A sunny day graced the Chukyo Racecourse. The 11th race, the Grade I Champions Cup, a dirt race over 1800 meters, is about to begin. The track condition has been announced as "Good."
"The race to determine the strongest dirt Uma Musume is here again. As it's a Sunday, the URA has announced that nearly 500,000 people have gathered around the Chukyo Racecourse."
A fanfare blared through the Chukyo Racecourse, and the male commentator and analyst each spoke their piece. Then, as if to assert their presence, a roar of cheers erupted from outside the racecourse.
(I knew there would be a lot of people, but 500,000... that's incredible.)
As the analyst said, the Champions Cup is a race that can be called the one to decide the strongest Uma Musume specializing in dirt races.
The Japan Dirt Derby, which determines the Derby Uma Musume of the dirt track, the Teio Sho, which Urara won, the JBC Classic, which Slein won, and the Tokyo Daishoten at the end of the year.
These are all considered middle-distance races in the dirt G1s of the Twinkle Series, at 2000 meters. This means that for dirt Uma Musume who don't have the distance aptitude to run middle-distance races, simply participating is a disadvantage. Even if they have the overwhelming ability to dominate other Uma Musume, they might lose because their distance aptitude doesn't match.
However, this year's Champions Cup is a mile race at 1800 meters. Other mile dirt G1s include the JBC Ladies' Classic and the February Stakes in February, and there are also short-distance races like the JBC Sprint.
But both the JBC Sprint and JBC Ladies' Classic are held on the same day as other JBC Series races, making it difficult for strong Uma Musume to gather in one race to determine the strongest.
Besides, Urara and Smart Falcon just missed each other. That's why the Champions Cup, which allows classic-class Uma Musume to participate, is held in December when they've grown to have similar abilities to senior-class Uma Musume. The 1800-meter distance is also a good fit for many, making it a race that can be called the one to determine the strongest dirt Uma Musume.
The prize money of 100 million yen proves it. The February Stakes also has a prize of 100 million yen, but that's limited to senior-class Uma Musume. The Champions Cup, where classic- and senior-class Uma Musume compete, is, for the dirt Uma Musume, a race to determine the champion.
This makes sense when you look at the ability and achievements of Smart Falcon, who won the Champions Cup last year as a classic-class Uma Musume. Although Urara won the Teio Sho, many now say that the strongest Uma Musume in the current dirt world is Smart Falcon.
And precisely because it's such a race, combined with the recent popularity of racing, nearly 500,000 people must have flocked here. You hear numbers like that sometimes for turf G1s, but for a dirt race, it might be the first time the URA has announced 500,000.
"Lane 3, number 5, Slein. Third favorite."
"She's the Uma Musume who won this year's JBC Classic. While her number of G1 victories in dirt races is less than Smart Falcon's or Haru Urara's, her ability is not inferior. She's a promising Uma Musume."
As I was lost in thought, the Uma Musume began to enter the gates.
The 1800-meter race at the Chukyo Racecourse starts from a position slightly to the left of the center of the home stretch. This allows spectators to watch the Uma Musume enter the gates right in front of them.
Every time an Uma Musume enters the gate, one by one, starting with the odd-numbered ones, you can feel the audience's excitement rising. A tense atmosphere fills the air.
"Lane 2, number 4, Smart Falcon. First favorite."
"The first favorite has been decided. She's a G1 winner with 4 victories and the champion of last year's Champions Cup. She competed against Haru Urara, but this girl is the first favorite this time. They must be expecting a repeat victory."
The moment Smart Falcon's name was called, the crowd's excitement surged. Since her loss to Urara in the Teio Sho, Smart Falcon's atmosphere has softened, and her popularity, already high due to her innate ability, has been steadily increasing.
"Go for your 5th G1 win, Fal-ko!"
"FAL-KOOOOOOOOOO!"
"You're the strongest dirt Uma Musume!"
Fans raised their voices, desperately cheering for Smart Falcon. Smart Falcon's eyes widened slightly at their cheers. Then she bit her lower lip, and after a few seconds, a big smile spread across her face.
"Fal-ko will do her best!"
She shouted in a clear voice, struck a pose, and then entered the gate. The crowd sent her even more cheers for her voice and gesture.
(Oh, my... Seriously, as if she wasn't already a formidable opponent...)
Though I thought that in my heart, I could feel the corners of my mouth turn up. Next, I watched Smart Falcon enter the gate.
(She's looking good now.)
