While talking about watching the race, Yasui occasionally glanced at Duramente, turning over an uncertain memory in his mind.
In that memory, Duramente seemed to have suffered a fracture after the Japanese Derby.
Afterward, she remained in recovery from her injury, only returning to full health and making her comeback in February or March of the following year.
Referring to Uma Musume like Tokai Teio, Silence Suzuka, and Rice Shower, they had also experienced fractures in this world.
The difference was that the latter two were not put down because of it. Instead, they retired peacefully after recovering.
Based on this correspondence, it was very likely that something similar would happen to Duramente in this timeline.
The problem was, his impression was that the accident hadn't happened during a race or training, but during a pasturing period.
This left Yasui quite perplexed.
Whether it was racehorses or Uma Musume, the intensity of races was high, as was the training. A fracture occurring during those times was understandable.
How an accident could happen during pasturing, and what the Japanese horse Trainers and stable hands in the other world were actually doing, was something he completely couldn't fathom.
Even without overthinking it, pasturing should correspond to something like a rest day here.
How could a fracture occur on a rest day? It couldn't be from just tripping while walking on flat ground, could it?
Duramente seemed a bit dull and blunt, but surely she wasn't so airheaded or unlucky to that extent?
Despite his doubts, Yasui held a firm conviction.
He did not want Duramente to suffer any injuries in this world. He firmly believed that Kitasan Black could indisputably defeat this opponent.
If it were earlier, especially before he had signed the contract with Kitasan Black, he wouldn't have had this thought.
However, over the past few months, through the girl and race after race, he gradually felt the same impulse he had when he participated in various competitions years ago.
In all the top-tier events, the opponents were stronger and more talented.
Compared to those who were truly gifted, all his efforts seemed like a waste of time, as if he could never win a championship no matter what.
But perhaps that was the meaning for an ordinary person with a bit of talent like himself to participate in competitions: to try and challenge his own limits.
Perhaps this was also the true meaning of the sport itself.
And he only now realized that when he first started guiding Kitasan Black, he hadn't truly become an Uma Musume Trainer. He had lacked the mindset a Trainer should have.
At that time, he more or less had the attitude of a bystander, thinking it was enough to give full guidance and work hard.
He didn't know when it started, but he began to want to challenge their mutual limits together with Kitasan Black from the bottom of his heart.
In the other timeline, regardless of whether she won the championship, Kitasan Black never beat Duramente, and it wasn't until her third year after her debut that she was recognized as the strongest of her generation.
Perhaps every failure had an unavoidable reason, such as high-intensity training, late maturity, or exhaustion from consecutive races.
But now, he had already adopted gentler training methods as much as possible, combined with targeted training and tactical arrangements based on Kitasan Black's physical development, and they had even beaten Duramente once.
That proved what he believed was correct: Kitasan Black was not inferior to any opponent and would even reach her peak earlier.
With these thoughts, Yasui was in no hurry to speak out. After all, thoughts were one thing, but how to act was another.
Moreover, Duramente looked perfectly fine now. If he really wanted to give a hint or warning, he would have to think carefully about the manner and wording.
So, while pondering, his attention remained on the racetrack.
Just like any other race day, there were ten races before the grand finale, the Dream Cup.
Most of these races were Debut Races and Maiden Races, the latter featuring Uma Musume who had failed to win their previous Debut Races.
Compared to the Graded Races and the subsequent Dream Cup, the level of such events was naturally limited.
Yet Kitasan Black, Almond Eye, and Duramente watched with great interest, their discussion about who would win each race and how the contestants performed never stopping.
Yasui would also offer some opinions from time to time when asked, but as the grand finale Dream Cup approached, he pondered for a long time before giving an opinion similar to Silence Suzuka's earlier.
"Who will win... Even if it's you asking, Kita-chan, I can't give an answer."
Meeting Kitasan Black's expectant gaze, he shrugged.
"If these seniors of yours were still active, I might have some sort of opinion.
"Now, not knowing what kind of training they've maintained over the years or how they've prepared for the Dream Cup during this period, it's hard for me to say anything."
Then his eyes sharpened, and his tone became serious.
"However, even so, there are three contestants you should pay attention to."
"Three... Is it Special-senpai and Grass-senpai?"
Kitasan Black thought for a moment and ventured a guess.
Beside them, Almond Eye and Duramente also cast curious glances.
"Neither."
Yasui shook his head and pointed to the screen facing the stands.
"It's Matikanefukukitaru, Seiun Sky, and Mejiro Bright."
Hearing this, the three Uma Musume were all taken aback and looked at the screen following Yasui's gesture.
On the screen was an Uma Musume with long brown hair, two delicate braided pigtails hanging by her ears, and golden eyes.
She seemed a bit slow. The camera had been on her for a while before this Uma Musume finally blinked, looked at the lens, slowly curved her eyes into a somewhat lazy smile, and waved her hand leisurely.
"That's... Mejiro Bright-senpai?"
Kitasan Black quickly matched the Uma Musume on the screen with the name in her memory.
"Bright-senpai..."
Almond Eye thought for a moment and looked at Yasui.
"As for Seiun-senpai and Fukukitaru-senpai, I know they are both Kikuka Sho Uma Musume.
"Kita-chan is going to participate in the Kikuka Sho later, so paying attention to these two senpais must be to prepare for the upcoming race, right?"
Seeing Yasui nod, she became puzzled.
"As for Bright-senpai... oh right, she is a Tenno Sho (Spring) Uma Musume, and her long-distance strength is also very formidable."
"Not just the Tenno Sho (Spring)."
Nodding again, Yasui then shook his head.
"There's also the Hanshin Daishoten, as well as the Stayers Stakes.
"Actually, I've told Kita-chan that whether you're watching seniors or peers, you must not only focus on G1 Races, nor just on first-place finishes.
"Mejiro Bright and Matikanefukukitaru are of the same generation. Although she couldn't beat the latter, she had the fastest last three furlongs in that Kikuka Sho.
"The Tenno Sho (Spring) and Hanshin Daishoten go without saying. With distances of 3200 meters and 3000 meters, winning them undoubtedly proves one's strength in long-distance races.
"And the Stayers Stakes is the longest Graded Race in the Twinkle Series, at a full 3600 meters.
"Almond, the longest distance you've run so far should be the 2400 meters from that event.
"So let me ask you."
Just as he did with Kitasan Black, Yasui's tone became more emphatic.
"After 2400 meters, if you were required by the race to run another 1200 meters, could you win...
"No, I should say, could you even finish the race?"
Almond Eye was stunned and quickly fell into thought, while the other two Uma Musume also showed serious expressions.
Seeing this, Yasui nodded slightly.
"That's why you can learn a lot by paying attention to more things in this race.
"However..."
He glanced at the Paddock and chuckled.
"As for this Bright-senpai's half-beat-slow manner... there's absolutely no need to learn that."
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