12:50 PM. Warm sunlight in the late January winter bathed Tokyo Racecourse, illuminating the Uma Musume taking their positions behind the starting gates.
From the commentary booth overlooking nearly a hundred thousand spectators, an energetic young announcer’s voice echoed clearly:
“Now entering the gate is today’s third most popular competitor, Kitasan Black!”
“She’s a freshman at Central Tracen Academy, making her debut right after enrollment. Her lively spirit is truly inspiring.”
“Today’s race is also her trainer’s debut. What kind of performance will these two rookies deliver? Let’s wait and see!”
Following this, an older commentator offered his analysis:
“Based on training data, Kitasan Black possesses impressive power and stamina.”
“Compared to today’s top favorites—Mikki Joy, ranked first, and Eden, ranked second—these are her biggest advantages.”
“Let’s hope she capitalizes on these strengths to give us an exciting race.”
Uma Musume races typically employed two commentators: one providing live updates and atmosphere, the other offering detailed insights.
After hearing this exchange, excitement stirred among the crowd, discussions rippling through the stands as spectators debated the potential winner.
Standing near the front row of the audience, next to Yasui Makoto, two Uma Musume quietly exchanged whispers.
“Nee-san, do you think Kita-chan…can win her debut race?” Satono Diamond asked anxiously.
Satono Crown hesitated briefly before responding gently:
“Even if you ask me, Dia, there’s no way I can predict that.”
The two sisters had come to support their friends. Crown’s friend had competed earlier in the day; after congratulating her, the sisters visited the preparation room to cheer Kitasan on. Then, naturally, they joined Yasui Makoto in the stands.
After a pause, Satono Crown offered thoughtfully:
“But from what I’ve seen, Mikki Joy-san—the top favorite—probably has the edge here.”
“She signed with her trainer last year and has been preparing specifically for this debut for two or three months.”
“I’ve seen her training at the academy, and her performance is remarkably stable. Without unforeseen factors, her chances of winning are as high as her popularity suggests.”
Seeing her younger sister’s concern, Crown quickly added:
“But there’s no need to worry too much about Kita-chan.”
“I’m sure her trainer has considered everything more carefully than I could.”
“Am I right, Yasui-san?”
At that moment, Yasui Makoto stood with binoculars raised, fully focused on his Uma Musume, Kitasan Black.
Steady breathing, healthy complexion, warmed up perfectly, and no issues entering the gate.
After rapidly assessing Kitasan’s condition, Yasui glanced toward Satono Crown with a polite smile.
“Thank you for your confidence, Crown-san.”
“You’re right—I have indeed made thorough preparations based on today’s actual circumstances.”
“As for the details—”
Before Yasui could explain that there probably wasn’t enough time now, the commentator’s voice suddenly rose in pitch.
“All right, every Uma Musume has now entered the gates!”
Instantly disregarding courtesy, Yasui returned the binoculars to his eyes.
Satono Crown’s expression also turned serious, and alongside her still-anxious sister, she stared intently toward the gates.
The announcer continued:
“Now then—Tokyo Racecourse, 1800 meters on turf, debut race—”
“Start!”
With the commentator’s loud declaration, all sixteen gates burst open simultaneously.
Sixteen figures shot forward like released arrows, immediately converging toward the inside rail.
The crowd erupted at this fiercely competitive start, tens of thousands roaring excitedly at once.
Observing Kitasan closely through his binoculars, Yasui nodded in silent approval.
Regardless of the race, the inside rail naturally offered the shortest route, making it highly advantageous to seize an inner position early.
During his training with his father, Yasui had visited local racetracks. Frankly speaking, local standards couldn’t compare to Central’s.
For instance, many local Uma Musume lacked awareness of positioning at the start. Even after training, they’d often react too late, wasting valuable opportunities.
Yet, today’s participants, despite being absolute beginners without prior race experience, uniformly showed immediate awareness, aggressively competing for position. This kind of instinctive reaction far surpassed local standards.
Kitasan Black’s launch was excellent, perfectly following his pre-race instructions.
Although it looked like the black-haired girl was simply fighting for an inside position, she had immediately fixed her eyes on the competitor emerging from gate six, precisely matching her stride.
The commentator reported this faithfully:
“A fantastic start with no visible errors!”
“In this opening stretch, the favorite Mikki Joy currently takes the lead…”
“Wait—Cosmo Hyena has overtaken! Now, Cosmo Hyena leads.”
“Mikki Joy is holding second place, closely followed by Eden, the second favorite.”
“As expected, the top two favorites demonstrate excellent early positioning.”
“Kitasan Black, ranked third in popularity, has not joined the frontrunners. Instead, she’s closely shadowing Turbo Ihei—perhaps a marking tactic?”
The analyst offered clarification:
“Marking is usually too complex for debut races.”
“Considering Kitasan Black’s solid sense of rhythm during training, it’s more likely she’s using Turbo Ihei’s pace to calibrate her own during the actual race.”
“It’s a very smart decision—especially effective for rookies.”
The commentator resumed:
“The pack passes the main stands, entering the first turn.”
“Positions remain unchanged, with the eleventh-ranked Cosmo Hyena leading.”
“Mikki Joy and Eden, the first and second favorites, remain close behind.”
“Kitasan Black, in third, continues running in a stalking position—apparently, this was her trainer’s strategy.”
From the stands, Satono Crown and Diamond simultaneously furrowed their brows.
“A stalking position…? If I recall correctly, Kita-chan…” Crown murmured, exchanging a concerned look with her sister before turning hesitantly toward Yasui.
“I heard some trainers say she might suit a frontrunner style or even a breakaway…”
“Stalking…”
“Yasui-san, are you sure this strategy really suits Kita-chan?”
Yasui briefly lowered his binoculars, meeting the Satono sisters’ gaze with a confident smile.
“You’re right—I also think Kita-chan is more naturally suited to being a frontrunner or even a breakaway type.”
“But since there’s relatively less pressure in a debut race, completely restricting her running style could suppress too many possibilities. I decided a bolder approach was worth trying.”
“Moreover, didn’t the trainers you’ve talked to mention it’s usually best for Uma Musume to start their first few races from a slightly rearward position?”
—
This is a fan translation of 赛马娘：从被撞飞十米开始 by 百升飞上天 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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