After the Winning Live ended, Shuta An—his expression grim—escorted Oguri Cap straight to the hospital.
Once the examinations were complete, he sent the Gray Uma Musume and Berno Light home, then returned alone to the hospital, choosing to wait there for the results. Seated on a bench in the waiting area, the young man didn't even have the mood to scroll through his phone.
"If the worst-case scenario happens," Shuta An muttered under his breath, "then we'll have to consider letting Oguri Cap retire from the Twinkle Series."
"The primary role of the Twinkle Series for an Uma Musume is to accumulate fame. Oguri already has more than enough of that… there's no need to force anything further."
"Not running for a single year might feel regrettable," he continued, his thoughts heavy, "but if she really is injured this time, then gets hurt again after recovering and loses her athletic ability completely—that would be the true worst case. Retiring now would at least secure her a ticket to the Dream Trophy…wouldn't it?"
Yet as soon as that thought surfaced, another followed. The image of the Gray Uma Musume drenched in sweat during every training session rose vividly in his mind.
"Oguri really loves to run…" Shuta An murmured. "If she were to retire—could she truly accept it?"
He didn't say it aloud, but the answer had already formed in his heart.
—
Late at night, the examination report finally arrived.
Shuta An skimmed it once, shook his head, closed the file, and stood up to leave the hospital. There was no need for him to remind anyone—the hospital would naturally keep Oguri Cap's condition confidential.
After driving away, he didn't head straight home. Instead, he took the highway at a steady speed, letting the car carry him forward without urgency. He circled the port area once, then finally made up his mind.
"No matter what," he said quietly, "I should hear what Oguri herself thinks first."
—
In truth, by the time Shuta An returned home late that night, both Oguri Cap and Berno Light had already sensed that the results would not be good.
Shuta An spread the report out on the table.
"It's periostitis."
That single word explained the sharp, stabbing pain in Oguri Cap's right leg.
"I see." Oguri Cap's expression remained calm. "At least I won the Arima Kinen. Otherwise, if this came out, people would definitely think I was just making excuses."
"You don't need to care about what they say," Shuta An replied.
He stood up, walked over slowly, then knelt down in front of her, meeting her gaze directly.
"Oguri," he said seriously, "here, you don't need to hold anything back. Tell me honestly—do you still want to keep running on the Twinkle Series stage? If your goal is money, or meeting stronger opponents, then the Dream Trophy Series would actually be more convenient."
"But I promised Super Creek and Inari One that I'd aim for a three-peat in the Arima Kinen," Oguri Cap answered without hesitation. "And Ann also promised others that he'd challenge the Breeders' Cup Series with me, didn't he?"
Shuta An didn't look away. After pursing his lips for a moment, he spoke again.
"It doesn't matter to me. I haven't officially registered anything yet—no one can accuse me of breaking my word."
"But I can't," Oguri Cap shook her head. "If it's periostitis, then it's just half a year of rest. Even if I have to skip the Yasuda Kinen next year, it won't affect the later race schedule, right?"
"It won't," Shuta An said—then, as if by magic, produced an English entry form.
Oguri Cap raised her eyebrows. "What's this? An entry form for the Breeders' Cup Series?"
"No," Shuta An shook his head. "It's for the Arlington Million."
He looked at her steadily. "Next year, Oguri's main overseas targets will be the Arlington Million and the Breeders' Cup Mile. Before Arlington, I'll arrange a warm-up race in the United States. You won't need to go all out there—it's just to get into rhythm."
"Alright." Oguri Cap nodded lightly. "I understand. I'll fill it out now."
—
That night, before going to bed, Shuta An posted two consecutive announcements on Team Sadalsuud's official blog.
The first announced that Oguri Cap had been diagnosed with periostitis, would withdraw from the Yasuda Kinen, and would rest through the entire first half of the coming year.
The second announced that Oguri Cap had entered the Arlington Million, and that she would represent Japan's Uma Musumes in challenging the Breeders' Cup Mile.
As expected, both announcements quickly drew massive attention.
Under the first post—
"So Oguri Cap used her final burst to beat Super Creek and Inari One despite having periostitis? As expected of a seven-crown Uma Musume—her raw strength is on a completely different level."
"So the slow start really was because of the illness—I hope she recovers well."
"Honestly speaking, is Oguri Cap already the strongest Uma Musume in Japanese history?"
"Symboli Rudolf couldn't even win the Arima Kinen while sick, right?"
Before long, the comment section descended into another battlefield. The second announcement, however, was far more harmonious.
"Japan's Uma Musumes really can't match Oguri Cap anymore. It's time to show her strength to the world."
"Won't periostitis affect her condition even after recovery? Wouldn't it be better to be conservative? Symboli Rudolf has been mocked ever since her failed overseas challenge."
"The Breeders' Cup Mile isn't as prestigious as the Turf Classic, is it? Oguri Cap's major wins are all between 2000 and 2500 meters—why switch to 1600 meters in the U.S.?"
"Don't forget—Oguri Cap won the French 2000 Guineas. That's a Mile race."
"Seems like her Trainer believes she has exceptional Mile talent."
"No one understands Oguri Cap better than her Trainer. If he chose this path, there must be a reason. As fans, we should just support her."
After skimming through both comment sections, Shuta An simply took a shower and went to bed. This time, he would be challenging the Arima Kinen together with Oguri Cap—in the Dream World.
Yet before falling asleep, the young man made a firm decision.
"Since the real world and the Dream World mirror each other," he thought, "then Oguri Cap in the Dream World must also be injured"
"I can't let her risk further injury by running this Arima Kinen again. Even if it disappoints the fans in the Dream World—I have to do this."
With that resolve, Shuta An closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
Upon entering the Dream World, Shuta An opened his eyes to find himself seated in the jockeys' lounge.
