Chapter 228: The Strategy of Controlling the Race
After Super Creek finished speaking, Makoto hadn't even fully digested her thoughts when Inari One immediately opened her mouth.
"There's another easy misunderstanding people fall into about the zone."
As she spoke, a complicated expression surfaced on her face—irritation, frustration, and regret all mixed together.
"That is, once you get too obsessed with the zone, it's like falling into a swamp. One careless step and you sink in deep, unable to pull yourself out."
While talking, she clenched her fists. Her whole body tensed like she was about to launch into a full sprint, veins bulging along her neck.
"I didn't even know it was called the zone back then. When I raced Oguri Cap in the Mainichi Okan, I just felt that state was ridiculously strong."
"After that, in several races, all I could think was, 'If that state shows up again, I'll definitely crush Oguri Cap and the others completely.'"
"And the result…"
She shrugged helplessly and spread her hands, giving a self-mocking smile.
"I lost."
"Completely…"
"Lost."
"After that, I guess I was lucky. Before the Arima Kinen, I met Symboli Rudolf–senpai."
Her tone suddenly shifted. Despite her small frame, an overwhelming aura burst out from her.
"That senpai really suited my taste."
"What common sense, what zone, what 'states'…"
"Boring. Pointless."
"Way too boring and pointless!"
"Shouldn't a race just be about running however you want, showing off however you can, charging ahead boldly and freely?"
"A race… should feel exhilarating!"
Her voice rose sharply, but then her momentum dropped again. She shrugged and smiled.
"So I just ran however I felt like… and ended up entering that so-called zone anyway."
"Of course, I'd experienced something similar before."
"But that time it felt especially natural. I didn't think about what it was at all, I just felt incredibly free and satisfied while running."
As if unwilling to be left out, Tamamo Cross chimed in next.
"Honestly, Yasui-kun probably already knows this too—you can't get too hung up on the zone."
Makoto nodded immediately.
Tamamo Cross nodded as well and continued,
"I've actually written down some notes about my experience with the zone. I gave them to Oguri before going overseas."
"When Oguri comes later, I'll ask her about it and find time to give you a copy."
"Whether you use it or share it with Kitasan Black—that's up to you, Yasui-kun."
At that point, Super Creek, who had spoken first, nodded too.
"I have similar notes. Not about the zone itself, but about how to control the race to avoid being affected by opponents like that."
"I'll call home later and organize them for you as well, Yasui-san."
Makoto naturally felt deeply grateful for the enthusiasm of these Umamusume.
In the following days, once he received the notes, he studied them every spare moment he had.
Now, he summarized everything concisely for Kitasan Black, adding, "I wanted to fully understand what I learned from Tamamo and the others first before explaining it to you bit by bit."
"Now that I've mostly figured it out, and since you just brought up the question of your 'reason for running'…"
"I think it's about time we start putting what's in those notes into practice."
As she listened to her Trainer explanation, Kitasan Black's eyes sparkled the entire time with excitement and anticipation.
When he finished, she couldn't hold back her eagerness and quickly asked,
"Then can we start trying the seniors' notes tomorrow, Trainer?"
Makoto's gaze fell on the tablet resting on the dining table, its screen displaying information about Sounds of Earth.
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah. We'll start with the 'controlling the race' strategy that Super Creek suggested."
…
"Controlling the race" sounded a bit abstract at first.
But after carefully studying Super Creek's notes, Makoto quickly formed a general idea.
At its core, it was still the concept of 'know yourself and know your opponent.'
By thoroughly understanding the opponent, you design your running style and race strategy specifically for the next race.
However, thanks to the notes, he realized he'd had a blind spot—or rather, a habit.
In the past, he always handled this work alone from the trainer's perspective. Most trainers did the same.
But Super Creek's notes emphasized that for perceptive Umamusume, involving them directly in the preparation process produced noticeably better results than simply having them follow instructions.
When the trainer and trainee worked through the process together—exchanging ideas and thoughts along the way—the effectiveness of the final strategy improved significantly.
The longer the race and the stronger the opponents, the more obvious this collaborative preparation became.
And Makoto believed Kitasan Black was exactly that kind of perceptive runner.
During past training and pre-race briefings, she often understood things almost immediately with just a small hint.
That meant they already had the foundation to apply the notes.
So the next day, Makoto deliberately set aside time in their training schedule and brought Kitasan Black to observe their Arima Kinen rivals' training sessions.
The first one they watched was Sounds of Earth.
Standing beside the track, it didn't take long for Kitasan Black to look surprised.
Because she was completely different from the carefree, flamboyant, almost lazy impression she gave off at first meeting.
On the training ground, Sounds of Earth radiated intense focus. Every movement was meticulous and fully committed.
Hearing her comment, Makoto nodded and analyzed patiently:
"Most outside evaluations… probably underestimate Sounds of Earth."
"For example, um… that 'Queen of Silver' nickname and stuff like that…"
He gave an awkward smile before continuing.
"But always finishing second depends on which races you're finishing second in."
"The Kyoto Shimbun Hai is a G2. The Kobe Shimbun Hai is also G2. The Kyoto Daishoten is still G2."
"And the Kikuka Sho is a G1."
"Just qualifying for those graded stakes already means you're at the very top of your generation. Getting second place repeatedly… sure, it's a bit unlucky."
"But it also proves her strength is already top-tier among her peers."
"Especially the Kikuka Sho."
Makoto's expression grew serious.
"Kitasan, you won the Kikuka Sho yourself, so you should know exactly what Sounds of Earth's finishing time there means."
"The winner, Toho Jackal, broke the race record by a full 1.7 seconds—and she also cleared that old record."
"I think you understand very clearly what kind of level that is."
Seeing Kitasan Black grow serious too, Makoto nodded and pointed toward the track.
"And her race patterns show a lot as well."
"Not just what we talked about—most of her strong finishes come from running mid-pack or slightly behind, and then losing by very small margins."
"That shows her closing kick and chasing ability aren't weak at all."
"But in head-to-head positioning, she probably has some kind of shortcoming."
"And that's something we can most likely take advantage of in the Arima Kinen."
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