After accepting Miss Secretariat's task, Shuta An returned to his apartment and plunged straight into work. He gathered every publicly available race video and bit of information on Easy Goer, preparing to dissect them one by one.
'Although the compensation Miss Secretariat promised isn't something I need right now…it might become important for Oguri later' he thought. That single possibility sharpened his focus.
When Oguri Cap came home, she found Shuta An buried in his research and blinked in confusion.
"It feels like Ann is researching opponents for me. Did something happen?" the Gray Uma Musume asked bluntly.
"Miss Secretariat asked me to gather information on Easy Goer and analyze strategy," Shuta An replied, eyes still on his work. "Where's Berno? Why is it just you returning?"
"Berno is out eating with some Japanese staff from the Institute. She should've messaged you?" Oguri pointed at his pajama pocket—his phone sitting there like forgotten evidence.
"Oh—wait." Shuta An fished it out, finally noticing Berno Light's Line notification. He quickly typed a reply—Received—before setting the phone aside.
He checked the clock. "It's dinner time. Since Berno is out, let's eat outside too. There's nothing at home anyway."
"Okay, okay!" Oguri's eyes brightened—an unmistakable sparkle at the idea of a dinner date.
There was absolutely no chance Shuta An would repeat Berno Light's Christmas mistake—no tiny artistic portions this time. He chose something that would never betray Oguri Cap: a buffet. Any restaurant daring to open beside a Tracen Academy as massive as West Coast must have unshakable confidence in its storage room, Shuta thought. And indeed—the moment they stepped inside, the place was packed.
"It's really lively—Isn't it too crowded?" Oguri murmured.
"It doesn't matter. We're not hiding anything," Shuta reassured her. "Let's go get our food."
"Okay!" Oguri wrinkled her nose in a delighted smile.
They took seats opposite each other, sharing whatever they had picked—well, mostly Shuta feeding Oguri while she radiated unfiltered joy. He didn't neglect his own plate either; after all, the dishes were clearly tailored to the appetites of West Coast Tracen's Uma Musume population.
And among those Uma Musume—Sunday Silence noticed them. Sipping her sports drink, she quickly looked away.
"What's the matter?" Charlie Whittingham asked, having caught her student's drifting gaze.
"Nothing," Sunday Silence shook her head. "Just saw a couple over there, so I looked."
Charlie Whittingham didn't question it. "Since Miss Secretariat asked that French Two Crowns Trainer to research your opponent, her expectations must be high. Sunday Silence, take this seriously."
"I know, I won't fool around," Sunday Silence pouted. "I understand what the American Triple Crown means to us."
"Good. But don't let it become a burden. Just prepare as usual and give your best. No regrets."
"Mm-hmm!" Sunday Silence nodded earnestly.
Even if she didn't approach Shuta An or Oguri Cap, Shuta An didn't ignore her once he spotted her. Once Oguri had eaten her fill, he guided her toward Sunday Silence.
The cafeteria buzzed with curiosity—Sunday Silence was already a star after winning the Santa Anita Derby, and now a mysterious man approached her. If Oguri hadn't been walking behind him, rumors would already be flying.
"Good afternoon, Miss Sunday Silence," Shuta greeted. "We meet again after this morning."
"Good afternoon. Mr. Shuta." She responded politely, though her tail flicked with thinly veiled impatience. "Do you need something? Or have you finished gathering Easy Goer's information?"
"I just saw you and wanted to greet you." Shuta smiled. "You don't need to be so tense. Save that energy for the Kentucky Derby."
Before she could retort, Charlie Whittingham stepped in.
"Hello, Mr. Shuta. I'm Charlie Whittingham, Sunday Silence's Trainer."
Shuta blinked—he hadn't expected Sunday Silence's Trainer to share the exact name of her real-world counterpart, only differing in gender. But he recovered quickly.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Shuta An. I used to work at West Coast Tracen Academy, and now I work in Japan."
"Mr. Shuta," Charlie said directly, "in your opinion—what are Sunday Silence's chances against Easy Goer?"
Shuta paused. Sunday Silence pretended not to care, but her twitching ears betrayed her.
"Chances…" he muttered, thinking carefully.
Then he replied—against his own conscience: "Nine to one."
A beat.
"Easy Goer has a ninety percent chance of winning."
Sunday Silence's expression darkened the moment Shuta An finished speaking. Charlie Whittingham's face tightened as well.
"Is the gap really that big?" she asked again, as if hoping his assessment might change.
