[3] In October the following year, Teio was transferred to the Nibutani Training Center in Biratori, Hokkaido where his flexibility and competitive spirit was highly received.

During training, Tokai Teio was outstanding on the ramp course where horses with long strides are not supposed to record good times, giving Matsumoto high expectations.

[9] Believing Teio to have a chance in the Japanese Triple Crown, Matsumoto back-calculated from the Satsuki Shō and Tokyo Yūshun and planned a schedule with leeway.

[3] Furthermore, Teio's farrier was surprised at the flexibility of his joints,[b] saying to his groom that "the derby horse has arrived".

Just like the real Tokai Teio, the character suffers multiple injuries and struggles to remain one of the best racers.