Mejiro Rampage, undefeated, keeps rewriting her myth. The Triple Tiara is just another emblem showcasing her dominance. A dual-wield master of turf and dirt, she's set on the Emperor's Cup, not the Takarazuka, as confirmed in her Victoria Mile interview.
"Not like I didn't consider it… but dual-wielding means I can't skip a dirt G1. Dirt's calling."
Her drive is pure—racing for the thrill. Now, it's aimed at dirt, fueled by a rematch challenge from old track mates.
"Dirt's a blast. Wish there were more dirt races."
"That eager to run it?"
"Hell yeah. It's electric. Ever tried dirt?"
"N-No, embarrassingly…"
"Go once. It's got a raw heat turf lacks."
She doesn't mock my narrow views, just grins, urging me to see a dirt race. I thought dirt lacked turf's charm—now I see that's outdated bias. She's rewriting Japan's old mindsets.
"True Dokkan Turbo!!"
Rampage watches Turbo tear across the turf, prepping for the Oaks. Perfecting True Dokkan Turbo's timing is key. Turbo's stamina is solid, but her charge control sucks. Oaks' distance allows a charge, but too slow or fast, and it flops. Only perfect timing makes Dokkan shine.
"Turbo, pop it there, and you'll burn out by the end!"
"But it's fully charged~!!"
"Think about the charge! You're Akiyama and the 86—don't forget!!"
"I'm Akiyama, I'm 86… huh?"
"Just hydrate, go."
"Yes!!"
Turbo bounds off. Her Dokkan Turbo charges smoothly sometimes, not at all others, swayed by everything—condition, weather, mood. She unleashes at peak charge, but if she's too hyped, it's too early.
"How's Turbo?"
"Charges faster now… but she can't wait. Dumps it instantly. Trouble."
"Unexpected pitfall…"
"Yeah. What now?"
Minami hears the issue, stumped. Turbo's not analytical like Ikuno—she's all instinct. Training charge control backfired; she charges too fast now.
"Ugh, what do we do…?"
"Charging too fast? That's a strength."
"Huh?"
"Unique advantage."
Early top-speed shift, slight slowdown, but steady pace—a classic escape win pattern.
"Maybe… but still…"
"Fast-charge Turbo? Here's a plan."
"Whisper it?"
Minami signals; Rampage leans in. The plan makes her gape.
"Turbo can pull that off…?"
"If she charges early, her stamina can handle 2400m."
"What's up~?"
Turbo, chugging sports drinks, sparks doubt in Rampage.
"Turbo-san, you've got charging down with Rampage's training."
"Yup!! Can pop it even in sprints!!"
"More like can't hold it."
"Ow…"
"Let's roll with it."
"Huh?"
Turbo and Rampage's voices overlap, confused. Minami grabs her phone, makes a call, and they exchange looks. After a wait…
"Sorry for the wait~!!"
"Hold on~!"
"Here they are."
Minami summoned two Uma Musume. Rampage's jaw drops.
"Trainer called us!! Ready to help!!"
"I-I hope I'm useful…"
"Thank you. Turbo-san, Rampage-san, meet Sakura Bakushin O and Nishino Flower."
Sakura Bakushin O: the ultimate sprinter, so dominant she forced Japan's short-distance scene to evolve, retiring for lack of worthy races. Nishino Flower: petite but a G1 champ, winning Hanshin 3-Year-Old Fillies and Cherry Blossom Stakes, the only one to beat Bakushin O at her 1200m peak, dubbed the genius or lightning girl.
"Mejiro Rampage!! Heard of your feats—let's race sometime!!"
"C-Can I get your autograph…?"
"Sure, but… Minami-chan, they're sprinters. Why them?"
"Yes, Turbo-san."
"Huh?"
Minami drops a bombshell.
"You'll run 2400m with Bakushin O-san and Nishino Flower-san."
"Bring it!!"
Bakushin O's pumped, but Flower panics, rushing Minami.
"W-Wait! I'm a sprinter—2400's too much…"
"It's fine. You won't run the full 2400."
"What's that mean, Minami-chan?"
"A relay. Each runs 1200m, totaling 2400m with Turbo."
Rampage's eyes widen. 1200m's their domain, covering Oaks' distance split. But why?
"Smart! We can crush 2400m together, Flower-san!!"
"If it's like that… maybe…"
"Sounds fun~!!"
"Minami-chan, can Turbo handle this?"
"You'll see soon."
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