She's such a handful. Even when her mental state was unstable, it was questionable whether Urara could win, and now she's in perfect physical and mental condition.
"My, my... You look very happy, don't you? Smart Falcon is Urara-san's rival, isn't she?"
"Haha, that's right, King. But while it's a headache for Urara's trainer, as a trainer at Tracen Academy, I'm happy to see an Uma Musume grow."
Well, I'm not sure if I can call that a pure growth. She seems to have a crush on Urara, too.
"Ah... ah... ah... big brother."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to call you."
As I was talking to King, Rice called out to me. I looked over, but Rice just puffed out her cheeks and looked away.
"Lane 5, number 10, Haru Urara. Second favorite."
I playfully poked Rice's puffed-up cheek to let out the air, wondering what she was pouting about, when Urara's name was called.
"HARU URARAAAAAAA!"
"We came to see you again today, Haru Uraraaaa!"
"U-RA-RA! U-RA-RA!"
Cheers as loud as Smart Falcon's flew from the stands. Urara beamed at the cheers and bounced up and down. Oh, my, bouncing like that in a short skirt... It's not ladylike, you know?
But the crowd was thrilled by Urara's gesture. Especially the elderly people, who were watching Urara with a warm expression.
Urara smiled at their reaction once more and then entered the gate.
(That's a good switch...)
And the moment she entered the gate, Urara's expression became serious. Her innocent smile from a moment ago was replaced by the earnest expression of a top-tier Uma Musume in the dirt world, a four-time G1 winner.
Seeing Urara's sudden change, some of the spectators let out a sigh of admiration, a kind of feverish, breathless sigh. The people who cheered for Urara up to that point seemed to be a different kind of fan, or perhaps they had an aura like Otame-san... I'll just think of it as a good thing that Urara's fan base is diversifying.
The Champions Cup is a full-gate race with 16 competitors. Unlike turf races, even if the course gets a little churned up, it can be mostly restored with maintenance between races, so the inner rail isn't extremely rough.
Considering this, Urara's number 10 seems slightly disadvantaged compared to Smart Falcon's 4 and Slein's 5. However, as I mentioned, the starting position for the Champions Cup is on the left side of the home stretch, on the way up a slope.
Additionally, it's a left-handed course, and there's a good distance to the first corner, so considering Urara's initial burst of speed, it's not as much of a disadvantage as one might think. That said, with Smart Falcon as an opponent, even a small disadvantage can be huge, so it's impossible to predict what will happen.
But still, after the summer training camp... no, ever since she beat Smart Falcon in the Teio Sho, I believe in Urara, who has grown beyond my expectations.
"All Uma Musume have entered the gates... And they've started!"
Silence filled the Chukyo Racecourse, and with the sound of the gates opening, the Champions Cup began.
"All the Uma Musume got off to a clean start together. The one to take the lead first is, as expected, number 4, Smart Falcon. She's followed by number 2, Heart Caesar, and number 6, Dragoon Spear. Further behind them are number 8, Mini Daisy, number 3, Pristine Song, number 9, Kumbhakarna, number 10, Haru Urara, number 11, Gold Shushu, and number 16, Unison Flag."
"Everyone was focused. It was a good start."
"Next up are number 1, Astraea Noche, number 12, Fla Halahau, number 14, Anima Amnis, and number 15, Mini Lotus. And staying near the back are number 5, Slein, number 7, Mushamusha, and number 13, Heart Scorcher."
Not just Urara, but everyone got off to a clean start. However, despite just starting, Urara ran to the front, as if mingling with the leading Uma Musume.
It's not a basic mistake like misjudging her preferred running style. The experience she's gained has taught her that she must do this to beat Smart Falcon.
She needs to move up to the front as much as possible, make her move early, and finally catch Smart Falcon. With Smart Falcon's incredible pace, she'll easily run away with the race unless you challenge her with all your might from the beginning.
"Number 4, Smart Falcon, is accelerating and pulling away from the pack. She's sprinting down the home stretch and entering the first corner. At this point, she has a lead of about 2 to 3 lengths over the other front-runners."
"Her pace is like Twin Turbo's whenever I see it. The difference from Twin Turbo is that you can't expect a backfire, and for the other Uma Musume, she's nothing but a threat."
I nodded slightly at the analyst's words. Smart Falcon, who doesn't backfire and keeps running away until the end, is too much of a threat as a front-runner. The analyst used Twin Turbo as an example, but Twin Turbo has a certain unpredictable charm that makes you expect her to do something incredible in any race because she backfires. Smart Falcon, on the other hand, runs away mercilessly, regardless of any such expectations.
