After entering the gate, with a short interval still remaining before the start, Shuta An did not imdiately fix his attention on the track.
As he gently rubbed Rice Shower's neck, feeling the warmth beneath his coat, his thoughts drifted elsewhere—to Yutaka Take, who had not co to Nakayama for the Satsuki Sho.
"Second on last year's rankings, yet he can skip the Classic races just like that," the Young man muttered to himself. "He really doesn't value his opportunities at all."
He let out a faint breath.
"When I get back to Kyoto, I'll definitely have to mock him for this."
Shaking his head slightly, he corrected himself just as quickly.
"Of course, that's only if I don't perform badly here."
Otherwise, the one being mocked tomorrow in so Kyoto restaurant—would be him.
With that thought, Shuta An tightened his grip on the reins.
"In any case, finishing in the top five counts as a win."
Given that even with him riding, Rice Shower's odds stood at 50 to 1—tenth in popularity—a top-five finish would already be considered a respectable upset.
—
Once all eighteen runners had entered the gates, Shuta An finally lifted his gaze forward.
"One year ago, right here…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Teio and I took the first step toward an undefeated Triple Crown."
Now, one year later—He was back again.
"Even if winning isn't realistic this ti—"
He leaned forward slightly, adjusting his posture in the saddle.
"I'm still here."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"At least compared to Yutaka Take, who doesn't even have a mount and can only stay at Hanshin—"
"I'm already much luckier."
—
The next instant—
The gates snapped open.
Shuta An pressed forward with both hands, and Rice Shower responded imdiately, bursting cleanly out of the gate.
The timing was perfect.
Neither too early nor too late.
Exactly what he needed for a mid-pack strategy.
"Good start."
A trace of satisfaction flickered across his expression.
After the break, the field charged down the 405-ter opening straight. Shuta An kept Rice Shower firmly within the pack, making no attempt to drift outward.
"Still too early."
He remained calm.
"There's no need to fight for position now."
For the ti being, what mattered most was maintaining rhythm.
"Just stay steady. Don't rush."
He allowed Rice Shower to settle naturally, holding her position while conserving energy.
The early contest for position—
That was Mihono Bourbon's responsibility.
Not his.
—
Ahead, Kojima Sadahiro had already guided Mihono Bourbon into stride.
After adjusting her gait, Mihono Bourbon began to accelerate, her intent unmistakable.
He was going for the lead.
The other jockeys, fully aware of his strength, chose not to challenge his, yielding the position without resistance.
"As expected."
Shuta An's gaze remained fixed on the pair ahead.
Then, just as they approached the first bend—His brow lifted slightly.
"He's easing off?"
He watched carefully.
"Kojima Sadahiro is reining him in…planning to slow the pace through the turn?"
If Mihono Bourbon could conserve him stamina smoothly, it would only make things more difficult later.
But none of the other jockeys showed any intention of pressing forward.
Shuta An didn't act either.
Rice Shower wasn't like Tokai Teio.
His current ability did not allow for reckless decisions.
—
"It seems Shuta-kun has chosen a conservative approach—"
From the stands, Rice Shower's owner watched anxiously.
Now—everything depended on whether her current developnt was enough.
As an owner, he naturally hoped for the best possible result. But both Shuta An and Iizuka Yoshitsugu had already agreed on the plan.
"Top five is enough."
Securing a place in the Japanese Derby—That was the true objective.
"And the real target… is the Kikuka Sho."
—
By the ti they entered the backstretch, Shuta An had guided Rice Shower into eighth place.
During the earlier turn, he had subtly shifted her slightly outward. Though this allowed Narita Taisei behind them to advance, it was of no concern.
Unless that jockey was willing to risk a penalty by forcing contact—
Narita Taisei would be trapped behind if Rice Shower chose not to accelerate.
"No threat."
Passing the 1000-ter mark, Shuta An quickly estimated the pace.
"About 59 and a half seconds."
His lips curved faintly.
"Not exactly slow."
He almost wanted to laugh.
"I actually thought Kojima Sadahiro might show more finesse in setting the pace."
