Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 374 A Transoceanic Decision

Sunday morning after the match.

With just a slight movement of the body, the cool air from the air conditioner seeped in through the gaps in the sheets, instantly making one feel refreshed.

"It's rare for me to sleep in late—"

Huddled in bed, I talked to myself, thinking about today's schedule.

There are still two months until the Breeders' Cup.

Although they failed to win the Kentucky Park Turf Sprint, a preliminary battle, they still have a good chance of qualifying for the Breeders' Cup next time, even if they leave in the order of bounty.

—The matter under consideration is something else entirely.

Although I have been to the United States more than once, I have never had the experience of visiting a local trainer's stable.

Therefore, this trip to the United States also included related learning opportunities.

While slowly lifting the covers and changing her clothes, she started planning her itinerary in her mind.

In addition, I've had a little idea recently.

On the night of the competition, I was so tired that I was probably exhausted because I had suddenly switched my sleep schedule from the Japanese mode to the overseas mode.

But he still held his phone and clicked on the broadcast of another match.

Niigata 2nd Year Championship.

After leaving the gate, Baozuo showed an excessively strong momentum as always, but under the skillful reins of rider Devongo, he gradually regained his composure and took the lead behind the lead horse.

With an incredibly fast pace of 58.4 seconds, Black Deer Maoma easily completed the first kilometer and quickly pulled away from its opponents at the fourth bend.

That's really strong!

Having witnessed such a match, it's hard to think anything other than "indeed, they are very strong".

After the race, both social media topics and the n○tkeiba bulletin board were quickly filled with horse racing fans' speculations about next year's classic race.

Although it will most likely disappoint them.

After waking up, amidst a multitude of congratulatory text messages, I received this message from Yoshida-sensei—

[According to feedback from Devonko riders after the race, the kid still couldn't quite exert his strength on the slope, and was easily influenced by his surroundings, making him prone to running wildly, especially in the Asahi Cup.]

The Asahi Cup, which Yoshida had previously set as a two-year goal, will be held at the Hanshin Circuit, which has a steep slope just before the finish line.

While it's not as pessimistic as some might think, neither Yoshida nor rider Devonko gave a clear answer to reporters' questions about leaving the Niigata U2 Championship.

[In that case, how about we try running him in the Breeders' Cup? This year's Breeders' Cup Two-Year-Old Turf Race is a flat track with a single lap. How about that?]

Overseas expeditions can sometimes transform racehorses—

I've heard similar advice from many experienced trainers and riders, and I've actually had similar experiences as a horse owner.

Unlike the situation with mares, the scheduling of races for powerful stallions also has the implicit consideration of "increasing breeding value".

In this respect, although the prize money is slightly lower, the Breeders' Cup 2-year-old turf race, which is also 1600 meters long, is actually more valuable than the Asahi Cup.

Not only the Breeders' Cup, but also two-year-old races in Europe and even Australia have been considered for this project.

—The vast majority of them gave up immediately after learning the specific bounty amount.

[Eh, the Breeders' Cup?]

The reply from Yoshida seemed somewhat hesitant.

A significant number of stallions in Japan have not been registered for the Breeders' Cup, especially stallions belonging to a particular stud farm that bears the name "Breeder".

However, the registration fee for a two-year-old Northern Hemisphere foal born in a non-breeder's cup is relatively inexpensive at $18,000.

Having learned from the previous experience, this time the registration fee was paid well in advance when registering with the Hojo Central Racecourse. In addition, for races held overseas, a total of nearly ten million yen in transfer fees can be received from the Breeders' Cup and the JRA.

That being said, it is by no means easy for a two-year-old horse to compete overseas, especially when the target country is the United States.

Since that's what President Kitano thinks, let's go.

Soon after, the trainer sent another reply.

[Just to be on the safe side, how about registering for the Asahi Cup as well?]

Since it's uncertain whether we'll receive an invitation, it's best to prepare for both possibilities beforehand.

Although he was somewhat skeptical about the sudden idea of going to the United States, the trainer still began planning an on-site inspection of Churchill Park.

As in previous years, each Breeders' Cup runner will be under continuous monitoring by a team including security experts, veterinarians, video surveillance and track officials for 96 hours before entering the Breeders' Cup stable and stepping onto the track.

If there are no pastures near the racetrack where the horses were founded to recover and rest, there are not many good solutions other than direct transport. This is the same for both overseas and American breeders who have left the Breeders' Cup.

After thinking for a while, I switched the screen to the dialing page.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Kitano?"

On the other end of the phone, Reed, who had returned to the stables early and was busy with his work, sounded somewhat tired.

"If possible, could I borrow your stable for a period of time from next month until the Breeders' Cup?"

"Of course, but the management fee will be 1.2 times the standard amount."

"Deal. Can you put him in the next stable next to the one with good luck?"

"Deal made. After the blood test results are available, please send the results along with the information of the person who commissioned the test to my email address."

"And also—the Mercury Equestrian Center welcomes you."

After saying that, the trainer hung up the phone.

—It went much more smoothly than I had expected.

After hanging up the phone, I switched back to the LINE chat interface.

How about we depart as soon as possible, and after quarantine release, use the local trainer's stables as a base for adjustment?

I sent this text message to Yoshida.

The message is immediately marked as read.

After a while, Yoshida replied via message.

"Understood, I'll start preparing right away."

Additionally, regarding the rider arrangement—should we continue using Devongo riders?

Despite only having collaborated on two races, Devongo's riding has already left a very good impression.

however--