Chapter 49. In a Flash, Records Shattered - Part 2
As they straightened for the final stretch, Mejiro Dober had already swept past Super Dress.
Behind her, Meiner Max was only just drawing level with the fading rival.
"Excellent!" Shuta An's fingers tightened around the rail. "This is the perfect moment—now, Dober! Release everything!"
Less than 300 meters remained.
If she could reproduce the explosive finish she had displayed in her debut, then this graded victory would be hers without question.
Beside him, Tokai Teio and Silence Suzuka reached the same conclusion. The gap between Dober and Meiner Max had grown to half a length.
It'll be fine, Teio told herself. Dober's finishing kick is powerful. Even against sprint specialists, she won't lose.
Suzuka, guided by instinct honed through countless races, calculated silently.
At this differential—she'll widen it.
—
Mejiro Dober had no room for such calculations.
For an Uma Musume, a short-distance race bordered on anaerobic warfare. Energy could no longer be sustained by ordinary aerobic rhythm; instead, the body burned through reserves in explosive bursts. Under such strain, attention could not scatter—if it did, speed would fall instantly.
She clenched her teeth.
Lowered her center of gravity.
Extended her stride.
Increased her cadence again and again.
For someone not born a pure sprinter, she was already pushing beyond what her frame preferred.
"If even this isn't enough—" Shuta An watched her all-out effort with a tightening chest. Effort did not always guarantee reward on the Twinkle Series stage.
But he did not want that truth to visit his team today.
—
Two hundred meters remained.
Machikane Eden had completely collapsed in pace; Dober swallowed her effortlessly. Meiner Max trailed by more than a length now.
Maintain this and it's over, Shuta An exhaled quietly.
But Mejiro Dober knew none of it.
Once she entered sprint mode, the world narrowed. She did not look left. She did not look right. She did not even know she had taken the lead.
To keep herself from faltering, she subconsciously assumed she was still chasing.
So even after overtaking Machikane Eden, she did not ease.
She could not.
—
Meiner Max's Trainer stared in disbelief.
What kind of training produced this?
Second race of her career. Strategy shift. Perfect execution. No hesitation. No relaxation after seizing the front.
Many debut-year Uma Musume made that mistake—once ahead, they unconsciously loosened.
But Mejiro Dober did not.
Because she understood.
The significance of the Hakodate Nisai Stakes was not merely a trophy. It was a gateway—to overseas expeditions, to broaden horizons for them, to chase the path once carved by Oguri Cap.
"How could she relax?" Suzuka murmured softly. "Before catching up to Oguri Cap…who dares to ease up?"
—
One hundred meters to go.
Then—
Something shifted.
Fatigue had begun to creep into Dober's limbs earlier, the cost of accelerating before the final bend. But now, instead of fading—
A surge.
A new current of power rose within her.
She did not know its source.
She only felt it.
Ahead—something shimmered.
A translucent boundary.
A barrier of light that retreated each time she approached.
No matter how fiercely she ran, it remained just beyond reach.
A mirage?
From the rail, Shuta An's eyes narrowed.
A familiar sensation brushed against his perception.
"No way—"
His voice dropped.
"This is only her second Twinkle Series race. The opposition isn't extraordinary. How could she already be brushing the edge of the 'Zone'?"
If she had truly revealed her ceiling so early—if this was already her limit—that would not be good.
Potential exposed too soon could mean growth stunted too early.
That's not good news.
But—
Twenty meters remained.
Winning came first.
He would think about the rest later.
—
Behind her, Meiner Max fought desperately, but the distance held firm at two lengths. Victory was no longer within reach.
Even so, Super Dress lacked the ability to threaten her position. The order had crystallized.
It's fortunate our paths differ— MeinerMax thought with quiet relief. My aim is the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, then the Classic Triple Crown. Hers is the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and the Triple Tiara route.
She did not wish to meet Mejiro Dober again in sprint or mile battles.
Not after today.
—
The result was inevitable.
Shuta An allowed a faint smile to surface as Dober's figure flashed past the finish marker.
At the same instant, the announcer's voice thundered across Hakodate Racecourse:
"Mejiro Dober! A new star rises from Team Sadalsuud! 1:10.4—A new race record for the Hakodate Nisai Stakes! The first G1-level Uma Musume of next year's Classic generation has revealed herself!"
The summer sky over Hakodate seemed brighter still.
Watching Mejiro Dober beneath the blazing summer sky, Shuta An realized—unexpectedly—that his heart was calm.
