3:18 p.m. As I checked out the results of CBC-sho this morning, I realized that it wasn't all that bad. The horses on my wheel had come in 1st and 2nd. It's just that I had my key wrong and, such things happen quite often. I guess I was beseide myself yesterday.

Have already taken a quick review of both CBC-sho and Radio Nikkei-sho to figure out where I went wrong. In the process, I've come across something that might become a break-through in calling the summer races. It brought me up, a little.

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Caterpillar

3:25 p.m. This week we're having Tanabata-sho in Fukushima, a G3 race known for its big pay-out.

I've been buying betting tickets for some time now, but I have never won this race before because it always goes wild. Winning it will be a difficult challenge, though I know well that there's no winning without challenging.

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Caterpillar

4:35 p.m. That Nanako Fujita, our only female jockey in JRA has won the WJWJ(Women's Jockey World Cup) held in Sweden is still fresh in our memory.

Today she has been announced as the rider of Gold Cerberus entered in Tanabata-sho. The horse's handicapped weight is 54kg which has a 3.5kg gap between the top-handicapped Mikki Swallow. Wonder how the outcome will be?

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Caterpillar

3:10 p.m. It's Thursday so the entry for Tanabata-sho should be closed by now.

Currently, the two 4-year-olds Rochefort and Tanino Frankel are favored on the win odds list, followed by Mikki Swallow. But lower on the list is a horse that have already won a G2. Win Tenderness.

Although it goes back over a year, Win Tenderness has won Meguro Kinen(G2) while most of his competitors haven't won a G3. Former mentioned Mikki Swallow has won a G2 2 years ago, though that was a step race for Kikka-sho. Something very different from the G2 for older horses.

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Caterpillar

2:44 p.m. The barriers for Tanabata-sho has been announced, as it is Friday. Outliers has drawn post number 2, which would probably be good for him.

The top two favored Rochefort and Tanino Frankel respectively drew post number 3 and 8. Post numbers 7 and 8 are considered lucky barriers for Tanabata-sho, so it wasn't a bad draw for Tanino Frankel. And the lucky horse who drew the concerning number 7 is... ha! Cafe Blitz!

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Caterpillar

1:59 p.m. It's time to release my call for Tanabata-sho in which I put so much hard work.

My key is Cafe Blitz. Don't back away, I know he's a longshot and you know it's Tanabata-sho notorious for going wil every year. On the wheel would be, Outliers, Strong Titan, Tanino Frankel and Win Tenderness. Humph. I wonder what the payout will be like if I win?

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Caterpillar

5:35 p.m. I've put in so much hard work for nothing. What was all that for if my key horse sank low in 12th place?

Having wasted both time and money, what more can I do but... dance?

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Caterpillar

3:28 p.m. Even though I regret myself for buying betting tickets for such a difficult race, I still come back to call the next one. Isn't that what they call addicted? But then, I enjoy calling races I never thought of giving it up. No, that's not true. I hardly thought of giving up calling races.

This week it's Hakodate Kinen, the 2nd of the summer 2,000 meter series following Tanabata-sho. There's no way I could let it pass.

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Caterpillar

4:42 p.m. While I've been murmuring about summer grade races, Select Sale 2019 has started in Northern Horse Park, Tomakomai.

Kitasan Black's son has been bid off at 160 million Japanese Yen, as well as the son of Duramente bid off at the price of 90 million Yen. The economy seems to be good in some places.

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Caterpillar

2:01 p.m. Although it's a weekday, there is an attractive race held at Ohi tonight. The Japan Dirt Derby.

Japan Dirt Derby is a stepping stone for 3-year-old dirt horses, with its winners making success in Champion's Cup and other big races. This year Chrysoberyl is in the center of attraction, with his win odds 1.3. Plausible.

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Caterpillar

6:23 p.m. Looks like Chrysoberyl has won Japan Dirt D'erby by 3 lengths. The payout was low as you can imagine, but the horse cast a tiny hope in my otherwise doomed life.

Meanwhile, the news has been delivered that jockey Hiroshi Kitamura is coming back to turf from his serious injury due to his accident on March 2nd. I'm glad to have him back and hope he won't have any more accidents.

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Caterpillar

2:12 p.m. The barrier draw for Hakodate Kinen has been announced.

Currently the most favored Air Spinel has drawn the outmost post, number 16. Ouch. This can affect the odds. Plus, he's top-handicapped. Uh-oh.

