Isaac: Why anyone would voluntarily attend an event with so many horses present remains a mystery to me!
As a reward for solving the counterfeit money crisis in Wolf Street, Chief Wright decides to reward the Flying Squad by buying tickets for the Ascroft, the most glamorous horse race in Concordia. However, their day off gets abruptly interrupted when Isaac and the player are tasked with investigating the murder of famous jockey Anna Jewell, who was killed by being bludgeoned to death inside of a stable.
Tropes:
- Absurdly High-Stakes Game: Princess Rheinberg bet her entire monthly allowance on Anna due to her bragging she was the best jockey in Concordia, which resulted in a big loss for her. Made even worse when you discover she isn't actually a rich princess, which means it hit her even harder-
- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: Lady Highmore recalls how Anna (who was her protégé) got so drunk during a party hosted by her she embarrassed Lady Highmore in front of everyone, which resulted in Highmore getting her invitation to a flower festival revoked.
- The Big Race: The case takes place in the Ascroft, which is described by Maddie as "the most glamorous horse race in Concordia".
- Bludgeoned to Death: The victim was killed by being repeatedly hit in the head with a stirrup.
- The Bus Came Back: Archie Rochester returns as a suspect in this case after going away to Switzerland back in Case 12.
- Busman's Holiday: While the Squad do attend the horse race, they're also tasked with solving a murder at the same time.
- Call-Back: Lady Highmore reappears as a suspect, while Mayor Cornelius Castletown and Deputy Mayor Sandra Hwang make minor appearances throughout the case.
- Closest Thing We Got: During the Additional Investigation, Isaac decides to give it a shot an conquering his fear of horses, and asks Rahul to give him a horse that is easily controlled to ride. The result ends up being a pony.
- Continuity Nod:
- Isaac's fear of horses is brought up again.
- Naturally, Archie's actions as Mr. Alastor and how he provoked the deaths of six people back in Elysium Fields is mentioned.
- Cool Horse: The victim had one named Thunderhoof, which made her a star among the jockeys of Concordia.
- Deathbringer the Adorable: The little, harmless pony Isaac is given so he can conquer his fear of horses is named Crazy Eyes.
- Door Slam of Rage: Deputy Mayor Hwang does this after she berates you for interrogating Princess Rheinberg, as she doesn't want royalty to have a bad impression of Concordia.
- Face Your Fears: Isaac offers himself to replace Maddie at the beginning of the investigation for this reason, as he wants to conquer his fear of horses. Later during the Additional Investigation, he also asks Rahul for help with providing him a "beginner's horse", which turns out to be a pony.
- Farm Boy: Rahul Shah is a farm boy who also works in the stables of the Ascroft.
- Fauxreigner: Eliza Rheinberg says she's a princess from a central Europe country named Splichtenstein, but she's actually just a regular Concordian woman who likes to pretend she belongs to royalty.
- The Hilarity of Hats One of the Ascroft's main attractions is wearing fancy but silly hats while watching the races, which Maddie explains at the beginning of the case.Maddie: I do wish I'd had time to get a new hat... You see, Ascroft is as much about what you're wearing as it is the racing!
- Hopeless Suitor: You find out that Anna was, surprisingly, in love with Archie, but he rejected her advances due to no longer being interested in "common women" after what happened with Giulietta in Elysium Fields.
- Improvised Weapon: The murder weapon is a stirrup.
- In Vino Veritas: While Anna decided to keep in secret the fact that Eliza wasn't actually a princess, her tendency to get drunk and Saying Too Much made Eliza fear Anna was going to accidentally expose her as a fraud, which led her to committing murder.
- Intentional Heartbreaker: Archie proudly declares he did this while in Switzerland.Archie: Oh come now, I didn't get up to any trouble, except breaking a few hearts here and there! But that isn't a crime now, is it?
- Interclass Friendship: Anna, a famous jockey, was friends with Rhaul, a Farm Boy who took care of her horse. However, their friendship took a hit when Anna's fame got over her head and started treating Rhaul like a servant.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Eliza's reason for pretending to be a princess can be resumed to this.Eliza: Well, you can't blame a girl for wantin' to come up in the world!
- Love Interests: During the Additional Investigation, Chief Wright tells you he's been courting a lady of the Rochester family named Bernadine, and asks for your and Diego's help to search for a proper gift for her.
- Mock Millionaire: Eliza Rheinberg likes to pretend she's a rich princess from a central European country, but she's actually a regular flower girl born in Concordia.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: After the case is solved, Diego requests to speak with you and tell you that he's got his doubts regarding the Telephone Company bonds mentioned in the previous case, since as a reformed forger, he can feel when something involving money feels fishy. Thanks to this, your investigation leads you to find that the only high-class family who hasn't invested in the bonds are none other than the Rochesters, the very ones endorsing the bonds in the first place.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: After you bust Eliza as the killer, she reveals she isn't a princess by talking in her real, thick country girl accent.
- Ruritania: Princess Eliza claims that she comes from a central Europe country named Splichtenstein, which turns out to be part of the Fauxreigner act.
- Shout-Out:
- The victim, Anna Jewell, is a parody of Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty.
- Eliza Rheinberg is a parody of Eliza Doolittle.
- Milton Dobby's appearance is based on Toby Jones, and his surname comes from Dobby, who Jones voiced in the Harry Potter films.
- Splichtenstein is a parody of Liechtenstein.
- Milton's Anti-Women propaganda poster is a parody of the Uncle Sam poster.
- Stealth Insult: Lady Highmore sent a bouquet to the victim symbolizing negative emotions due to Anna embarrassing her by getting drunk at her party.Diego: You see, the bouquet's orange lilies symbolize disdain, while the monkshood warn the recipient to be cautious. And the seemingly innocent buttercups represent childish behavior!Isaac: What a sneaky way to tell someone off!
- Straw Misogynist: Milton Dobby, a famous jockey who acts as a suspect, is a misogynist who believes women are inferior and considers them unfitting in participating at the Ascroft, something that Isaac finds disgusting.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Archie returns even more pompous and insufferable than his previous appearance, probably as a mockery for failing to put him behind bars despite masterminding the deaths of six people in Elysium Fields.
- We Used to Be Friends: Anna used to be friends with both Rhaul and Eliza, but she started treating Rhaul as a servant once fame got over her head and also parted ways with Eliza long before the case, which made Eliza see her as a threat since she could blow up her fake princess cover.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Deputy Mayor Hwang berates you for interrogating Eliza and treating her as a suspect, since she doesn't want foreign royalty to have a bad impression of Concordia. She later apologizes when is discovered Eliza is not only the killer, but also a fraud.
