Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 275 Glory Condensed from Dreams
"The eternally youthful spirit actually managed to break through!"

At the Oi Racecourse, horse racing fans watching the race from an overhead view were in an uproar.

The opening odds will likely be relatively mild.

Before the race, horse racing commentators from both Japan and the United States made the same prediction.

In the Belmont Breeders' Cup Classic, which starts on a curve, if a horse shows too much momentum at the beginning, it can easily lose its rhythm for the entire race.

Proceed slowly to the straightaway after exiting the gate, and then begin the belated duel—

This is how it should have unfolded.

As expected, after the race started, Meguro Sakuya, who had an advantage at the start, chose to move forward.

And on the other side——

After entering the gate, Sakai's eyes, which seemed to retain their youthful vitality, revealed a resolute determination, as if they were one with a horse.

"There are still unfinished things this autumn."

The gears of time for both humans and horses have stood still since last autumn.

How many setbacks did they experience, how much disappointment did they taste, and how many difficulties did they overcome?
Expectations and Unfulfilled Dreams

These two words are always inseparable from the idea of ​​eternal youth.

Like an unbreakable bloodline, these contradictory twins were forever intertwined in his life.

To restart the stopped clock, to rewrite the memory of final defeat—

The reins were pulled.

"After 'Eternal Youth' emerged from the gate, it seemed to collide with the 'Red Clay Hurricane' of the 8th section, but Rusei Sakai rode up! 'Eternal Youth' and Rusei Sakai rode up!"

As usual, Yusuke Izumi shouted during the live broadcast in Oi, his heart beating faster and faster as if anticipating something beneath his steady voice.

Behind the deer-haired horse, closely following was the figure of another deer-haired horse.

The fierce battle, where only one horse can win, began from the very first bend.

Without fear or panic, Jin Meiqi controlled the reins with a steady rhythm.

There is only one goal: the road leading forward.

"The herd is now moving towards the straight after the second bend. Meguro Sakuya and Eternal Youth are still vying for the lead. Eternal Youth on the outside is temporarily in second place. Meguro Sakuya has passed the bend from a favorable position on the inside rail. Kamui Anna and Joyful Time have retreated to the back inside lane. At the very back, Ewing, the controller, is about six horse lengths behind the leader."

The gradually lengthening herd of horses appeared on the straight road directly opposite.

"The first quarter mile took 24.15 seconds, and the pace of the Bellmont Park track was on the fast side!"

At the forefront of the herd, Meguro Sakuya was still fiercely battling against Eternal Youth, while Joyful Time remained in the middle group, eyeing the enemy covetously. The riders who had not yet seized an opportunity reassured their riders, tacitly waiting for the final decisive moment to arrive.

"Good luck, Sakuya!"

"Don't lose to those guys in the central government—"

At the Oi Racecourse, countless horse racing fans clutched their winning tickets tightly, the paper seeming heavier than ever before.

It is a cry that conveys the weight of dreams.

In the stands, Kitano pursed his lips slightly.

There are no problems with any of the steps taken so far.

But he was such a greedy guy, silently praying to the three great gods of horse racing that the next step, and the next step after that, would also be on the right track.

I was still a little nervous, as expected.

He let out a soft breath, then tilted his head back and downed the small cocktail in his hand in one gulp.

The fingertips and the corners of the mouth stiffened in the next moment.

Is this really a cocktail?

Not only my throat, but even my eyes were a little blurry from the spiciness.

"Half-mile timed 48.37 seconds. The lead horse was still Meguro Sakuya and Eternal Youth. The two Japanese horses were running side by side in the second half of the straight opposite. Kamui Anna was slightly ahead. Triumph of the Arc de Triomphe winner Joyful Time flowed into the herd. The red and green cloaked Du Manlai and Ewing, the point guard, were seven horse lengths behind the leader."

Bathed in the dazzling sunlight, two racehorses of the same coat color but completely different temperaments galloped side by side through the muddy ground after the rain at the Beamont Park.