The longest dirt G1 in the Twinkle Series is 2000 meters, so for Smart Falcon, the more stamina she builds up, the longer she can run at full speed.
Smart Falcon is the type of runner who doesn't need to save her legs and sprints like a missile from start to finish. It's not easy to beat her.
But still...
"Smart Falcon is sprinting from the first corner to the second corner. The gap to the pack is already about 4 to 5 lengths. At this point, the distance to the last-place runner is more than 10 lengths."
"Wow, her pace is incredible as always. More than 10 lengths... She hasn't even run 600 meters yet..."
The analyst sounded stunned, but that's how incredible Smart Falcon's pace is.
(When she's in perfect physical and mental condition, she shows this kind of performance...)
I can understand why the analyst mentioned Twin Turbo. Smart Falcon's current run is like a rocket that accelerates until it runs out of stamina, without thinking about what's to come.
Normally, you can't last the whole race with such a pace. No matter how much higher an Uma Musume's physical abilities are compared to a human's, running at full speed from start to finish would exhaust their stamina.
Of course, neither Smart Falcon nor Twin Turbo is running at full speed from start to finish, literally. They are slowing down to save their legs and regulate their breathing at key points.
It's only because the transitions between these moments are so well-hidden that Smart Falcon's running looks like a full-out sprint from start to finish... Well, Twin Turbo does backfire, so there's a non-zero chance that she really is running at full speed from start to finish.
"The leading Smart Falcon is flying down the backstretch. It's downhill from here for the next 200 meters to the home stretch, but will she be able to keep up this pace?"
"Even though it's downhill, the elevation change is only about 3 meters. And over a distance of nearly 600 meters, the slope is gentle. But being gentle, it's easier to pick up speed."
The downhill part of the course isn't so steep that it puts a big strain on the knees and legs like a staircase. It would be tough for Urara and the others who are constantly running, but it's not a course where they have to run up a slope of several meters over a distance of 100 meters.
"Smart Falcon is approaching the downhill section. She has just passed the 1000-meter marker at the middle of the backstretch."
"Wow, she's running so well. It might be an early decision for Smart Falcon. I've seen her run many times, but something has happened, and this is an incredible performance."
Commentators and analysts are supposed to be impartial. But it seems the analyst can already see Smart Falcon winning.
Indeed, Smart Falcon is the kind of Uma Musume who makes you think that. Now that her mental state has recovered, she might just be the strongest Uma Musume in the dirt world.
--- If only Urara wasn't here.
"Smart Falcon has passed the 1000-meter mark. The time is 58.2 seconds... The track condition was announced as 'Good,' wasn't it?"
"I could understand if the track was heavy... but the time is similar to a turf race."
"Is Smart Falcon going to run away with it? No! This Uma Musume won't allow that! She has just passed the 800-meter marker! The leading Smart Falcon is running around the third corner. And Haru Urara has made her move! Haru Urara, who was gradually moving up to fourth place, is accelerating even more here!"
Urara, who was in the lead among the front-runners excluding the front-runners, made her move at the 800-meter mark.
She accelerated even though she had just entered the third corner, running forward while using her strength to fight off the centrifugal force that was trying to push her to the outside.
Ideally, you shouldn't accelerate in a corner to fight off the centrifugal force, but the front-running Smart Falcon had to slow down first, or she would have to make a huge detour around the corner.
No matter how strong Smart Falcon is, she can't ignore the laws of physics. She's running as fast as possible while being careful not to be thrown off by the centrifugal force, but Urara, who accelerated to catch up with the decelerating Smart Falcon, is closing the gap.
"Haru Urara has passed number 2, Heart Caesar, and number 6, Dragoon Spear, from the outside! All that remains is the leading Smart Falcon! But the gap is a huge 5 lengths!"
"It looks like it's going to be a two-horse race between these two... No, three."
"The current dirt world isn't just about Smart Falcon and Haru Urara! To prove that, the G1 Uma Musume Slein is starting to accelerate from near the back of the pack!"
I guess other trainers and Uma Musume think the same way. The only way to beat Smart Falcon is to make your move as early as possible.
Urara made her move when she moved up to fourth.
Slein started a long sprint from near the back of the pack for almost 800 meters.
It's a simple strategy, and that's precisely why Smart Falcon might have made her move, too.
