Today happened to be Sunday.
For Shuta An—someone accustomed to spending every evening in the Dream World—most Sundays carried a clear meaning: he would be riding in a Stakes Race today.
Given his reputation and standing as a jockey in the Dream World, Shuta An could secure high-popularity mounts in almost any Stakes Race with ease. Even for today's Chunichi Shimbun Hai, Trainer Takahashi Naritada had personally sent him a riding request—for the race favorite, Dai Yusaku.
At first, Takahashi Naritada's expectations had been modest. From a trainer's perspective, compared to the Chunichi Shimbun Hai, the Yayoi Sho held on the same day at Nakayama Racecourse was clearly the race Shuta An should have been riding.
However, when Takahashi learned that Shuta An would not be going to Nakayama, but instead to Chukyo—
His anticipation skyrocketed. Being able to secure Shuta An on a race day where the overall jockey level at Chukyo was relatively weaker meant that the Chunichi Shimbun Hai was, for all intents and purposes, already within reach.
For Takahashi Naritada—who had been training for thirteen years yet only claimed two Stakes victories—the Chunichi Shimbun Hai held little prestige among Stakes Races. But it was still a Stakes Race. And if there was even a chance to win it, he naturally wanted to seize it.
Yet in the end, Shuta An declined.
For the sake of Assistant Ikee's favor, he chose another entry in the same race—a filly who had been almost completely overlooked.
When Trainer Takahashi learned of this, he carefully reviewed the race records of the filly named Dokanjo.
Compared to Dai Yusaku, her résumé could only be described as bleak.
"Her best showing in the Fillies' Triple Crown was eighth in the Oka Sho…and after that, her results only declined," Takahashi muttered. "Why would Shuta-kun choose to ride this one?"
Unable to understand Shuta An's thinking, the trainer could only sigh and shake his head.
"Forget it. I'll just make sure Dai Yusaku's jockey is fully prepared at Chukyo."
—
As for Saruhashi Shigetoshi, Dai Yusaku's main jockey, he had no idea how close he had come to losing his mount to Shuta An.
When Takahashi Naritada reminded him to be cautious of Shuta An, Saruhashi merely smiled broadly and said he understood. As a jockey who hadn't broken into the national top fifty for the past two years, he had little personal connection to Shuta An—he hadn't even been invited to the previous welcome banquet.
"Shuta-kun is strong, sure," Saruhashi thought confidently, "but I've seen Dokanjo train. She's ordinary at best—no way she can match Dai Yusaku. As long as I take the lead, this race is secure."
—
On the other hand, Ikee Tairo was filled with guilt.
He had relied on his brother's connections to invite a top-tier jockey like Shuta An, yet could only offer him a racehorse whose ability was clearly inferior.
"The fact that Shuta-kun was even willing to do this for my brother—" The more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt. "If I ever get better resources in the future, I must repay this favor."
—
Shuta An, of course, knew nothing of these thoughts.
After entering the Dream World, his mind was focused on only one thing—
Since I'm racing at Chukyo today, where the jockey level is weaker, I need to win as many races as possible.
Yet when he reviewed his schedule, he couldn't help feeling regret. He had only received four riding requests today.
"It's a pity," he thought. "I announced my decision to ride at Chukyo too late. Otherwise, I would've had more mounts."
With that realization, Shuta An made up his mind.
I need to find an agent.
Entrusting this task to Yutaka Take was out of the question. For various reasons, the two of them absolutely could not share the same agent—it wouldn't benefit either party.
—
"Gate 3, Stall 5—Dokanjo! Riding her is Shuta An, who has already achieved three wins today at Chukyo Racecourse! This brings his total wins for the year to thirty-seven! An astonishing figure—nine wins ahead of second-place Yutaka Take! Truly a jockey widely recognized overseas!"
"Three wins in a single day—"
The other jockeys in the race couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Shuta An's riding skill today had already surpassed their understanding. Yet none of them treated him as an absolute threat.
After all—Dokanjo's ability was obvious.
Horse racing was, in the end, a sport of seven parts horse, three parts rider. No one believed that even Shuta An could single-handedly bridge the gap in raw ability between Dokanjo and the top contenders.
In truth, Shuta An himself thought the same.
Dokanjo's ability was indeed lacking—otherwise she wouldn't have struggled so badly in previous races. Last year, her best result had been a mere second place in an Open race.
And Shuta An had carefully watched the replay of that race. Within it, he found something that could perhaps be called a key to victory.
But that depends on whether the others cooperate.
Guiding Dokanjo into the gate, Shuta An steadied his breathing.
"Click!"
At the sound of the gate opening, he instinctively urged her forward. Obediently, Dokanjo lengthened her stride and burst out cleanly.
"A smooth start—but that actually works against my plan," Shuta An thought calmly. "I'd rather you be a little slower."
So he tightened the reins. Dokanjo gradually dropped back, slipping toward the rear of the pack.
"What is he doing?!" Ikee Tairo stared in shock. "Choosing such a passive position in a Stakes Race—Other jockeys have tried coming from behind with Dokanjo before, and it always ended badly. I even reminded Shuta-kun of that!"
What Ikee Tairo didn't understand was this—
The same tactic, when used by Shuta An, was fundamentally different from when it was used by any other Japanese jockey.
—
Meanwhile, Saruhashi Shigetoshi was frowning inside his helmet.
"Dai Yusaku hesitated at the start—If that's the case, I can't force the lead."
With no other choice, he urged him forward, trying to improve their position and transition into a front-running strategy.
Almost simultaneously, several other jockeys—eager to secure advantageous positions—also began to push forward.
