Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 280 The Japanese Have Really Gone Mad

The cookies provided by Gumoya were delicious.

However, that's all there is to it.

Whether it's the yearlings or the breeding mares, their prices are significantly higher than those of other stables in the area.

"Where on earth did all these 'righteous foals' come from?!"

With these muttered thoughts in mind, I walked toward the next sales stall.

"Hey! Mr. Kitano—"

The staff members next to the stables waved to us from a distance.

It's David from Clayburn Ranch.

After a handshake that resembled an arm-wrestling match, the other party enthusiastically introduced the foals produced at Cliburn Ranch.

Throughout the process, I kept having the premonition that "this will be a good horse," and it took a lot of effort to resist the urge to use the [detector].

I reluctantly ended the visit with the mindset of "ignorance is bliss".

After a short lunch break, the first auction of the day finally began.

Just like last time, I chose to sit in a spot directly facing the exhibition area.

Because the goal for the first day was very clear, I didn't hunch over and draw circles in my handbook like the horse racing agents and ranch managers next to me.

Before the auction began, I enjoyed the performance by the pre-auction band on stage.

Although I'm not very good at rock music.

As the auctioneer read out the rules on stage, just like in previous years, the buyers in their seats looked up and called out to the price counter to give their bids for their desired targets.

Just like last year, the horses came out of the stables and walked around the preview area before entering the auction hall.

First up is a six-year-old chestnut horse carrying a foal that produces red wine.

"How about starting with one hundred thousand? One hundred thousand, one hundred thousand, one hundred thousand, any higher bids?"

"Oh!"

To see what price the Divine Anna would likely fetch, I tried participating in the auction beforehand.

It feels like stepping into the batter's box just to confirm the umpire's strike zone.

Of course, this was actually just a "hypothetical" offer; apart from Shenwei Anna, there were no other horses specifically targeted in the first list.

It dropped out of the competition before the bidding intensified.

"Okay, five hundred thousand, thank you, horse owner!"

The moment the bidding ended, the auctioneer's gavel struck with a resounding, decisive sound.

The auction process in Keenland is much faster than in Japan.

Especially from the starting bid to near the reserve price, the auctioneer often raises the price rapidly with lightning speed. After that, the bidding proceeds at a distinct pace, just like in Japanese auctions.

It took much less time than expected to reach the Hip 25 ranking.

"Number twenty-five, seven-year-old stag-colored mare from Northern Everett, starting at twenty."

As the auctioneer announced the prices on stage, some buyers in the audience began to make their moves.

Kitano also gestured to the price counter next to him.

The theoretical budget for this project is seven million US dollars, which is approximately 1.04 billion yen.

A significant portion of this came from the Breeders' Cup prize money received just a few days prior.

If we don't win this game, even if we use up all the funds at our disposal, we'll probably only be able to barely reach the reserve price set by the seller.

Despite saying that, they were prepared to take down Anna even if it meant using protective charms.

"Divine Might Anna, highest bid seven million."

The sound, though not loud, suddenly silenced the surrounding area. Several buyers nearby looked at him with expressions that seemed to say, "Are you crazy?"

Even ignoring considerations such as "high-level competitive mares are unlikely to produce high-quality foals," no matter how skilled a breeding mare is, it can only produce at most one foal per year.

Moreover, the reproductive quality of mare usually declines with age, and very few older mare can produce foals of prize-winning quality.

Purchased a six-year-old mare for seven million dollars.

"The Japanese have really gone mad."

"Isn't that Mr. Kitano?"

"Oh, it was him. That makes it no surprise."

Such whispers could not deter the determination to purchase the Divine Anna.

As the familiar black deer-haired figure walked from the preview area into the venue, regardless of whether they decided to join the bidding, buyers' eyes were inevitably drawn to the mares before them.

"Number 26 is a six-year-old dark brown mare born to Speed ​​Anna, a strong and powerful horse named Divine Anna."

"Two-time U.S. Racehorse of the Year, one-time U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, two-time U.S. Champion Older Filly, two-time Breeders' Cup Filly winner, with career prize money approaching ten million dollars."

A rather long introduction.

As soon as he finished speaking, the auctioneer looked up and raised his gavel.

"The offer starts at two million dollars, two hundred, two hundred, two hundred—"

After a brief period of silence, at least no buyers made any offers at the auction venue.

Despite this, the real-time price on the electronic display jumped to over three million within just a few seconds.

His fingers tapped his knee unconsciously, and the sound was like a pounding heartbeat.

A little bit —

No, I was extremely nervous.

"Four hundred and sixty, four hundred and seventy, four hundred and eighty—"

The auctioneer on stage barely paused, rapidly reading out a price that exceeded the reserve price set by the main camp of the Divine Might Anna Horse.

A celebratory sound came from one of the auction rooms inside the venue.

This was followed by expressions of regret, such as "Why didn't you set the reserve price higher?"

The adjacent auction room had a completely different, somber atmosphere.

"Nakajima-kun—"

The man slumped on the sofa raised his head.

"Change our highest offer."

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"In Keenland, Kentucky, USA, far from Hokkaido, the horse-breeding region of Japan, Kimura, the representative of the breeding ranch, smiled and said when talking about Mejiro Sakiya, who has been competing in mixed races since her debut race."

"At first I thought it was a coincidence, but everything that happened after that was wonderful."

(Mejiro Sakuya) taught me a lot about horses, and my interpersonal skills, horse-buying abilities, breeding skills, and everything else have improved.

Besides that, there are many other touching memories.

People often say that horses like the Great Shock or the Spring and Autumn Equinox don't appear easily, but I think it's just a difference in how things are done.

If thorough research and preparation are done beforehand, I believe that one day Japanese horse racing will also be able to win races like the Breeders' Cup and the Arc de Triomphe.

Megumi Sakuya, the hero who spreads laughter, brings countless happiness, and makes everyone's dreams come true.

May she be free from illness and misfortune, and continue to paint a new chapter on the muddy land of Japan with the languid sound of her hooves.

——『Youjun』-《A Hero Regardless of Opponent》

(End of this chapter)