval from the perspective of a regular audience.
Greatest of All Time vs. Strongest of the Present? Even Sukuna could achieve a cut down the middle!
Not to mention, that little filly named Prove Out had a less-than-stellar record. She probably wasn't even the Strongest Modern, more like a 2.5 of a normal Uma Musume, right?
No matter how you looked at it, a well-rested Secretariat had no reason to lose.
Unless… she suddenly became fatigued or off-form before the race.
But how was that possible? From the perspective of a professional doctor like Lin Anran, Secretariat was currently in peak condition, without a trace of injury or fatigue!
So the question was…
Why had Secretariat come to see him so close to her race, if not for a checkup?
The puzzled, black-hearted young doctor gazed at the imposing, yet smiling, crimson-haired beauty before him.
For some reason, Lin Anran felt a strange sense of crisis.
It was as if some part of his body was in danger.
This feeling… was oddly familiar, as if it had happened before.
"Dr. Lin, may I ask you a question?"
"What question? Please, go ahead."
"You said a long time ago that you would never [play favorites], right? Does that still hold true?"
Those ruby-like, sparkling yet slightly dangerous eyes met Lin Anran's gaze.
This inexplicable question made Lin Anran pause for a moment.
Play favorites?
Early on, when he was in the US trying to "play the long game," he had deeper contact with more and more Uma Musume.
For instance, Sea the Stars, who came to the US for training, or Sunday Silence, who was injured and underestimated, both came into contact with him later than Secretariat, Flightline, and Ruffian.
Back then, to reassure these young fillies, Lin Anran had confidently promised that he would treat everyone equally, and never play favorites.
Why was Secretariat bringing this up now, during this sudden visit?
He still hadn't become the [exclusive contracted doctor] for any particular Uma Musume, had he?
Puzzled, Lin Anran nodded repeatedly.
After he nodded, the stunning, dangerous, thorny crimson beauty before him stepped completely to his side.
The next second, Secretariat's warm breath, accompanied by her speech, brushed against Lin Anran's ear.
"So, since you gave [Sham] a full three days."
Her voice was cool and domineering, brooking no argument.
"Then you must give me at least three days as well, right?"
The perplexed black-haired young doctor finally understood why Secretariat had come!
Danger!!
Lin Anran wanted to struggle a bit.
"No, that was just temporary short-term rehab training for her after her injury!"
"Big Red, you're not injured. You should focus on preparing for your race…"
Lin Anran tried using Secretariat's real name, "Big Red," to calm the tall, beautiful young woman before him.
But right now, Secretariat was probably calmer than she had ever been.
"First, I will pay a large sum of money, including a share of the next GI's prize money, to hire you, Dr. Lin, to come to my home and [be responsible for my body]."
Secretariat smiled as she delivered the final line.
"Dr. Lin, you wouldn't want what happened with you staying at Sham's place for several days… to become known to Sea the Stars, Ruffian, Flightline, Dahlia, and the others, would you?"
Secretariat's home was very large, and the room she could prepare for Dr. Lin was also very large!
Large enough to accommodate at least two people.
Politeness before force!
And offering a large sum of money!
The black-haired young doctor, Lin Anran, was defeated—
"...Alright, I'll come tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Ruffian was still preparing to challenge Nearl and surpass Secretariat!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.