—
He briefly glanced to the side.
Narita Taisei looked in excellent condition.
"Fourth favorite, if I rember correctly."
Withdrawing his gaze, Shuta An returned his focus forward.
"The front group is all holding up well."
As Rice Shower exited the backstretch and entered the final bend, Mihono Bourbon still held the lead.
Taking advantage of the downhill section, Kojima Sadahiro allowed him to ease slightly, conserving energy without needing to intervene.
Mihono Bourbon himself seed to sense it.
His stride adjusted naturally.
Preparing.
For the final sprint.
—
Shuta An did not remain idle.
He began adjusting Rice Shower's stride frequency, gradually refining his rhythm.
"Top five is enough."
That was what he had said.
But—If he simply followed Kojima Sadahiro's conservative approach, even that might beco difficult.
"His strength isn't enough yet."
His grip tightened slightly.
"So I'll make up the difference myself."
He shifted the whip into his right hand, holding it in a reverse grip.
"Good thing I won three races earlier."
A faint, wry thought crossed his mind.
"Otherwise, today's winnings wouldn't even cover the fine."
The technique he was preparing to use—
The windmill whip.
Explicitly prohibited.
Guaranteed to incur a penalty.
And yet—
At a critical mont, it was also one of his most effective tools.
"I'll need to take the initiative."
As if sensing his intent, Rice Shower subtly shifted his lead, his body preparing for the transition.
The final straight—was approaching.
In the VIP stands, Iizuka Yoshitsugu noticed the mont Rice Shower changed leads, and his hands tightened unconsciously into fists.
His gaze then shifted forward, locking onto Mihono Bourbon at the very front of the pack.
"His stamina is completely at odds with his bloodline," he muttered under his breath. "Running the first 1000 ters in 59.2 seconds… and still able to unleash such a composed final burst…"
His expression grew more complex.
"Trainer Toyama Tao truly lives up to his reputation as a Derby-winning trainer—incredible."
There was no disguising it—
He couldn't replicate that kind of training.
And although unwilling to admit it, he had to acknowledge that Mihono Bourbon, shaped by Toyama Tao's philosophy, was indeed the most outstanding talent of his generation.
"No problem!" The owner beside him spoke up, as if sensing his thoughts. "Even if Mihono Bourbon is strong, our original goal was never the Satsuki Sho."
He leaned forward slightly, voice steady.
"When it cos to the Kikuka Sho… Rice Shower and Shuta-kun will definitely be able to challenge his head-on! Isn't there a saying—'the strongest horse wins the Kikuka Sho'?"
"You're right." Iizuka Yoshitsugu bit his lip lightly and nodded. "Ti is on our side."
Almost the mont he said that—
The comntator's voice erupted.
"Too strong! Too strong! Too strong! Mihono Bourbon is simply unstoppable! No one can even touch her shadow! He's completely shaken off all his rivals! Kojima Sadahiro is about to claim his first Classic victory! Another undefeated Satsuki Sho winner is about to be born—following last year's!"
"Unbelievable! Only 200 ters remain! Mihono Bourbon has already secured the win! Now the question is—can Stant Man hold onto second place?!"
But neither Iizuka Yoshitsugu nor the owner paid any attention to that.
Their eyes were fixed on one thing—Rice Shower.
"Top five… top five… top five…" the owner muttered repeatedly under his breath.
"Of course he will!" Iizuka Yoshitsugu cut in firmly. "Because it's Shuta-kun—of course he will!"
If he couldn't trust Shuta An, whose performance this year rivaled even last year's brilliance—
Then who else could he trust?
"As long as he gets into the top five, we won't need to run extra races to secure a Derby slot," he added quickly. "He can get proper rest!"
If possible, he wanted to avoid putting Rice Shower through an overly intense schedule. Last year, after the Fuyo Stakes, he had already been forced to withdraw from subsequent races due to leg discomfort.
Now, in the crucial first half of the Classic season—
He could not afford any setbacks.
—
Rice Shower's owner, anwhile, had shifted his gaze to the iconic slope in front of the Nakayama grandstand.
