Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 269 A Sprint Overcoming Doubts

The distance is gradually closing.

Despite the approaching red and green colors of the female rider in the distance, her wrists gripping the reins remained firmly in place.

"There's no need to change the pace at this time."

Jin Meiqi firmly believed that Megumi Sakuya's strength was sufficient to handle the challenge before her.

In the overlapping line of sight between man and horse, there is only one road.

Ewing's point guard, who is used to running short distances of less than one mile, kept raising his head and showing an uncontrollable desire to sprint after leaving the gate.

"If you let the opponent escape, you can't win the game."

With this realization, Du Manlai pulled hard on the reins, his gaze fixed only on the backs of the man and horse in front of him.

With determination and the sound of hooves kicking up mud and sand, the distance between challenger and challenged grew smaller and smaller.

"The first quarter mile took 22.89 seconds. Meguro Sakuya was still in the lead, Ewing was in second place on the inside, and Colonel Dixie was in third place behind her."

The commentator's tone was slightly hesitant, and Frank vaguely sensed the unusual developments on the field.

Despite Meguro Sakuya and Kim Mei-ki deliberately creating a slower pace, Du Manlai was unable to suppress the momentum of his horse.

He increased the force of his push again, and the point guard caught up to the inside side where he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Meguro Sakuya.

Amidst the cheers of the track commentators, the figures of Deer Hair and Chestnut Hair slowly intertwined.

"Ewing took the lead in the latter part of the straight, Meguro Sakuya dropped to second on the outside, and Colonel Dixie led the pack in third place. The first half mile took 46.32 seconds, thanks to the relatively fast pace brought by Ewing's comeback!"

Behind the two leaders, one fast and one slow, the three racehorses led by Colonel Dixie gradually fell behind.

The similar scene reminded horse racing fans of the legendary "God-Slaying Battle" that also took place at the Woodward Trophy.

Could this be the Waterloo for the female secretariat?

A feverish fervor, tinged with unease, quickly spread through the stands.

Side reins—

As they passed each other, the female rider merely pursed her lips slightly.

The emotions flashed through my mind so quickly that I didn't even have time to fully appreciate them before I was back to the game in front of me.

Taking advantage of a brief opening as Ewing moved forward, Kim Mi-ki moved close to the inside of the defense.

Without a single thought, the female rider had only one goal at that moment—

Save energy when navigating curves.

The collision of water and fire did not occur, and amidst countless sighs of relief or disappointment, the two sides completed their exchange of positions.

The moment he stepped into the bend, Du Manlai pursed his lips and raised his riding whip without hesitation.

The next moment, the whip fell.

"Ewing has gained a lead of about a horse length at the third turn, with Mejiro Sakuya close to the inside rail behind him, and Colonel Dixie is also chasing from a horse behind!"

The Champions' Training Grounds at Bellmont Park, one and a half miles long, truly revealed its fangs at this moment.

"If we don't exert our strength now, it will be too late!"

Seeing the situation on the field deteriorating, Zepp and Huangshan couldn't help but show anxious expressions.

Kitano slightly shifted his gaze from the large screen, his tone as calm as ever—

"It's not time for that yet."

The Xuhe siblings nodded in agreement.

The race continues on the main dirt track of Belmont Park, affectionately known as "Big Sandy" by horse racing fans.

Wearing a white and green racing suit and a white and green race bib, the rider and horse, carrying the weight of immense popularity, smoothly navigated the third bend. All five racehorses then began to accelerate.

"With three-quarters of the race underway, Ewing, the point guard on the inside, is maintaining the lead, while Mejiro Sakuya and Colonel Dixie on the outside are chasing from behind. They are now heading towards the final 1,100 feet of the main track!"

Frank's melodious commentary was quickly drowned out by the clamor erupting from the stands.

The deer-haired physique, honed to perfection since last winter, and the female rider, who was at the center of the controversy from the very beginning, seemed to be battling an invisible enemy called pressure.

Avoiding the mud and sand splashing up from the inside, Jin Meiqi decisively steered the reins to aim at the outside.

Upon entering the straight section, the female rider lashed out with her whip twice in quick succession.

The looming shadow was neither Colonel Dixie nor point guard Ewing, but rather the heavy expectation that could crush an ordinary person.

Jin Meiqi lashed out with the third whip.

As if toying with her opponent, Megumi Sakuya suddenly shook off her and regained the lead with a sharp, arrow-like kick.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye at Colonel Dixie, who was falling behind, the female rider turned her head away from the fluttering green bow.

Then, whip it straight to the finish line.

With victory in hand, the rest of the race is now a solo race between the rider and his horse.

"Mejiro Sakuya caught up with one player on the outside, while Ewing's point guard was still chasing, but Mejiro Sakuya's advantage had widened to two horse lengths!"

The obvious facts reveal the enormous gap that exists between the two sides.

At this moment, the previously wavering horse racing fans finally realized—

Sakuya Megumi would never easily give in to such a simple predicament.

The unease vanished in an instant.

"The mare champion after sixteen years, an undisputed champion!"

Frank's passionate narration and the flashing text on the electronic screen complemented each other.

In the Bemonen arena, which is unfavorable for mares, and against stronger stallions, Meguro Sakuya won the race by two and a quarter of a horse length.

This also became the new record for the Woodward Championship since its return to Bellmont.

The opponent, who once had a great chance, left only with a look of resentment behind the victor as he clenched his fist in celebration.

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"This is a great race, and I believe the Breeders' Cup, which is destined to be a bountiful one, is just around the corner."

—Mo Jinxian
"—His footwork wasn't affected at all in the first half of the match."

"—Although at one point I wondered if it would have been better to keep up, I decided to run at my own pace. I owe that to Sakuya; in a way, she helped me stay calm."

"It's a racehorse that's quite different from what people say; it's very easy to manipulate (laughs)."

"For dirt races, this is actually a very good temperament."

"But it's still a bit difficult."

"Both physically and mentally, but that's the price of riding a strong horse."

—Could you share your expectations for the Breeders' Cup?

"The only goal is, of course, the championship."

— Nikkan Sport — "The Heroine Who Shattered Doubts" (Reported by frontline reporter Mikihisa Kuwahara)
"Losing the race is certainly frustrating, but for both me and the horse, it was a very fulfilling race. We showed the ability to perform well in the Breeders' Cup as well."

—Post-Woodward Championship Interview—Rider Dumanley's Section

(End of this chapter)