Chapter 41: Future Rivals

The target race, the Yasuda Kinen, had safely concluded, and it was about time to decide on my next run.

That said, our major goals for the year were already set.

"I guess the only G1 races left this year that I can enter are the Sprinters Stakes and the Mile Championship, huh?"

"Pretty much. Those are the big G1s in late September and late November, and both are in the Classic-to-Senior tier… so I’d say the Yasuda Kinen made for a great prep run."

There aren’t many short-distance or mile G1 races. Compared to middle- and long-distance events, they’re clearly fewer in number.

Well, at least it’s better than the dirt races…

"So, those two are definite entries. The question is what to do in between."

"You could go for a G2 or G3, or just jump straight into the G1s without a tune-up. I used to recommend a prep race for you, Lux, but with how you’re performing now, you could skip straight to the main event. There’s also the Summer Sprint Series, but… that might be pushing it?"

"Yeah… for now, the next one on the calendar would be the Sprinters Stakes. Let’s see, its trial races were…"

"The Keeneland Cup and the Centaur Stakes."

"Those two, huh…" I wrote the race names on the whiteboard and started studying them carefully.

First, the Keeneland Cup—yeah, that one’s out. It’s in late August, right during training camp, and it’s held at Sapporo Racecourse.

Sapporo… that’s way too far.

I drew a large X over the Keeneland Cup.

"So yeah, we’ll skip the Keeneland Cup. Analyzing Sapporo’s track won’t help for any upcoming G1s anyway."

"Well, since a lot of girls avoid it for those same reasons, it can actually be a good chance to secure priority entry, you know."

I may only have one G1 win—the Oka Sho—but I’ve built up a solid record beyond that. Entering the Sprinters Stakes shouldn’t be a problem.

Which means running a trial race wouldn’t mean much beyond just “warming up for the real thing.”

So maybe I should skip the Centaur Stakes too…?

"It’s a tough call. I wonder what the other girls are planning."

"About that… apparently, Taiki Shuttle’s overseas expedition got approved."

"Taiki Shuttle, huh? Well, that tracks."

Not exactly a surprise. In the real world, she entered and won the top French mile G1, the Prix Jacques Le Marois.

That race is held in mid-August. The Sprinters Stakes happens at the end of September. Timing-wise, she might just barely make it back to run… maybe.

"You’re not that surprised? We’re talking about the Jacques Le Marois, you know?"

"C’mon, it’s Taiki Shuttle we’re talking about. After seeing her run up close, I wouldn’t even be surprised if she went on to challenge the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp or the Breeders’ Cup Mile next."

Those are both premier mile G1s—the former in France, the latter in the U.S. For Taiki Shuttle, a top finish in either wouldn’t be unthinkable.

"…True enough. Honestly, she’s unbelievable. Watching her race you in the Yasuda Kinen reminded me just how incredible she is."

"Right? There’s hardly anyone else who fits the title ‘Queen of the Mile’ better than her."

"The only saving grace is that she’s not quite as dominant at shorter distances. Still, she’s a brutal opponent."

So, her entry in the Sprinters Stakes was up in the air. Probability-wise, maybe fifty-fifty.

Worst case, she might even skip the Mile Championship. The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp takes place in early September, and the Breeders’ Cup Mile in early November.

Given all that travel, it’s not like she could just fly back and immediately race again.

Well, that’s all assuming she’s aiming to conquer all three overseas G1s.

"Oops, got a bit sidetracked. Anyway, because of that, it looks like not every short-distance or mile runner will be in the same races this season—especially not in the trial races."

"Which means we’ll need to consider the Centaur Stakes more seriously. We’ve been doing mile races for a while now, and part of me wants to get my sprint rhythm back."

Yeah… it’s really a tricky decision.

"Let’s keep it on hold for now. We can decide based on how training camp goes."

"Yeah, let’s do that. Still, going overseas, huh…"

I marked a triangle next to “Centaur Stakes,” keeping it as undecided.

Next, I wrote down the names of the likely competitors I’d be facing soon:

Taiki Shuttle, King Halo, Grass Wonder, Bridge Comp, and Mihono Bourbon.

Among these, the ones most likely to appear in the Sprinters Stakes would be…

"Everyone except Grass Wonder, probably. Trainer, what do you think her next race’ll be?"

"Hmm, I’d say she’s moving toward middle-to-long-distance. Her suitability for mile and under seems to have dropped recently."

"Maybe because of that injury rumor?"

Well, that depends on the girl herself. But I’ve heard she’s been focusing on long-distance training, so she probably won’t be entering the Sprinters Stakes.

"As for the rest… yeah, they’re all probably entering."

"It’s going to be a fierce battle…"

First, King Halo. She may have lost steam near the end of the Yasuda Kinen, but she’s not someone I can take lightly.

From what she told me, it sounded like she got caught in my tactical setup. But King’s not the type to fall for the same trick twice.

Next, Mihono Bourbon—yeah, she’s straight-up terrifying.

After awakening her Unique Skill, her final stretch acceleration was insane. I could barely even keep up with her.

…And to think Taiki Shuttle overtook that. Seriously, how busted is she?

"Then there’s Bridge Comp… she’s a powerhouse too."

Bridge Comp—my roommate, and also my benefactor.

She tends to get overshadowed by the other monsters, but she’s a serious contender in her own right.

After running side by side with her, I realized she’s surprisingly versatile too.