There was no surge of exhilaration.
Perhaps it was because the Hakodate Nisai Stakes was only a G3.
"But I was genuinely pleased when Suzuka won the G2 Dubai Turf," he murmured to himself. "Was it because the prize money there was on par with a G1?"
The thought lingered for only a moment before he shook it away.
His gaze shifted to Dober's status panel.
At first glance, nothing seemed different from before the race.
Then—
At the very bottom.
Temporary Status: ??? (Incomplete)
"If you're going to write something, at least make it clear," he grumbled inwardly. "Otherwise, don't write it at all."
He decided he would ask Mejiro Dober about the strange sensation in the final stretch later that evening during the celebration at the hotel.
But first—
There was work to do.
Leaving Silence Suzuka and Tokai Teio waiting behind, Shuta An exited the restricted area and headed alone toward the media zone.
—
There had been another G3 on Honshu that day.
Yet nearly all domestic attention was focused here—at Hakodate Racecourse.
The reason was simple.
Trainer Shuta An's Uma Musume was racing.
Breaking the race record was enough to stir headlines. But reporters wanted more. They knew him. They knew he never followed ordinary paths.
What would Mejiro Dober's next move be?
Before anyone could raise a hand, he spoke first.
"I believe everyone remembers that after Dober's debut, I said her schedule would depend on today's result," he began calmly, his presence alone quieting the crowd. "Now that the outcome is clear, there's no need for secrecy."
He did not hesitate.
"Her next race will be in Canada—the G1 Natalma Stakes, limited to debut-year Uma Musume. She will aim to become this generation's first G1 winner from Central Tracen Academy."
A murmur rippled through the reporters.
"After that, she will compete in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf—a newly introduced event this year within the Breeders' Cup Series for debut-year Uma Musume. It's a 1600-meter turf race. Though listed rather than graded, the field will consist of top American Classic prospects."
He continued without pause.
"Following the Breeders' Cup, she will return to Japan and prepare for the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, concluding her debut year in the traditional manner of Triple Tiara contenders."
Three more races.
International travel.
G1 ambition.
The pens in the crowd flew furiously.
One reporter raised his voice. "That's an unusually packed schedule for Team Sadalsuud. Your Uma Musume don't typically race this frequently in their debut year."
"This plan was made after consulting Dober herself," Shuta An replied evenly. "The Mejiro Family has approved it. I designed the route. If problems arise, I'll bear responsibility."
The tone left no room for further probing.
—
Another reporter stepped forward.
"Congratulations on the record-breaking victory. How do you feel? And since Miss Mejiro Dober showed such ability over short distances, will she continue targeting sprints?"
Shuta An allowed himself a faint smile.
"Of course I'm pleased. To be honest, I initially had doubts about her aptitude for short distances. I entered the Hakodate Nisai Stakes because it's the first debut-year limited graded race of the season. Winning it secured her path to the Natalma and allowed sufficient preparation time."
"As for sprint—her primary goal next year is the Triple Tiara. I'll determine her optimal distance based on her performance in the Japanese Oaks. At present, I believe she possesses adaptability for middle and perhaps even longer distances. So you may see her focus more on middle-distance races."
A calculated answer. Clear. Firm. Forward-looking.
Then came another question.
"During the race, two Uma Musume were beside you. One was Miss Silence Suzuka. The other—frequently seen but not formally introduced. Could you tell us about her?"
He paused briefly.
There was no reason to hide it.
"Her name is Tokai Teio."
The reporters leaned in.
"She joined Team Sadalsuud early. She is still young and not yet fully matured, and I'm in no hurry. But she is exceptionally talented. Diligent. Serious."
He let the silence stretch just long enough.
"If I must summarize my expectations in one sentence—"
A faint smile curved his lips.
"I hope she surpasses Symboli Rudolf and becomes the strongest undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume."
The air exploded.
Surpass Symboli Rudolf?
An undefeated Triple Crown?
In the history of the Twinkle Series, only Oguri Cap had ever truly eclipsed Rudolf's legacy—and Oguri had retired just last year under Shuta An's guidance.
Now—
He had declared another heir.
Some reporters were already drafting mental headlines:
Legendary Trainer Reveals His Secret Weapon!
The Next Undefeated Queen Emerges!
Of course, prudence would prevail. This was the Hakodate Nisai Stakes press conference. The editor-in-chief would not allow the headline to ignore Mejiro Dober's triumph.
But the spark had been lit.
And Shuta An knew exactly what he had just done.