Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Ten Meters Chapter 59: Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Ten Meters [59]

Honestly, Yasui Makoto wouldn't normally describe an Uma Musu as "problematic," but the Golden Family was truly sothing else…

It wasn't that they had problems exactly—it was that each mber was even stranger than the last.

For example, one had tried biting her opponents' tails during a race, another refused to enter the gate when throwing a tantrum, another argued openly in the paddock, and yet another tried hunting down her trainer after losing…

Yet, paradoxically, the more troubleso they were, the stronger they tended to beco.

Two mbers who had retired a few years ago perfectly demonstrated this:

One had won the Classic Triple Crown, becoming one of only seven Triple Crown Uma Musu in history.

The other, though not exceptional in the classics, had secured victory in a prestigious G1 like the Takarazuka Kinen, and even achieved second place in Europe's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—an incredibly prestigious accomplishnt for any Japanese Uma Musu.

As for Gold Ship, she perfectly inherited her family's legendary "Golden Spirit."

Rumor had it that she never participated in regular training. While other Uma Musu were busy running, she'd be off playing chess, cards, solving Rubik's cubes, or practicing strange exercises like "smashing waterlons with a single finger."

Yet, despite all this, she'd already clinched victories in classic G1 races like the Satsuki Sho and Kikuka Sho, as well as prestigious races such as the Arima Kinen and two consecutive wins at the Takarazuka Kinen.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her one of the strongest active racers.

Naturally, Yasui Makoto had carefully analyzed her training and racing patterns, ultimately reaching a single conclusion:

Can't understand her. Can't replicate her. Give up now. Anyone who tries is dood.

Now that he'd discovered his own Uma Musu was acquainted with Gold Ship, Yasui had only one thought:

I absolutely cannot let Kita-chan get influenced by soone that bizarre.

After briefly nursing his headache, Yasui noticed the three Uma Musu still staring at him in shock, and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"The reason I guessed…is actually quite simple."

He flipped over his phone and explained:

"My feeling was that any friend of Daiwa-senpai and Vodka-senpai wouldn't be an ordinary Uma Musu. Of course, that's a bit biased, but Vodka ntioned she was too famous. That narrowed things down."

"On the 22nd at Hanshin, the highlight is clearly the 11th race—the G2 Hanshin Daishoten."

"Just looking at that race, the most famous entrant is undoubtedly Gold Ship, with five G1 victories and consecutive Takarazuka wins. The promotional materials even feature her prominently on the hopage."

"So naturally, she was my first guess."

"I just didn't think I'd get it right on the first try."

After hearing his explanation, the three Uma Musu nodded in sudden understanding. Yasui paused for a mont before asking curiously:

"Have you all known her for long?"

"Oh yeah, Golshi…how to put it? She's unique, for sure." Daiwa Scarlet chuckled, nodding slightly.

"Her talent is incredible, and her academic results were also strangely good, so she entered school early."

"But she's always disliked the training provided by the school or assigned trainers, and she reached honkaku-ka a bit later. So even though she's technically your senpai, she might end up racing alongside Kita-chan."

Yasui nodded thoughtfully.

Though he couldn't understand Gold Ship's training thods or race strategies, her physical data and raw capabilities were unquestionable.

This was her third year in the senior division. Most Uma Musu's performance would have started to decline at this point, yet Gold Ship's condition remained surprisingly stable.

The main noticeable decline had happened around last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and even then, only her race-day performances had dropped slightly—her training stats remained strong.

According to publicly available data, after this weekend's Hanshin Daishoten, her next races were scheduled as the Tenno Sho (Spring), followed by the Takarazuka Kinen.

Comparing her past performances, the Tenno Sho (Spring) might present a significant challenge. But considering her two consecutive Takarazuka Kinen victories, a third consecutive win wouldn't be surprising.

If she perford well in these two G1 races, predicting her autumn schedule was simple enough.

She'd either pursue another attempt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe overseas, like last year, or tackle the demanding dostic autumn triple of Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup, and Arima Kinen—or perhaps pick two out of those three due to the difficulty of consecutive G1 runs.

If Kitasan Black's Triple Crown results turned out well, she might genuinely encounter Gold Ship at the year-end Arima Kinen.

Speaking of Arima and Takarazuka, wasn't there a famous edition of Takarazuka this year in my previous life?

Just as Yasui began recalling those details, a curious voice from Kitasan caught his attention.

"Eh? Another senpai I know is coming to cheer on?"

Confused yet excited, Kitasan Black clenched her fists in anticipation, ears flickering rapidly and tail swishing eagerly behind her.

"Who is it, Daiwa-senpai, Vodka-senpai?"

"Hehehe, we can't tell you that!" Daiwa Scarlet exchanged another knowing glance with Vodka, shaking her head playfully.

"We already agreed with her to keep it a little surprise, so obviously we can't spoil it now."

"Anyway, it's been so long since we all graduated. So went abroad, others got jobs—it's been forever since we last gathered."

"With you and Golshi both racing this weekend, Vodka and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring everyone together again."

"So just look forward to it, okay, Kita-chan?"

"Oh, okay…" Kitasan drooped her ears slightly in disappointnt before quickly perking up again. "Mm! I'll look forward to it! I promise not to disappoint my senpai during my race!"

...

Afternoon, March 21, Central Academy branch near Nakayama Racecourse.

Unlike her previous two races at Tokyo Racecourse, Nakayama Racecourse was located east of Tokyo's 23 wards, in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture—around forty to fifty kiloters from Central Tracen Academy's main campus.

Such a distance was manageable by shinkansen or subway, taking less than an hour including transit. However, Uma Musu typically traveled to a nearby branch campus a day early, staying overnight under academy supervision.

Booking a hotel independently or traveling directly on race day was possible but required approval from both the trainer and the Uma Musu's family.

This arrangent was primarily about adaptability.

Many Uma Musu initially struggled to adjust to unfamiliar racecourses, which could negatively impact their performance. Individual adaptability varied greatly, often correlating closely with general physical health, making this subtle challenge an implicit test as well.

Tokyo, Kyoto, Hanshin, Nakayama, Chukyo, Oi, Sapporo, Hakodate, Niigata, Kokura, Matsunami—the eleven central racetracks scattered across Japan varied in soil, grass quality, slopes, and climate.

Even if Kitasan Black didn't run at every racecourse in the future, she certainly wouldn't remain limited to just one location.

Despite her exceptional physical condition and experience traveling frequently as a child, Yasui Makoto still opted for prudence, requesting accommodation at the academy dormitory near Nakayama.

Much like Sundays, today was also a race day, leaving the branch campus quiet, with nurous empty rooms.

Aside from Kitasan Black's dormitory arrangents, Yasui had also received his own lodging, along with a temporary office.