This is the Breeders' Cup, a dream stage reached after a fierce battle, a supreme battlefield of 120 seconds where only those with lofty ambitions are qualified to step onto.

"The race has entered the third corner. Kassul and Otto Shin on the inside are urging each other on. He Wenda and Shenwei Anna are trying to pull outwards. Nan Jia Liefeng in third place on the outside and Mother Mountain in fourth place on the inside can no longer keep up. Meguro Sakuya and Youthful Eternity continue to advance towards the final straight." On the thousand-foot straight carrying countless dreams and wishes, the first to step in are Shikamaru and Shikamaru.

The cheers that had been waiting for this ending erupted instantly.

"Jin Meiqi begins to lash out, Megumi Sakuya seems to still have energy left, and Eternal Youth is also accelerating. Kamui Anna is making a great effort to catch up on the outside, Joyful Time on the inside is temporarily in ninth place, and Ewing, the point guard at the back, is pulling towards the outside!"

Frank lowered the binoculars and looked at the front of the herd with the naked eye.

That long-awaited, anxious figure was right there.

My heart was pounding faster and faster.

Jin Meiqi switched the riding whip to her left hand, whipping it once, then once more, pushing it forward in coordination with her hand.

"Hang in there a little longer, girl."

Seemingly sensing the determination conveyed through the bit, Deermane Horse's eyes revealed a seriousness unlike anything he had shown before.

The domineering final sprint that still accelerates towards the finish line—a sprint that captivates countless horse racing fans.

There isn't just one.

"On the outside, Kamui Anna gradually caught up, while Ewing, the point guard behind, also launched a strong offensive. Her youthful vigor and undiminished stamina remained undiminished. Finally, in front of the last Frond was still Meguro Sakuya!"

The deer-haired horses, running side by side, had shoulder blades almost touching, and each forward head movement seemed like a struggle against the air and gravity.

The pursuing horses were also pushing themselves with all their might, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not get any closer, even though it was enough to make one despair.

"Eternal youth remains outside, and the tango between Megumi Sakuya and eternal youth, a duel destined to be recorded in history!"

Those few seconds were both a fleeting moment and an eternity.

Bathed in the brilliant, cascading sunlight, the deer's fur was exceptionally dazzling.

Arashiyama and Yahagi, the two horse trainers, stood up at the same time.

"In the end, Meguro Sakuya won the match, with a slight advantage by a neck!"

"Eighteen years after Sinniyada, the second mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic has emerged!"

On that day, a hope hung high in the sky above Beimeng Garden.

It is the glory formed from countless dreams.

must--

I want to imprint this day, this air, and this feeling of excitement in my heart deeply.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Suppressing the stinging sensation approaching her nose, Jin Meiqi smiled and patted Megumi Sakuya's neck.

The ears on the deer-haired horse's head, which had been pressed too hard against the back of its head, slowly returned to their original positions only after a moment.

Before the joy of "That's great!" arises, a sense of relief of "It's okay" slips through my mind first.

The next moment, my vision was completely overwhelmed by the shoulders that were hugging me from all directions.

------------

"The moment a dream comes true, the moment when you are only one step away from your dream."

——『Yujun』-《The Tears of Kitano Horse Owner and Yahagi》

"The Arc de Triomphe celebrated the owner's joyous time, finishing eleventh in the Breeders' Cup Classic."
"Her performance was very difficult; the track here was too challenging for her." (Yue Boren)

——TDN
"Her performance exceeded my expectations; she was still able to perform at a very high level when facing strong opponents."

However, it's time for her to leave the competition and move on to the next stage of her career.

Mackie talks about Anna, who finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

——Thoroughbred Racing on Fox Sports
"It was truly a very fulfilling, yet regrettable, journey."

In any case, thank you very much for your continued support.

—Interview with trainer Yoshito Yahagi after the Breeders' Cup Classic, published in East Sport.
(Volume 2, end)

(End of this chapter)