The Japanese sweep of the Breeders' Cup was a tectonic shift. Had it only been Twin Turbo's victory in the BC Mile or Tokai Teio's triumph in the BC Turf, the Americans might have maintained their bravado. They could have argued that their "first-tier" talent resided on the dirt, dismissing turf as a secondary concern.
But Lady Saber's conquest of the BC Classic silenced every argument. There was no room for denial; it was total defeat. To make matters worse, both Lady Saber and Amazing Dyna had been on long-term expeditions, each carving out two or more American G1 titles for themselves. It wasn't just a loss—it was a systematic dismantling of the American hierarchy.
"Serves 'em right! Serves 'em damn well right!" Sunday Silence cackled, waving a newspaper. "Hey, Rampage, you seeing this headline?! 'Japanese Umamusume sweep American turf and dirt! Unprecedented shockwaves rock the US racing world!' Hah! This is the best damn thing I've read all year!"
"And you call yourself an American star?" Rampage sighed.
She wanted to savor the victory herself, but Sunday's obnoxious level of glee made it difficult to join in. To Sunday, the American racing establishment was a stagnant mess she took personal pleasure in seeing humbled. The press was already leaning into the drama, framing the duo's arrival as the "Western Ships"—a reverse of the historic Black Ships—labeling Lady Saber and Dyna as the "Samurai Pair" who had conquered the New World.
"Seriously though," Sunday continued, leaning back. "Looking at the highlights from this year's Japanese roster… it's insane. Turbo, Laurel, Flora, Teio, Rice—if you told someone a year ago they'd all be bagging overseas G1s simultaneously, they'd call you a lunatic. And make no mistake, you were the one who lit that fuse."
"Don't pin this on me," Rampage countered. "I just did what I wanted to do. I might have been the spark, but they're the ones who set their own souls on fire."
"Hmph. Look at you, acting all dignified."
"I do a lot more work than you, Sunday. In fact, I'm doing half the work you're supposed to be doing. As the Chief of Nemesis, I am technically your superior. You understand that, right?"
The two squared off in the corner of the staff room—the "World Tyrant" versus the "Girl Who Bit Back at Fate." It was a battle of wits and sharp tongues that had become a local attraction. While trainers like Sakahara, Okino, or Tojo watched with a mix of amusement and respect, others felt the literal weight of their competitive auras. To those who feared Rampage's temper, the room felt like a pressure cooker.
"Anyway," Sunday said, shifting gears. "I've got bigger things to worry about."
"Right. Maya's stakes debut," Rampage nodded.
Mayano Topgun's first graded stakes challenge—the G3 Kyoto Junior Stakes—was fast approaching. To complicate matters, the race coincided with the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. It was a logistical nightmare. Even Minamisaka, acting as a proxy trainer, was overwhelmed; having a trainee win the pinnacle of American racing tended to bring a mountain of paperwork and media scrutiny. If things got too chaotic, Rampage realized she might have to step in and manage both Team Canopus and Team Pleiades simultaneously. At least both races were at Kyoto.
"How's Maya looking?" Sunday asked.
"Ask Sakahara. He's been closer to the ground on this one."
"She's in peak condition," Sakahara chimed in from his desk. "Actually, she came to me recently asking for more mock races. I even consulted Tojo-san and Okino-san about finding her some high-level sparring partners."
Okino and Tojo both nodded in agreement.
"We sent out Blizzard from our side," Okino said.
"And I put up Hayahide from Rigil," Tojo added. "I figured it would be good conditioning for her, too."
"Damn," Sunday whistled. "That's some high-tier evaluation. Then again, I guess that's just Maya-ya for you."
The fact that they were willing to pit top-tier talent like Biwa Hayahide against her was proof of Maya's burgeoning reputation. At the same time, the landscape was shifting. Several promising girls who had recently transferred out of Nemesis were beginning to make waves in their new stables.
"And how are the transfers doing?" Rampage asked.
"Great," Okino replied. "We've got Bubblegum Fellow over at Spica. A little worried about her distance aptitude, but we're aiming for the Classic road."
"Same here," Tojo said. "Fusaichi Concorde is settling in at Rigil. She's aiming for the same path."
Both girls possessed talent so immense it was a wonder they had been in Nemesis's overflow to begin with. They were in the same generation as Air Groove, meaning a collision was inevitable by the late Classic or Senior seasons. I need to start planning for that, Rampage thought. She'd heard it was Spica's sub-trainer who had scouted "Bubble."
"Ugh," Rampage groaned, leaning her head on her desk. "Once I get to the track, the press is going to hound me for comments on the Breeders' Cup again. My head already hurts."
"I don't think they'll be that bold," Tojo said. "After the way you dressed them down last time, any reporter who tries the same stunt will be committing career suicide. The industry's credibility is already on thin ice."
"I wouldn't bet on that," Sunday smirked. "Those vultures have short memories. What's the saying? 'Once the heat passes, they forget the burn'?"
Rampage still held a deep grudge over the victory interview following Maya's debut. In her eyes, the media was a collective entity that didn't deserve an ounce of trust.
"Why don't you just put out a statement yourself, Rampage-san?" Sakahara suggested. "If you preempt them with your own broadcast or post, you can cut the number of questions at the track by half."
Rampage clapped her hands together. "Now that is an idea."
If she took the initiative, she could just tell them to "watch the archive" if they asked something she'd already covered. And if they kept pushing? She'd just crush them. Simple.
"Still," Sunday mused, "this year's Japan Cup is going to be a bloodbath. You just know some American girls are going to fly in screaming about 'avenging the Breeders' Cup.'"
"Maybe," Rampage said. "But Turbo and Teio are probably targeting the Legend Races, so they likely won't enter. The turnaround from the BC to the Japan Cup is brutal anyway. Between the rest, the flight, and acclimating to the local turf, there's too much to do. Looking back… my run from the Arc straight to the BC Classic was actually kind of insane, wasn't it?"
The entire room went silent for a beat. Then, in perfect unison, everyone replied:
"You're just realizing this now?!"
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