"There's still some time before the Arima Kinen—" he murmured softly, unconsciously twirling the whip between his fingers. "I'll take care of all the races I've accepted first. Good results in the earlier races will prove my condition is fine. After that, I'll observe Oguri Cap's physical state. If there's even the slightest problem, I'll request a physical examination immediately."
With his plan settled, Shuta An rose as the time for his first race approached and left the lounge.
"This year's Arima Kinen is being called our showdown by everyone," Yutaka Take said as he caught up beside him. He, too, was riding in Nakayama 1R that day. "Super Creek and I are full of confidence this time."
"Is that so?" Shuta An replied without turning his head. "Then you shouldn't overlook Inari One. You understand that, right? Her stamina is among the best in this year's field. Ignore her, and you'll regret it at the end."
"I'll keep that in mind," Yutaka Take answered seriously. Shuta An's record alone made the advice impossible to dismiss.
Then Yutaka Take suddenly realized something. "Wait… Shuta-kun, why are you reminding me of this? You're riding in the Arima Kinen too, aren't you?"
"Because I want Take-kun to help me keep an eye on Inari One," Shuta An replied with utter righteousness.
"You really are something else…" Yutaka Take's mouth twitched, his thoughts momentarily thrown into chaos.
In Nakayama 1R, Shuta An guided Great Knight to a wire-to-wire victory, finishing a full seven lengths ahead of Yutaka Take.
During the post-race photo session, Great Knight's future trainer, Kunieda Sakae, repeatedly bowed in thanks. "I'll officially take over Great Knight next year. Thanks to Shuta-kun, she can remain in Central. Thank you very much!"
"It's nothing," Shuta An said calmly. "I'm a jockey. Winning with my partner is only natural. You don't need to thank me so formally, Kunieda-shi."
"I hope we can work together more after my stable officially opens," said Kunieda Sakae of the Mihono Training Center. With Shuta An soon to be registered at Ritto, he clearly hoped for future cooperation.
"There will be opportunities," Shuta An replied with a faint smile.
The Arima Kinen was the ninth race on the card at Nakayama that day. By the time it arrived, Shuta An had already claimed four victories.
As he entered the parade ring for the Arima Kinen, his expression sharpened instantly.
"Now's the time."
Unlike usual, he didn't have Assistant Ikee help him mount immediately. Instead, he circled Oguri Cap several times as he stood quietly in place.
"What is it?" Assistant Ikee asked, puzzled. "Shuta-kun, did you notice something? Oguri Cap looks quite spirited today."
"Nothing," Shuta An answered after another circuit. Unable to discern anything abnormal from his outward appearance, he finally accepted Assistant Ikee's help and mounted.
The moment he settled into the saddle, his brows furrowed.
"Something's off—Oguri feels different from the Japan Cup."
This wasn't growth. Almost instinctively, Shuta An attributed it to injury.
"My judgment should be right. I'll observe his gait once we enter the track. There should be signs."
He tightened the reins.
After entering the track, Oguri Cap indeed looked energetic—but Shuta An felt something wrong immediately. Despite stepping onto the turf, he showed no intention of stretching his stride or running.
Having already reached his conclusion, Shuta An acted decisively.
"Let's test it."
He gave a light signal with his hands. Oguri Cap obediently shifted from a walk into a trot. Only a few steps later, Shuta An straightened, tightened the reins, and forcefully brought him to a halt.
"What's going on? Shuta An has pulled Oguri Cap to a stop—and dismounted?!" The live commentator's voice rose in shock. After entering the track, jockeys were not permitted to dismount without an exceptional reason. Failure to justify it meant suspension and fines.
Track staff quickly gathered around them. One of the senior officials spoke up. "Shuta-kun, is there a problem?"
"I've requested a veterinary examination," Shuta An said calmly. "Something feels wrong with him today. Please make the announcement."
"Understood." The staff didn't dare delay and immediately went to summon a vet.
At that moment, Setoguchi Tsutomu arrived, visibly anxious. "Shuta-kun, what's the matter?!"
Yoshida Katsumi, who followed behind him, was equally confused. "What happened?"
"Oguri Cap's gait isn't right," Shuta An explained. "He looks spirited, but once on the grass, he has no desire to run. I suspect pain—pain making him seem energetic, and pain making him unwilling to move."
"Even when I gave him a signal, he only trotted. Honestly—even if it's minor, I don't want to force her."
"All right," Setoguchi Tsutomu sighed. "Then we'll wait for the vet's conclusion. If it's even a small issue, we'll withdraw."
He had neither the authority nor the desire to overrule Shuta An. The main jockey had spoken; respect was due.
Yoshida Katsumi pressed his lips together, saying nothing. He didn't want to offend Shuta An, yet he feared the club members' reaction if they withdrew so suddenly. His heart churned with conflict.
If only the vet finds a moderate injury…serious enough to withdraw, but not career-ending, he prayed inwardly.
The thought made him feel absurd—a breeder hoping his own Racehorse was injured.
Yet he understood why.
"Shuta An's influence is terrifying," Yoshida Katsumi admitted to himself. "I still need to maintain a good relationship with him. There will be many times in the future when I'll need Shuta-kun."
When the vet arrived, he went straight to work without wasting a word.
After more than five minutes, he straightened. "There's an issue with the right foreleg—it's warm to the touch, there is inflammation. I recommend X-rays and a full examination. Continuing to race is not advisable."
"Then we withdraw," Yoshida Katsumi said decisively, not waiting for Setoguchi Tsutomu. "Reason: right foreleg lameness."
"Understood." The Nakayama staff nodded, and the JRA official nearby approved immediately.
Shuta An took no part in their discussion. He simply reached out, gently stroking Oguri Cap's head.
"Get some good rest."