"Easy Goer's strength is—overwhelming," Shuta An replied with absolute certainty. "It's not impossible for Miss Sunday Silence to beat her, but she'll need unwavering resolve, rigorous training, and as much growth as she can manage in the next month. If those conditions are met—and paired with the right tactics—winning the Kentucky Derby isn't out of the question."
"Like Miss Oguri Cap winning the French Two Crowns?" Sunday Silence shot back sharply.
"Similar, but not identical," Shuta An clarified. "Oguri didn't have to face an opponent on Easy Goer's level."
Oguri Cap wasn't bothered by the comparison. She had heard many discussions in the research institute about that name—the East Coast's unrivaled prodigy, the one destined for the 'Triple Crown' throne.
'It's like as if I had been born in Symboli Rudolf's generation' Oguri thought, glancing at Sunday Silence with faint sympathy.
Sunday Silence noticed. She clenched her fists and raised her head, glaring at Shuta An. "I'll prove I'm not inferior to Easy Goer!"
"Fighting spirit is good," Shuta An replied, looking instead toward Charlie Whittingham. "One month is enough time. Do your best, Charlie Whittingham."
"Understood." Charlie lowered her head, sighing quietly. She, too, knew the truth of Easy Goer's astonishing talent.
On their way back to the apartment, Oguri Cap finally voiced her thoughts. "Ann—were you being pessimistic about Sunday Silence's chances?"
"Not exactly," Shuta An answered. "From the two times I've spoken with Sunday Silence, I can tell she's similar to Teio—she gets carried away easily. If I gave her too much hope, she wouldn't push herself to the limit."
"So that's why Ann said that" Oguri nodded slowly. "Easy Goer really is strong. The research staff also said her talent is on the same level as Miss Secretariat."
"Talent is one thing. Whether you can use it fully is another," Shuta An shrugged.
Back at the apartment, he dove straight into work again. He rewatched every Easy Goer race video with painstaking attention, recording every detail on his computer. Just like his preparation for Sunday Silence before the San Felipe Stakes, he intended to use this data to help guide Sunday Silence toward defeating Easy Goer in the Kentucky Derby.
Hours passed. A long list of observations accumulated. And Shuta An wasn't working alone—each night, in the Dream World, he would refine the day's findings and report them to Trainer Charlie Whittingham, absorb her insights as one of America's top trainers, then return to the videos the next day armed with her feedback.
Through this cycle, his understanding of Easy Goer deepened without limit. While Easy Goer and her Trainer, Claude, remained completely unaware, Shuta An pushed himself closer and closer to grasping the exact method needed to surpass her.
By late April, he had compiled everything into a printed report—thick enough to feel like a small book—and handed it to Charlie Whittingham.
"This is—an immense amount of material," Charlie murmured, weighing the stack of A4 papers.
"I'm not sure all of it will help, but I included everything. Something might end up being useful," Shuta An said with a gentle smile.
"Thank you. I'll make good use of it." Charlie bowed slightly.
Of course, Shuta An would use the same information in the Dream World challenge.
"It's a pity the challenge is only in the Dream World" he sighed. If he could choose one race in the entire American Twinkle Series for his Uma Musume to win, it would always be the Kentucky Derby.
Travers Stakes, the Breeders' Cup Classic—the pinnacle of dirt racing—Belmont Stakes with its iconic history—all were legendary. But for Americans, the single most important two minutes of the year belonged to the Kentucky Derby.
"The most exciting two minutes in American sports."
"The most thrilling two minutes in American sports."
"Run for the roses."
And the record of that race—1:59.4—belonged to Secretariat, with second place lagging half a second behind at an even 2:00.
"That's why Secretariat is called a living legend," Shuta An whispered.
He didn't believe a Japanese dirt-track Uma Musume could realistically win the Kentucky Derby, so a victory in the Dream World felt like nothing more than a fleeting fantasy.
"I'll just enjoy it there."
But one thing about the Dream World challenge still bothered him—he always had to attempt the race after learning the real-world result. If his partner lost during the day, the challenge felt meaningful. But if they won—then all he needed to do was follow the rhythm and claim victory easily. It made him feel as if he were cutting corners.
'Maybe I should just turn off all communication on May 6th—not look at the news, just lock myself in my room'
The thought disappeared instantly. Because Secretariat, through Dr. Grace, had informed him that on May 6th, he was to bring his two Uma Musume to Churchill Downs—to watch the Kentucky Derby with her.
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