"Preparing for rivals is important, but it’s not everything."

Yeah… my trainer’s right about that.

Anyway, that about settles our race plan for now.

"Hm? What’s this—new student info?"

"Yeah. As a trainer, I need to keep an eye on the newcomers. One of them might become your future rival, Lux."

"Huh… interesting."

If I hadn’t already talked things through with my trainer about our contract the other day, I probably would’ve panicked and taken that the wrong way.

But nah—no worries here. I’ve got an exclusive contract with my trainer. No one’s stealing him from me.

I flipped through the documents casually—until my hand stopped on one particular page.

"C-Curren… Chan…?"

"So you’ve heard too, Lux. That UmaStagram idol ‘Curren’—the one everyone’s talking about—just transferred here."

"Ah… yeah…"

Whoa, whoa, whoa, seriously!? She’s coming now of all times!?

Curren Chan. In real life, she’s a purebred sprinter—known as the Queen of Short Distances.
If she’s debuting this year, she’ll be in direct competition with me… Great. What do I even do with this?

"Trainer, I’m heading out for a bit of recon. There’s something I want to check."

"Hm? Go ahead… though, let me guess—it’s about Curren Chan? Normally I’d say, ‘It’s just another PR stunt,’ but knowing you, you’re going to check for yourself, aren’t you?"

"I’ll confirm that part too."

I left the trainer’s office and went looking for Curren Chan.

After wandering around the academy for a while, a thought hit me—wait, couldn’t I narrow down her location just by checking her UmaStagram posts?

I searched for her account, “Curren,” and scrolled through the latest post. Not gonna lie, it took me a while since I didn’t even have an account.

“Training hard again today for my debut! #CuteCurrenChan #TrainingWithBigSis” —the caption came with a picture clearly taken on the Tracen training grounds.

And the post time was… fifteen minutes ago! If I hurry, I might still catch her!

“Hm, I guess posts about races still don’t get much engagement, huh? Gotta keep working on that.”

Just in time! I spotted Curren Chan right as she was finishing up and packing her things. Whew, lucky.
Hmm… her physique looks great—definitely no joke. This one’s dangerous.

As I was quietly observing, she suddenly turned toward me. Oh crap—did she notice!?

“Ah! You’re—!”

Yup, she definitely noticed. Curren Chan came running straight over.
Her stride and balance were both solid—no wasted movement. Yeah, she’s not just here for attention.

“You’re Lux, right? Nice to meet you! I’m Curren Chan, the UmaStagram idol ☆”

“Uh, nice to meet you too…?”

I wasn’t surprised she already knew my name.
I’m a GⅠ Uma Musume after all, so I’ve got some recognition—and any potential rival would’ve done her homework.
…Though I’d rather not be that kind of trending rival, thanks.

“How about we take a quick pic to commemorate our first meeting? C’mon, come closer!”

“W-wait, hold on—”

“Smile, smile~! ☆ Say cheese!”

Wait, what!? What’s even happening right now!?

Before I could react, Curren Chan was already snapping photos with her phone.
It’s honestly annoying how muscle memory kicks in—I can’t help but pose automatically whenever a camera points at me.

“There! Perfect! Mind if I post it?”

“If it’s just a picture with me, I don’t mind. But… uh, could I check your legs for a moment in exchange?”

“Eh?”

I wanted to see firsthand what kind of condition the Curren Chan was in—but…

“Um… are you into that kind of thing…?”

“No! That’s not it at all! I just want to see how a promising junior’s doing!”

Oh no, she’s completely misunderstanding me!
Yeah, that one’s on me. Poor phrasing.

“Ohhh, I see what you mean. In that case, sure—just a little, okay? ☆”

“Then, excuse me for a moment…”

“I’ll go ahead and make the post! Let’s see—‘Selfie with Lux♪ #NewEncounter #CuteCurrenChan’—done!”

Her hind legs feel solid, and her overall conditioning’s great. But there’s still room to grow.
Makes sense, though—she’s only been here for, what, three months?

…Three months and she’s already like this? That’s insane.

“Mmm… yeah, she’s definitely a major threat…”

“Um, are you done? If you keep feeling me up like that, Curren’s gonna get embarrassed~”

“S-sorry!”

Yup, I’ll need to come up with a strategy for her next year.
Still, just meeting the Curren in person is something worth celebrating.

“Hehehe, Lux, you’re super popular! Look—it’s already got forty thousand Likes! See?”

Whoa… The comments are pouring in too. “So cute!” “Cool plus cute equals cuter!” …Pretty positive overall.

“Haha, this kind of thing’s new for me. I usually stick to Uma-Tter, and even that’s basically run by my trainer.”

“Ehh!? That’s such a waste!”

“I’m terrible at keeping up with stuff like that—I’d definitely abandon it after a few posts.”

Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t mesh well with someone as bubbly and sparkly as Curren Chan… but she’s easier to talk to than I expected.

We chatted about nothing in particular until the sky turned red with sunset, then naturally drifted toward the cafeteria together.

“I actually came here because of you, Lux.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yup! When I saw you run, I thought, ‘So that’s another kind of cute.’”

My running style… it’s got a reputation. The way I burst to the front and steal the win—it must look great on camera.
But I never imagined even Curren Chan would be inspired by it.

“Hearing that makes it all worth it. I’m sure you’ll be just as popular in no time.”

“Hehe, I hope so~”

The future rival—Curren Chan.
How will her arrival change me, I wonder…