Chapter 10: Debut Race
Kitano's palms were slightly sweaty.
The tie of his suit was choking him a little.
As a stableman, there were few occasions that required him to dress too formally.
"Number six Kitamichi Rakusetsu, Kitamichi Rakusetsu! Chrislena can't catch up!"
"Kitamichi Rakusetsu has pulled ahead by three lengths!"
"A fair and square victory!"
Snow-white betting tickets fluttered in the air, complementing the equally white sand track, creating an illusion of changing seasons for a moment.
Kitano nervously swallowed, his shirt clinging to his back beneath his black suit.
The next race was Mejiro Pegasus's.
"Don't, don't worry, Mr. Kitano, Pegasus will definitely be fine!"
Despite the comforting words, Ogawa Masaru, representing the ranch, spoke with a clear tremor in his voice.
Kitano nodded silently.
It was time to go.
He stepped towards the paddock.
Along the way, he didn't encounter many people apart from the stablemen leading the horses.
Without strict requirements, not many Horse Owners personally attended the races.
Two or three local reporters outside the railing cast curious glances.
After receiving the race card from a staff member, Kitano thanked him and stood at the exit of the preparation room.
Soon after, the Jockeys walked out, stretching their bodies.
Ochiai easily spotted Mejiro Pegasus, who stood out among the other horses.
Then, he nimbly swung himself onto the horse.
"This child was a bit mischievous when he first arrived, but today he immediately calmed down, as if he knew it was race day."
"His condition is excellent!"
The stableman, Kobayashi, who was holding the lead rope, said with a smile, patting Mejiro Pegasus's dusty head.
Upon handover, he had received advice from the breeding farm that this racehorse might be sensitive to races.
Therefore, he had put a pair of green earplugs on Mejiro Pegasus before the race.
"Understood."
Ochiai, in the saddle, nodded slightly, then made no further movements.
Kobayashi led the racehorse and began the parade lap.
Despite being his first race, Mejiro Pegasus appeared very composed, even tilting his head curiously towards the camera as he passed the press area.
A reporter seized the opportunity to press the shutter, capturing several photos in quick succession.
Even if he couldn't use them for work, it was nice to keep them.
The reporter checked the photos with a satisfied expression.
"I'm counting on you!"
As Mejiro Pegasus passed by, Kitano solemnly bowed to the figure in the yellow and black racing silks on his saddle.
After a brief pause, Ochiai reacted, nodding slightly in return.
By then, Kitano's figure had already disappeared behind him.
Taking a deep breath, he tucked the whip under his arm and began to move towards the track.
Mejiro Pegasus, who had been shaking his head from side to side during the walk, instantly adopted a more serious demeanor upon entering the starting gate.
Adjusting his posture, Ochiai's inner thigh muscles tensed slightly.
The last racehorse also entered the starting gate.
In the stands, Kitano and Ogawa almost simultaneously held their breath.
The moment the gates sprang open, Mejiro Pegasus launched forward.
His center of gravity dropped slightly, but Ochiai quickly adjusted.
Then, he quickly observed the situation on the track.
Just as he had worried before the race, horses on both the inside and outside were squeezing towards the middle.
The former wanted to avoid the thick sand piled on the inside, while the latter was trying to reduce the loss in distance.
For the horses starting from the middle gates, this situation meant facing pressure from two directions simultaneously.
Fortunately, Mejiro Pegasus's first start in a real race was not bad; although it wasn't enough to open up a significant lead, it allowed Ochiai to gain some initiative in the early stages.
Abandoning the conservative strategy of moving slightly to the inside and conserving energy in a forward position, Ochiai increased the intensity of his pushing.
He attempted to contend for the lead.
Mejiro Pegasus beneath him reacted immediately, starting to accelerate early.
"Monbetsu's third race... begins!"
At this point, the commentator, a beat late, spoke.
"Number nine Fura Hikoma had a poor start, the leader is number one Rag Highest, slightly behind him, number six Mejiro Pegasus is also contending for the lead."
Mejiro Pegasus's head bobbed back and forth vigorously in sync with Ochiai's pushing rhythm, large gusts of hot air spewing from his nostrils.
With both man and horse chasing without regard for stamina, the distance between them and Rag Highest visibly began to shrink.
Even before the early stages had fully unfolded, a relatively clear distance had opened up between the ten racehorses.
Tilting his head slightly to observe the horses behind him, Ochiai quickly straightened his head again.
The situation was actually very clear.
In short-distance dirt races, accelerating often requires more effort than on turf.
Unless there is a horse clearly superior in class, racehorses that gain an advantage at the start usually secure a good ranking.
Currently, the biggest threat to Mejiro Pegasus was Rag Highest, who was already behind him.
However, Jockey Ishikawa, who was riding Rag Highest, quickly gave up the idea of regaining the lead, moving slightly to the outside and following behind Mejiro Pegasus.
Upon realizing Jockey Ishikawa's change in strategy, Ochiai then stopped pushing during the race.
Before he even pulled on the reins, Mejiro Pegasus stopped accelerating on his own.
The soreness from his upper thighs grew more intense, and Ochiai quickly adjusted his center of gravity by sticking out his rear.
While the Jockeys engaged in their strategies, Kitano found himself momentarily lost in thought, somewhat out of place.
From his position, all he could see were rows of high-up, monkey-like rears.
It was a scene that was far from beautiful.
Even straining his eyes, apart from a series of fast-moving blurry outlines, it was difficult to analyze any useful information.
In just a moment of distraction, the group of horses had already reached the third and fourth turns.
Ochiai turned his head; the Jockeys behind him were all waving their whips back and forth.
Even amidst the thundering hooves, the crisp whooshing sounds of the whips could be clearly heard.
Rag Highest, having conserved his energy, finally began his attack.
He unconsciously clenched his teeth.
The frequency of contact between his rear and the horse's back increased, and it became difficult to maintain a strong pushing motion with his hands.
Gripping the whip in a backhand grip, Ochiai held the reins with one hand and struck near Mejiro Pegasus's ear.
After one warning whip, Mejiro Pegasus tilted his neck slightly.
Seemingly sensing Rag Highest running alongside him, the small ears beneath the green earplugs distinctly flattened back.
Then, he began to accelerate without waiting for a signal.
Ochiai, who was about to follow up with a real whip, plopped down onto the horse's back.
There was no room for calm adjustment.
He could only go with the flow, adopting an awkward riding posture almost parallel to the horse's back, and launched his charge towards the final straight.