Meanwhile, the 2nd favored Stay Foolish drew post number 10, the 3rd favored Red Roses drew post number 1. It goes to extremes sometimes.

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Caterpillar

2:04 p.m. This week the radio noise from next door was beyond the range of the brilliant noise cancelling system, I've had only 3 to four hours' average sleep. Therefore, I am not sure if I would buy betting tickets or not, due to my lack of energy.

Will key My Style. To be honest, I have no idea which horse would win after my off target loss of Tanabata-sho. But My Style became a horse I have to buy no matter what, right after Kyoto Kinpai ata the beginning of this year. On the wheel would be America's Cup, Carvalho, Maitres d' Art and Gold Gear.

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Caterpillar

4:55 p.m. I wasn't sure of the track condition so I didn't buy betting tickets today. But My Style has suprisingly become a grade race winner. I didn't expect hime to take the lead to pull the race in that lap, nor did I think he'd fight back Meiner Fanrong to beat him.

I guess it wasn't so far off the mark this time, since I'd crossed out Suzuka Devious in the first stage as well as Black Bago, Popocatepetl, Urban Kid and Night of Knights.

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Caterpillar

4:35 p.m. It was a national holiday today, and why am I feeling more tired than weekdays? Thanks to the noise in the house, I'm sticking ear plugs into my ears to keep my sanity... this is surely not an environment to rest your tired body and soul.

This weekend there's going to be the Chukyo Kinen so I pulled up the entry form on the screen and it says 1,600 meters. Since when did Chukyo Kinen become a mile race? If my memory is correct, it was a 2,000 meter race. It wasn't even run in the summer either.

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Caterpillar

3:27 p.m. As it transpired, Chukyo Kinen had a history starting in 1953 as a 1800 meter dirt grade race named Chukyo Kaisetsu Kinen. The name had changed to Chukyo Kinen the next year.

In the early years, the race was held in mid-summer August, though it was moved to spring in 1957. After several changes in course and distance, Chukyo Kinen became a handicapped 2,000 meter turf race until 2011. And in 2012, the race was moved again to July, the distance shortened to 1,600 meters to finally become the first of the Summer Mile Series... said Wikipedia. So I was right about it being 2,000 meters and having held in spring.

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Caterpillar

2:10 p.m. What the change in distance and season of Chukyo Kinen suggests, is that the data beore 2011 will be useless.

The past 7 years of results show low rates of favored horses performing well. There were only twice in the past 7 years when the most favored finished within 3rd place. Perhaps I should start my thinking from here.

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Caterpillar

2:13 p.m. There has been shocking news today that one of my favorite anime studio, Kyoto Animation has been attacked and burned causing casualties and death. Heartbreaking, and I'm very, very sad.

Details on what exactly happened is yet to be unknown, though I'm hoping the recovery of those who had been hurt in this attack with all my heart and soul. My sorrow for people whose lives had been ruthlessly taken in this attack is indescribable. But I cannot bear losing this studio which had given birth to so many wonderful anime into the world, some of those that gave me so much hope and courage when I was lost in negative thoughts.

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Caterpillar

1:54 p.m. While waiting for more news on Kyo-Ani, the barriers for Chukyo Kinen has been announced.

The most favored Primo Scene has drawn post number 7, Cathedral, Groove It, and Lord Quest drew post numbers 14, 5, 11, respectively. Though somehow I don't feel like they'll perform well... It probably depends on the track condition and lap but..hmm....

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Caterpillar

2:12 p.m. Not planning to buy tickets, at least not at the moment, but might as well tell you what I'd thought about Chukyo Kinen just for your information.

If I were you, I'd key Mieno Succeed. Not just because I'm secretly cheering on the rider Shinji Kawashima, but because her performance in Victoria Mile wasn't all that bad. Besides, she did pretty well coming in 3rd place in Kyoto Kinpai behind My Style, last week's winner.

On the wheel would be Grand Bonheur, Groove It, and Primo Scene.

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Caterpillar

4:26 p.m. It was close! But I didn't think Kurino Gaudi would do that well, nor did I think he'd be this much favored...

I wonder what Kawashima-kun had in mind riding Mieno Succeed like that. They drew an outside post which was perfect for Mieno Succeed to swipe all the others from the outside because she ususally stays behind. Though Kawashima chose to keep her along the rail. As a result, Succeed gets stuck in the pack in the last stretch to be taken over from her outside by Kurino Gaudi. If the two horses' position were reversed, I'm pretty sure I won.