"Haru Urara and Slein are accelerating...?! Smart Falcon is accelerating, too?! She's pulling even further ahead?! Haru Urara is gradually catching up, but the gap isn't closing! What is this pace?!"
"This can't be... No, she's an Uma Musume who always takes my breath away..."
As she rounds the fourth corner, Smart Falcon enters the home stretch. Despite the fatigue she must have from leading the race, her face was smiling.
"Smart Falcon is smiling! She's running into the home stretch with a confident smile! She's passing the 400-meter marker! The uphill section begins now!"
She's like a jack-in-the-box. The thought that she can now run with such a joyful smile crossed my mind. She might look a little more intense, but it's a huge difference from before.
I'm sure for the current Smart Falcon, running with Urara and the others is just too much fun. I wouldn't say winning is a secondary concern, but she seems to be running without the baggage of winning or prize money.
No, she probably hasn't forgotten about winning. She's definitely running with the desire to beat Urara.
She's having fun, she's getting excited, she's running at full speed from the start. Because she doesn't want to lose, she made her move at the same time Urara and the others did. And then--- she slowed down abruptly on the uphill slope.
Smart Falcon's smile stiffened slightly. But as if the cheers from the stands gave her a push, or as if she'd psyched herself up again, she began to accelerate again.
The reason Smart Falcon slowed down was simple. She had been running at full speed since the start on a dirt track that requires a lot of power to run, especially a "Good" track that's soft and requires even more power. Her limit was bound to come, and the moment she lost her footing even slightly in the sand, she'd become aware of her fatigue.
I know this well because I used to run around with Urara. On an uphill dirt slope when you're completely exhausted, the strain on your body becomes immense.
However, Smart Falcon isn't the same as before. Surprisingly, despite being exhausted, she's running up the slope.
Her speed has dropped compared to before, but her desperate, earnest effort to climb the slope was something she had never shown before.
"Smart Falcon's speed has dropped! She's accelerating again and starting to pull away! But Haru Urara is right behind her! It's Haru Urara! And further back! Slein, who surged from the back, is closing in!"
"It's only natural for her to slow down after running at that pace... but I don't know why she's starting to pull away again at that speed..."
Smart Falcon is kicking the sand and desperately running up the slope. Urara, who is chasing her, looks surprised at the distance that has become difficult to close again. But as if to say, "That's exactly what I want," Urara smiles and accelerates.
"She's here! Haru Urara is here! The uphill slope is nothing to her! She's quickly climbing up and is now 2 lengths behind Smart Falcon! There are 200 meters left to the finish line!"
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! URARAAAAAA!"
I shouted towards Urara, who was climbing the slope. The rest of the course is mostly flat. Smart Falcon must be exhausted, but so is Urara. From here on, it's all about who has more stamina left and more grit.
"Do your best! Urara-chan! Just a little bit more!"
"You can do it, Urara-san!"
Rice and King also shouted their support. The other spectators also cheered for their respective Uma Musume.
The entire Chukyo Racecourse vibrated, so much so that the sand on the dirt track might slide down the slope from the vibrations.
"Just a little bit more! Just a little bit more! Just a little bit more to the finish line! And the gap between Smart Falcon and Haru Urara is also just a little bit more! They're side by side! Now! Haru Urara is side by side with her! The finish line is just ahead! Less than 30 meters! Haru Urara has pulled slightly ahead?! And Slein has also surged forward! And now, the finish line!"
A murmuring sound rose from the crowd.
It was because at the moment Urara and Smart Falcon were about to lunge for the finish line, Slein also rushed in.
But...
(It looks like Urara has the advantage... right?)
That's what it looked like, but what will the result be?
Urara, Smart Falcon, and Slein, who had all crossed the finish line, were all out of breath and looked exhausted, as if they were about to collapse.
Even so, they were catching their breath and staring at the results board. As the other Uma Musume crossed the finish line, the cheers from the stands began to die down.
Who won? To find out, everyone fell silent, held their breath, and stared intently at the results board.
There was no "Photo" sign, nor was there a "Steward's Inquiry" sign. When the last Uma Musume crossed the finish line, the results board lit up within a few seconds.
"The order of finish has been determined. 1st place, number 10, Haru Urara, with a winning time of 1:49.1. 2nd place, number 5, Slein, by a nose. 3rd place, number 4, Smart Falcon, by a nose. 4th place, number 2, Heart Caesar, by 2 lengths. 5th place, number 8, Mini Daisy, by 1 length."
With that result, the Chukyo Racecourse was shaken to its core.
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