At that mont, Rice Shower had already begun to close in—
Then his speed dipped slightly.
For an instant, panic flickered across his face.
But when he noticed that other horses were slowing as well, realization followed.
"The uphill section."
He let out a silent breath.
"I was overthinking it."
Even so, the tension in his chest did not ease.
—
On the track, Shuta An had already made his move.
Just like the year before—
The mont Rice Shower entered the slope, he used Highlander.
Even then, his deceleration was still more pronounced than what Tokai Teio had shown last year.
But—his other rivals were slowing down even more.
Shuta An felt no unease.
He simply continued to drive his forward, occasionally using the whip to ensure he didn't lose montum.
Unlike those watching from the stands—He was completely calm. Because from the very beginning, the objective had been clear.
And now—Rice Shower had already surged into fifth place.
Mayano Petrus, who had been holding that position, lost speed the mont he was overtaken, the gap widening with every stride.
With more than fifty ters still remaining—The goal had already been achieved.
—
At Hanshin Racecourse, Yutaka Take sat in the jockey waiting room, watching the race alongside his colleagues.
"Even for Shuta— beating Mihono Bourbon is nearly impossible," Naosuke Sugai sighed.
"That's not his problem," Yoshinori Muramoto retorted. "Rice Shower just isn't strong enough. Give him last year's Tokai Teio, and Mihono Bourbon wouldn't stand a chance."
"I agree," Yutaka Take nodded. "Teio is stronger. Mihono Bourbon is impressive too… but his jockey…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
There was no need to.
Everyone understood.
There were many top-tier Kansai jockeys—But Kojima Sadahiro was not among them.
—
"Still," Yutaka Take murmured inwardly, "Ann-san knows Rice Shower isn't strong enough to challenge Mihono Bourbon… so why is he still investing so much in him?"
He couldn't understand it.
"Could it be… he sees sothing we don't?"
His brows furrowed slightly.
"But then again… his eye for horses is exceptional."
After all, it was said that Sunday Silence had been strongly recomnded by him.
Thinking of that, a spark of anticipation rose within him.
He wanted to ride one of Sunday Silence's offspring.
Very much.
After all—He had never won a Derby.
While his close friend had already beco an undefeated Triple Crown jockey.
"I'm really envious."
—
Back on the track, after cresting the slope, less than fifty ters remained.
Even though the result was already secured, Shuta An did not ease up.
"Just a little more."
He switched the whip to his left hand, delivering two precise strikes, while his right hand tightened on the reins, pushing Rice Shower's hindquarters forward with force.
No room—
For slowing down.
No room—
For hesitation.
Even now, he kept his at full sprint, chasing shadows she could no longer reach.
—
Then—
With less than ten ters to go—
Mihono Bourbon crossed the finish line.
"Mihono Bourbon wins! His second G1 victory after the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes! Another undefeated Satsuki Sho winner since Tokai Teio!" the comntator roared. "After Mr. CB's Triple Crown, Symboli Rudolf followed! Now, after Tokai Teio's undefeated Triple Crown—can Mihono Bourbon do the sa this year?!"
The question echoed across the venue.
But for Iizuka Yoshitsugu and Rice Shower's owner—
It didn't matter.
Because what they saw was—
Rice Shower crossing the line.
Fourth place.
—
"This is… wonderful!" Iizuka Yoshitsugu finally exhaled, his entire body relaxing. "He made it into the Derby—he really made it!"
This ti, the owner spoke first.
"Let's aim for top three in the Derby," he said firmly. "An even better result than this."
"Good—good—good!" Iizuka Yoshitsugu's smile stretched wide, almost uncontrollable.
For a tenth favorite to finish fourth—
What more could a Trainer ask for?
—
Amid the roaring cheers for Mihono Bourbon, Shuta An guided Rice Shower across the finish line.
The crowd's excitent surged.
But none of it belonged to them.
Lowering his head slightly, he reached forward and patted his neck.
"At the Kikuka Sho—"
His voice was quiet, yet unwavering.
"—those cheers will be ours."
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