Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 261 Good Luck Next Time
With the sound of a gunshot, the Saratoga Mile race, starting from Wilson Bend, officially began.

Horse racing agents and owners alike turned their attention to the first horse to emerge from the gate, a stag with fur.

Kitano's gaze, however, remained fixed on the chaotic herd of horses.

found it.

A figure with chestnut fur of almost the same color, mixed among several deer-haired horses.

as well as--

Chestnut horse was clearly left behind at the back of the pack due to a mistake at the gate.

Amidst the splashing mud, Tochigi's steps showed no sign of anxiety.

"He certainly seems to have a good temperament."

On the other side, Huangshan looked with some concern at the chestnut-haired figure at the back of the group.

"I feel like the reins over there are a bit difficult to pull on."

It's the kind of racehorse that doesn't show its true colors on ordinary days, but becomes exceptionally troublesome once it's on the track.

Whether as a rider or a trainer, he worked with this type of guy quite often.

It's almost become an instinctive reaction.

"Ninth-grade Tochigi from the Nakadan region looks pretty good."

"The chestnut-haired one in the third rank and the deer-haired one in the seventh rank don't seem to be very good. The fourth deer-haired one in the front, however, seems to be very fast."

"Let's forget about that child."

The owner and trainer were still exchanging opinions when the race was already nearing its end.

"Kangaroo Court, beautiful finish line!"

On a clear autumn day at the Saratoga racetrack, the highly anticipated Bloody won the auction race by a margin of two and a quarter lengths.

Although the lead was not large, its dominant performance, leading from the start to the finish line, gave it an overwhelming advantage over the horses that came in second and later.

Before the race was even over, the horse owners were already heading to the auction venue.

Generally speaking, it is difficult for a bloodhorse to perform at an "average" level in a race due to its extremely unstable temperament.

It's either extremely good or extremely bad.

Of course, horse owners who had long considered deer-haired horses their top priority tacitly ignored this fact.

Amidst the chaotic crowd, Kitano also took out his phone.

After dialing the Saratoga racing schedule office, I spoke without any hesitation.

“A tender offer has been made for ‘Next Lucky’ in the name of Breeders Limited.”

"Okay, is this bid a recourse bid?"

A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone.

A recourse bid is a bid made by the original owner after the race has been auctioned off, in a manner that indicates a change of heart.

There have been precedents of a horse that suddenly breaks out after a series of defeats.

"no."

"Is it okay if the owner's asking price is $42,000 including tax?"

The price was slightly higher than I expected.

However, it is still much cheaper than the cost of importing companion horses from Japan.

"no problem."

Kitano glanced at the staff who were starting to walk toward the track and responded in fluent English.

Thanks to Ms. Xuhe's intensive tutoring, I'm now fairly familiar with this process.

Once the bidder's name, payment method, and contact information are submitted, the interstate bid from the Kentucky horse owner is officially accepted.

Four racehorses on the track had red markers on their tails to signify successful bidding, while the winner, Kangaroo Court, was led to the auction venue alone.

The staff who had already left suddenly returned.

Even Tochigi Mama, who was staring blankly at the bulletin board, was marked.

"Let's go check out the next one."

After confirming the successful launch of the auction, Kitano did not rush to celebrate.

The New York State Jockey Club stipulates that the bidding period ends 15 minutes after the race.

In other words, there is still a possibility that other horse owners will join the bidding.

When multiple bids are received for the same racehorse, Saratoga Racecourse uses the same approach as other racecourses.

Draw lots.

At this point, it's basically equivalent to losing the chance to bid on a horse.

Although it sounds pessimistic, Kitano has never had high expectations for his luck.

Fortunately, this time the luck wasn't too bad.

While I was still observing the next race at the picnic site, I immediately received a call from the horse racing schedule office.

It was still a deep male voice. The other party first briefly congratulated Kitano on his successful bid, and then solemnly stated the rule that payment must be made in full by today.

After hanging up the phone, Kitano let out a soft breath.

Upon arriving at the Saratoga race schedule office, horse owners lined up to pay their auction fees.

"Please come in, Mr. Kangaroo Court buyer."

Such a sound came from inside the office.

The New Yorker at the front of the line swaggered in, his face beaming with barely suppressed smiles.

Although, this smile will most likely only last until the next match.

After the previous horse owners had finished paying, it was finally Kitano's turn.

"Can I go see that horse?"

After completing the payment with his Visa card, Kitano asked the horse racing club staff member in front of him.

"what ever."

"However, the horse's trainer didn't come today. It would be best to give him a call if you want to contact him."

The other person flipped through the documents without looking up.

"No, this is fine."

After leaving the office, he nodded toward the barren mountain that was waiting outside.

"Let's go and see it together."

As he spoke, Kitano put the pedigree certificate he had just received, along with the horse owner's certificate, into his satchel.

Father Zantun, Mother Father Broken Vow, Three-Year-Old Stallion Named Next Good Luck.

Including today's auction game, he has now achieved a nine-game winless streak since his debut.

His best result was fourth place in the Churchill Gardens Mud Mile race when he was two years old.

Although there were only six runners in that race.

Upon arriving at the stable area, just as the staff had said, we were unable to spot Next Lucky trainer.

Kitano stopped in front of the stable and waved to the Tochigo horse in front of him.

"Hello, little one."

With his eyes half-closed and looking exhausted, he finally raised his head after a while.

The Tochiguri horse, which had just finished the race, was still steaming with white vapor.

It looked like it was about to burn out completely.

Could it be a health problem?

With these concerns in mind, Kitano placed his palm against the fence and activated the [Detector].

Better Next Time

【M3】

【Tochiguri hair】

[Distance suitability:?]

【Race suitability: Grass: ◎ Mud: △】

【Foot texture: ? 】

【Growth type:?】

[Temperament:?]

【character:?】

【speed:?】

【physical strength:? 】

[Winning and Losing Instinct: B+]

【Instant power:?】

[Strength: D-]

【healthy:?】

【Xian:? 】

[Spiritual power:?]

【Softness:? 】

"I see."

He couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Tochigiri horse approached and gently nuzzled Kitano's palm with its nose.

It felt somewhat damp to the touch.

(End of this chapter)