Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 375 The Other End of the Reins

"Okay, thank you very much for your understanding."

After ending the call with the rider's agent and placing the phone on the table, the only sound in the room seemed to be the whirring of the air conditioner.

To replace or not to replace?

They didn't hesitate for long on this issue, and had even considered who to invite for the next major competition quite early on.

however--

Riders like Bu Yixue, Su Minglun, and Ao Tianxin, who frequently appear in the advisory board's recommendation section, are almost never going to accept Breeders' Cup commissions from outside the main camp.

Various names and faces flashed through my mind, only to be eliminated one by one.

It would be great if there were more green amulets.

I couldn't help but think that.

Just then, a figure that had been forgotten for months suddenly jumped out from the corner of my memory.

Moya.

This world-class jockey has been out of the racing world for some time due to a riding accident in May.

According to current information, Mo Aicheng will most likely continue to serve as the interim commander of Gumoya for at least the rest of this year.

So, shall we give it a try?

After conveying this idea to Yoshida, the trainer immediately sent him a text message saying, "Please leave it to me."

Just as I was staring out the window in a daze, my phone rang again.

The note is Dai Wengao's name.

I took a deep breath and then pressed the answer button.

"Sorry, boss, Ando just said you've decided to go to the Breeders' Cup."

The rider's voice came through the receiver, surprisingly direct.

"I'm here to tell you that if the faction wants to change players, I completely understand."

He paused and continued, his voice noticeably lower.

"Thank you so much for informing me so early. I understand the significance of that match, so please don't worry about me. Please proceed with whatever plan you deem most suitable."

Changing the subject, Dai Wengao continued in a more sincere tone.

"I'm ready to go whenever you need me. I'll personally oversee every training session."

"Thank you very much for your understanding and support."

Take a deep breath, exhale, and then continue speaking.

"We will discuss this as soon as possible, and whatever the final decision, we will give you a clear answer as soon as possible."

Even after putting down the phone, the last words the Australian rider said before hanging up still echoed in my ears.

"Thank you so much."

Once again, I truly experienced the stark differences within the world of horse racing.

However, now is not the time to delve into this further.

Putting those distracting thoughts aside, I left the hotel and took a rental car to the Mercury Equestrian Centre on the outskirts of Lexington.

The car headed north, entered Lexington city, and then drove through the city.

Each time we passed a traffic light, the scenery outside the window became even quieter.

The northern suburbs of Lexington are sparsely populated, and what you see are mostly stables run by local horse trainers, with the distance between ranches being quite far.

The car drove for about fifteen miles and entered an area covered by endless greenery.

The rolling pastures receding in the corner of my eye are reminiscent of the large and small ranches in the Hokkaido countryside.

But the facility in front of the car is less like an equestrian center and more like a giant training center like Ritsuhiko or Miura.

According to the staff who hosted the event, the equestrian center, built on the site of the former Bindrift Farm, covers an area of ​​approximately sixty acres.

Among the many stables outside Lexington, the "miniature" models tend to be the most common. Guided by staff, we walked into the equestrian center, behind which was a five-eighths-mile-long dirt training track.

It is said that the finish line markings on the track are transplanted directly from Keanland Racecourse, and even the railings are the same detachable design.

"We also have a professional timing station and starting gates here."

A staff member standing nearby waved his hand and added further.

"All the training data here is officially recognized by the Kentucky Marathon and can be used to qualify for the race."

He also mentioned that Reed trainers sometimes refer to data from miniature timers implanted in racehorses to schedule races.

Hearing this reminded me of a similar practice I heard about during my visit to the Gumoa Ranch—

Gumoia also implants heart rate monitoring devices in the foals to automatically record the time spent in each training session, and analyzes this data to classify the ranch's one-year-old and two-year-old horses into different grades on a weekly basis.

It seems that even the naming of each racehorse uses this data as a reference.

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sounds coming from the outside world, and the staff member next to me continued speaking.

"In addition, we have three large stables that can accommodate a total of 160 racehorses."

"One hundred and sixty heads—"

Hearing this number, which was much larger than expected, I was instinctively a little surprised.

“That’s right. We also have a transit station near the Meadow Park that can accommodate about thirty racehorses, but the conditions there are much more basic.”

Shrugging, the staff member pointed to the red-roofed building with a relaxed expression.

— An extra-large stable equipped with a widened pergola.

Even in bad weather, training can continue as usual indoors.

Walking around to the other side of the stable, the grazing land in front of us was neatly divided into six roughly equal pieces, like tofu blocks.

During a visit to the farm machinery storage area, a staff member, upon learning that the horse breeder was involved, launched into a long rant about American farm machinery.

The regulations prohibit independent repairs, impose excessively high maintenance costs, and impose various unreasonable and arbitrary clauses.

After some hesitation, I tried recommending Chinese-made agricultural machinery.

Although the staff members had a completely skeptical look on their faces, as if to say, "Are you kidding me?"

After obtaining permission, I took a few photos with my phone and sent them to Yoshida.

Less than a minute later, the trainer sent a message saying, "You've really worked hard," along with a nodding emoticon sticker made by Mejiro Ranch.

Then came a message.

"I'll also be going to the United States in a few days. Besides checking on the horse farm at Churchill Park, could you also come over here for a visit if it's convenient?"

I turned to ask the person in charge of the equestrian center for their opinion, and they agreed without hesitation.

"Of course, it would be even better if you could attract more foreign tourists."

The person in charge seemed even more enthusiastic than before.

Before leaving, I even received a complete set of Reed Trainer's own brand merchandise with a red theme from the equestrian center.

—It's a little too heavy to carry.

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

"[Time report]

Niigata 2-year-old S winner, Bai Baozuo, aims for the BC 2-year-old turf race.

Toyoshi Yoshida
"This will be a tough challenge, but the horse owner and I both think it's worth a try."

If the invitation is confirmed, we will depart from Japan as soon as possible, and after settling in the local partner stables, we will then participate in the competition.

The saddle is undecided"

——《n○tkeiba》

(End of this chapter)