After hearing Imanami Takatoshi lay out the arrangement, Yasui Makoto quickly agreed to the race format.
He had taken note of the grounds when he arrived. They were not as grand as Tracen Academy's facilities, but judging by the condition of the turf, they were clearly maintained with great care.
There would be no problem at all using it for a simple race like this.
And in a relatively familiar environment like this, the Umamusume might be able to perform even better, which would also make it easier for him to observe Lucky Lilac's practical performance.
Kitasan Black had no objections either.
She had trained together with senpais such as Orfevre and Gold Ship plenty of times before.
But competing alongside this many Umamusume from the Gold family was still a first for her, as well as a rare challenge and an excellent chance to improve herself.
So, her face full of anticipation, she followed Stay Gold into the residence to change into training clothes, then returned to the training grounds in high spirits.
After that, just as Imanami Takatoshi had said, they held a draw modeled after an official race, and before long, a row of Umamusume stood at the temporary starting line on the outermost turf track of the training grounds.
Kitasan Black stood among them with a lively, powerful bearing, her gaze firm and confident, filled with anticipation and fighting spirit for this race.
Lucky Lilac stood beside her, still maintaining that elegant and composed air. However, her slightly clenched fists betrayed a trace of nervousness and excitement within.
Orfevre and Gold Ship stood on either side of them. These sisters, who argued constantly in daily life, had both put away their playful expressions for the moment, their faces serious as they prepared to show what they could do in this mock race.
Dream Journey and Nakayama Festa stood at the outermost sides. The two glanced at each other, both of their eyes shining with eagerness.
Seeing that the Umamusume were ready, Imanami Takatoshi smiled and looked toward Yasui Makoto. When Yasui Makoto also smiled and bowed slightly, Imanami took a red handkerchief from his pocket.
Holding the red handkerchief in one hand, he walked to the edge of the field and raised it high. In his other hand, he gripped a stopwatch as he called loudly, "Take your marks. Ready..."
At those words, not only did the Umamusume gather a tense, ready-to-launch energy about them, but Yasui Makoto also could not help feeling a trace of nerves.
It was true that Kitasan Black had never started a race this way, with a dropped handkerchief.
But Yasui Makoto understood that this seemingly simple method actually had plenty of logic behind it, much like a gate start in another form.
A gate start used a mechanical device to control the opening of the gates. After hearing the starting signal, the Umamusume burst out from inside the gates at the same instant, competing through reaction speed and explosiveness at the start, as well as their grasp of the starting rhythm.
The handkerchief-drop method did not have the restraint of a mechanical gate, but it likewise required the Umamusume to focus intensely, keeping their eyes fixed on the red handkerchief in Imanami Takatoshi's hand.
The instant the handkerchief was swung down or fell, the Umamusume had to react immediately, relying on their own anticipation and reflexes to launch at the first possible moment.
Both starting methods required the Umamusume to maintain a high degree of focus and tension before the start, training their ability to catch the starting signal with sharp precision.
So although the forms were different, both methods tested an Umamusume's mental strength, reaction speed, and starting technique.
Even though Kitasan Black had not undergone this kind of training, Yasui Makoto was not particularly worried.
After all, being exposed to a new starting method was undoubtedly a chance to broaden her experience, and in the long run, it would bring considerable benefit.
Beyond that, although he was gripping his stopwatch tightly and preparing to time the race, a large part of his attention was on Lucky Lilac, while his mind kept comparing her with Almond Eye.
Compared to Almond Eye's performance during her partner run with Kitasan Black, Lucky Lilac was clearly calmer and steadier at this moment.
From a racing perspective, Lucky Lilac's current condition was obviously more favorable, giving her a better chance to seize the initiative right from the start.
As for the cause of that difference, for now, the main factor was probably personality.
Like Kitasan Black, Almond Eye had a very bright and outgoing personality, along with an even stronger competitive spirit.
In terms of competitive spirit alone, even counting most of the Umamusume here and those he had encountered before, there might not be many who surpassed Almond Eye.
A personality and temperament like that naturally came with both advantages and disadvantages.
The disadvantage, just as he had analyzed before, was that it would make Almond Eye pay more attention to things related to winning and losing, such as the starter and the starting signal, thereby splitting her focus.
The advantage was that once she encountered adversity, such as an overwhelming gap in ability against a senpai, Almond Eye was more likely to unleash strength beyond her usual level.
So, under the same situation of running with a senpai and bearing the pressure that came with it, what kind of performance would Lucky Lilac show?
Yasui Makoto was full of anticipation. His eyes stayed fixed on the starting line, and even his breathing unconsciously lightened, as if he were afraid of missing even the smallest detail.
At that moment, the entire training ground was so quiet it was almost suffocating. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the instant the red handkerchief in Imanami Takatoshi's hand fell.
After "Ready," Imanami Takatoshi said nothing more. Without warning, his hand opened.
The bright red handkerchief drifted lightly toward the grass, just like a weightless maple leaf, spinning in the air.
The instant the handkerchief left his palm, Kitasan Black shot forward first like a streak of black lightning.
After more than a year of harsh training, day after day, her launch speed and presence had already gained the sharpness befitting a Senior-class runner.
That unstoppable drive seemed as if it would tear apart the very air before her.
Following close behind were Orfevre and Nakayama Festa. The two Umamusume had eyes as sharp as hawks, not lowering their guard in the slightest just because the one leading was their junior.
From the way their gazes stayed locked ahead without wavering, it was obvious that they already regarded Kitasan Black as a powerful opponent on their own level, determined to measure themselves against her in this race.
Their strides were compact and powerful, their breathing steady and even. Every step struck out a firm rhythm as they followed Kitasan Black at full strength.
After them came Dream Journey and Stay Gold. They did not blindly try to overtake, but instead cleverly flowed into Late Surger positions, calmly watching every movement of the opponents ahead of them, looking entirely ready to strike when the time came.
And finally, as expected, one of the Umamusume at the back was Gold Ship.
Although she had started behind everyone else, she looked as relaxed as if she were taking a walk through her own backyard.
A confident smile hung at the corner of her mouth, and her eyes flashed with eager light.
That easy, leisurely bearing made it seem as though she was absolutely certain she could effortlessly overtake them later in the race, without the slightest worry over her current position behind the others.
The other one was Lucky Lilac, who was lightly biting her lower lip.
Her originally elegant face was now faintly flushed, but her eyes held a trace of nervousness and resolve.
Although she had fallen behind at the start, she showed no panic at all, methodically adjusting her breathing and her stride.
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