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Caterpillar

3:48 p.m. The lap for Chukyo Kinen wasn't as tight as I'd thought. In fact, you could call it average. Well, that explains why there weren't many horses that took their positions behind in the top 5 horses.

According to the jockies' comments after the race, the outisde of the track seemed to have bad condition. Okay. Now I know why Kawashima-kun didn't take that course. But why then, didn't he charge in along the rail on the inside?

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Caterpillar

3:50 p.m. Races in Sapporo will start this weekend and Queen Stakes will be run. The Kanto area including Tokyo might be seeing the end of the rainy season soon. There might be another race record in Sapporo if the weather stays.

Meanwhile, I'm reading "Violet Evergarden" in tribute to the fire attack at Kyoto Animation as tears stream down my face. No one can read it or watch the anime without the fear of tears.

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Caterpillar

3:10 p.m. Also held this weekend though oversea, is the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Cheval Grand is entered in this race with Oisin Murphy on his back.

Cheval is going to race against Enable in this race which makes it even more challenging. Still, I think it's worth it. The news of the workout proves that the horse is in normal condition. Who knows? Cheval might beat Enable. Says me crying on the sub while I read Violet Evergarden.

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Caterpillar

3:23 p.m. I was about to write something nice that happened to me in an otherwise doomed life, but I changed my mind thanks to my stupid boss.

I had a heart-warming experience though stupid Cow blotted that out with his short temper and instanly bursting anger like a spoiled child. Now I only feel anger. Thanks a lot.

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Caterpillar

5:17 p.m. Before I knew it it's Friday again so I went to check out Queens' Stakes barrier draw.

Mikki Charm drew post number 13, Satono Garnet 1, Uranus Charm 12. Sapporo might be hit by rain though the track can be quite fast. In the meantime, Cheval Grand seems to have drawn post number 6 while Enable drew 11. Cheval would need a slackened lap and put on a long spurt to grab his chance. As for Ibis Summer Dash, no need to pick it up here, since all you need to do is buy horses starting from outer posts.

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Caterpillar

3:29 p.m. Cow had been dominating the two terminals on our LAN network which we daily use since yesterday. Therefore, I haven't been able to do any research on Queen Stakes until this morning. Please note that you probably shouldn't trust my call completely.

I would key Mikki Charm although I don't like horses that begin with "Mikki" very much. Why, because she seems like a safe buy. That is, given that she leads. If Kawada dares to keep her in the 2nd or 3rd position. she might become unable to control and sink low. On the wheel would be Frontier Queen, Danon Grace, Scarlet Color and Uranus Charm. Forgive me if there are any typos, I'm half sleeping at the moment...

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Caterpillar

7:17 p.m. Close, again. Caribean Gold was an idea, but I left her out as she drew an outer post. I thought Caribean would be difficult to control starting from the outer post, but then Win Fabulous contributed to pulling the pack lengthwise that Caribean was able to stay focused on the race. Same goes for Mikki Charm despite her position.

Though the most sensational thing which happened to me this weekend is that I've moved on to book 2 of Violet Evergarden to discover that Major Bougainvillea was alive! He's ALIVE!

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Caterpillar

2:57 p.m. It was too bad for Cheval Grand, but somewhat convincing that Enable had won. I wonder which race the Enable crew is going to choose before the Arc. It might become a double-edged sword.

I was seeing a bit of faith since I've been getting closer to winning just as we're having the Kokura Kinen, one of the famous summer races this weekend. However, there are only 13 horses entered at this moment... Kokura Kinen should be run with the barriers full. Otherwise it's not Kokura Kinen. At least, not for me.

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Caterpillar

5:34 p.m. Another shocking news came in that Deep Impact has been put to death due to unrecoverable injury.

I'd heard that the horse has stopped its mating temporarily, and was on his way to re-starting it, but that actually didn't happen. As you all know, Deep Impact has contributed hugely to Japanese horse race, both as a race horse and as a stud. Now that he's gone, I wonder what's to become of the horse race world?

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Caterpillar

5:28 p.m. Cow has updated the main computer's OS from Windows 7 to Windows 10. That itself was not a problem. The problem is that we can't connect to the server with our FTP software. We've been struggling for a couple of hours now, but the end is yet to be seen.

Of course we've checked typos for necessary information a dozen times, allowed the program on Windows Defender, we've tried literally everything we can do and the software still spits out an error log that the password isn't correct...

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Caterpillar