From late April to early May, Japan enjoys a week-long holiday due to a string of public holidays during that period. However, the trainers of Uma Musu who are about to debut have no such luxury. Their trainees, yes—but for the trainers themselves, the days remain filled with preparation. If the Umas were to continue training right up to their debut, their stamina would surely be compromised.
And so, on May 1st, Labor Day, after taking Oguri Cap and Berno Light to run laps on the Slope Road near the shrine all morning, Shuta An declared a well-earned holiday for the two girls.
He himself, however, still had work to do—whether gathering information on opponents or developing race strategies for Berno Light, there was never enough ti.
May 4th was also a public holiday in Japan. But what Shuta An looked forward to most that day was not leisure—it was the night.
"Tonight, if all goes as expected, I'll have my first race with Oguri Cap in the Dream World," he murmured to himself, rubbing his shoulders as he sat at his desk. "Dirt 800 ters… Though the tactics seem simple—just dash forward in one go—my focus can't be limited to this one race. I have to use it to teach Oguri Cap patience."
He frowned thoughtfully. "An 800-ter dirt race only exists at Kasamatsu-level tracks. Oguri Cap's future will be in mile and middle-distance races. Because of that, she absolutely can't develop the habit of charging forward right from the start—or even experience it once."
With that in mind, Shuta An designated her race plan as Pace Chaser.
Berno Light, however, was different. Since her participation was mainly for experience, Shuta An simply told her to get as close to the lead as she could with a clean start and then run freely, according to her own will.
"No matter how the race ends, just experiencing the atmosphere of competition will be worthwhile for you, Berno Light," he wrote as his final note in his notebook.
After finishing the tactical arrangents and reviewing the opponent analysis he had completed the day before, Shuta An handed both over to Oguri Cap and Berno Light.
"If there's anything you don't understand, co to my office before school ends today," he instructed.
Oguri Cap quickly raised a question. "Trainer told that Fujimasa March will take a Front-runner tactics and that I should go for Pace Chaser tactics. But the debut race is only 800 ters—is that really alright?"
"The 800-ter course at Kasamatsu starts with a long straight, then a curve, and ends with a 238-ter straight," Shuta An began, detailing the track. "It's not purely straight. To lead from start to finish, you'd have to be unquestionably superior to your opponents."
He smiled with quiet confidence. "Everyone at the academy believes Fujimasa March is strong—but I believe you, Oguri Cap, are even more incredible. After the gate opens, stay on Fujimasa March's tail during the straight, then pull slightly wide into the bend to create acceleration space. In the final 200 ters, unleash the explosive power we trained on the Slope Road by the shrine—use it as your winning weapon to overtake her!"
Finally, Shuta An pumped his fist, eyes gleaming. "Mr. Kitahara and I made a bet. If you win, Oguri Cap, he'll treat the three of us to a al at that famous restaurant in Nagoya!"
"Go, Oguri!" Berno Light's eyes lit up.
"Hold on until the final straight, and win with explosive power?" Oguri Cap clutched the paper filled with Shuta An's handwriting, her fingertips tightening over it. She looked up with a determined gaze.
"I'll win according to Trainer's instructions."
That evening, Shuta An skillfully slipped into the Dream World and found himself already wearing his racing silks. He recalled that local jockeys wore their own silks when riding local racehorses.
His silks were striking—vivid red, adorned with five yellow five-pointed stars on the front and back, and the sa motif down the sleeves.
"The reason I designed them like this is because this body's hotown is the sa as my father's…" he murmured, mories surfacing.
Then he shook his head. "Never mind—the point now is to win Oguri Cap's debut race!"
Kasamatsu Racecourse hosted twelve races that day. As an intern jockey, Shuta An's stable was not among the top-ranked, so Trainer Sagami Masayuki could only assign him Oguri Cap for the first race.
"It doesn't matter," Shuta An said, stretching outside the lounge. "As long as Oguri Cap and I can win today's debut, that's enough."
Inside the lounge, several Kasamatsu jockeys glanced his way through the doorway.
"It seems he's only running in the first race today. Let's teach him a lesson—let him know this job isn't easy."
"It's a pity the debut is only 800 ters. Would've been more fun if it were longer."
"I bet he'll suffer a crushing defeat."
"Kasamatsu isn't a place where you can just get by!"
Among them sat Ando, the jockey who had encouraged Shuta An on his first day at the training center. Hearing his colleagues' remarks, he couldn't help but worry quietly.
But he couldn't intervene. Even if he were racing, helping Shuta An by holding back would violate his professional ethics.
Still, when no one was looking, he quietly stood and stepped outside.
"Shuta-kun," Ando whispered, approaching him, "during the race, don't focus only on your horse. Your background's a bit… special here. Be cautious."
Shuta An blinked, then nodded earnestly. "Thank you, Senior Ando. I understand."
It was a fresh experience for him. In the real world, showing his passport was enough to earn basic respect from the Japanese. But in the Dream World, even the slightest difference could cause trouble.
"Then let's see what these smiling tigers can really do on the track." He flexed his wrists, his gaze sharpening.
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