From the back of the pack, Shuta An noticed the subtle shift.
The corners of his lips curled upward.
This is exactly what I was waiting for.
Because the leading group surged forward alongside Saruhashi Shigetoshi, the overall tempo of the race was sharply accelerated in the opening half. Shuta An, meanwhile, remained unhurried, allowing Dokanjo to linger calmly at the rear, his gaze fixed on every subtle movement unfolding ahead.
As the field passed the 1000-meter mark, the live commentator's voice rang out across Chukyo Racecourse—
"The first 1000 meters are clocked at 58.7 seconds! An extremely fast pace! Dantsu Elite and Foundry Popo have teamed up to drive a rare high-speed rhythm! Could we be witnessing a new course record in the Chunichi Shimbun Hai?!"
Yet for seasoned spectators, a different thought surfaced almost instinctively:
Can the horses held back still catch up?
After all, this was only a G3 Stakes Race. The overall quality of the field was far from elite—once the pace collapsed, anything could happen.
In the stands, Trainer Ikee Tairo's pupils shrank the moment he heard the split time.
"So that's why Shuta-kun stayed back—" he muttered inwardly. "Did he predict a high-speed race before the start? Or did he notice Dai Yusaku's delayed break and immediately judge that the pace would be dragged into chaos?"
His breath caught.
"His judgment—it's terrifying. As expected of an American Triple Crown jockey."
Not far away, Takahashi Naritada was equally unsettled.
"Did Saruhashi stir the pace too aggressively—?" His brows knit together. "Can Dai Yusaku really sustain this kind of speed until the end?"
And then—
"Will this give Dokanjo an opening?"
A faint but unmistakable unease crept into his heart.
—
For Shuta An, however, the moment the fast pace was confirmed, his odds of victory rose sharply.
More than half, he judged calmly.
Even before exiting the final turn, he had already begun to increase the pressure through his legs and seat. Under his guidance, Dokanjo started to overtake horses in the mid-pack, steadily closing the distance to the leaders.
Once we hit the straight—I'll take the outside.
With that decision made, Shuta An reversed the whip in his hand, preparing to signal Dokanjo for her final charge. From his observations during training, he knew Dokanjo well. She had often run as a front-runner in the past—meaning her explosive power was limited, and her acceleration lacked sharpness.
"This time," he thought, shaking his head lightly, "I'll just have to put in a bit more work myself."
If the horse doesn't have enough burst—then I'll make up for it with skill.
—
As they entered the final straight, Saruhashi Shigetoshi used the terrain to glance back.
He didn't see Shuta An. His heart clenched.
"Where did Shuta-kun go?"
A heartbeat later, he had his answer.
From the far right—Shuta An and Dokanjo came sweeping in.
"A bold move to the outside—what a surge!"
Every jockey understood this tactic in theory. But once executed, the difference in riding skill turned it into something entirely different.
The whip spun in Shuta An's hand.
Each full rotation ended with a sharp crack against Dokanjo's rump.
With every strike, the filly's speed climbed—bit by bit, inch by inch.
Explosive power wasn't necessary.
Shuta An whipped and pushed in perfect coordination, allowing Dokanjo to maintain her stride with minimal wasted effort.
There was no need to choose a path. No need to calculate angles.
They only needed to accelerate forward.
"Shuta An and Dokanjo! Charging down the far outside! They're closing fast—closing fast!"
The live commentator's eyes were wide open. This was the first time he had ever witnessed Shuta An's late-closing tactic on such a major stage.
"That push-ride—" the guest commentator murmured, voicing what everyone felt. "It's an overwhelming strength—something you simply don't see in other jockeys."
"One-handed push-riding, the other executing windmill whips—Shuta-kun is pouring his fighting spirit straight into that whip, drawing out a final burst of speed Dokanjo has never shown before" Ikee Tairo stared at the scene, barely breathing. "This… is this the brilliance that only appears when Shuta-kun is in the saddle."
—
"Dokanjo crosses the line! The genius jockey's tactic works once again! Four wins in a single day!"
The roar echoed through the stands.
Ikee Tairo watched the young man wave toward the crowd, and in that moment, the image of a horse from his own stable surfaced in his mind.
Oguri Cap will likely retire this year—
That meant that next season, every trainer in the older-horse circuit would be sending riding invitations to Shuta An. And for jockeys, the priority would naturally be to secure a partner from the Classic Race circuit.
"This year's Classics—" Ikee Tairo pressed his lips together. "I don't have a filly to enter, and my most promising colt is injured. The Derby is out of reach."
Then—
His fist clenched.
"But that might not be a bad thing."
A conditions race—that horse won't disappoint him.
—
Later, as Shuta An, Ikee Tairo, Dokanjo, and the stable staff gathered for a commemorative photo, Ikee Tairo took the initiative.
"Shuta-kun, would you be interested in riding a Classic-age horse from our stable in a one-win race in mid-May?"
Shuta An raised an eyebrow. "If you're asking me here, it must be a horse you're placing great hopes in, right?"
"Yes," Ikee Tairo admitted without hesitation. "A horse from the Mejiro Family."
Shuta An's heart skipped—though his expression remained perfectly composed.
"His name is Mejiro McQueen," Ikee Tairo continued, patting his chest. "His half-brother is Mejiro Durren. Pure Mejiro blood, through and through."
He looked straight at Shuta An.
"Shuta-kun hasn't chosen his Classic partner yet, has he? That child won't take up riding opportunities in the first two crowns. But by the time we reach the Kikuka Sho—"
A confident smile spread across his face.
"—the name 'Mejiro, the house of endurance' will be more than worthy of your trust."
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