If you’ve spent any significant time grinding in Uma Musume Pretty Derby, you know that the Aoba Sho isn’t just another race on the calendar. It’s a gauntlet. Held at the Tokyo Racecourse over 2400 meters, this Grade 2 (G2) event is essentially the last-chance saloon for three-year-old girls looking to secure a spot in the prestigious Tokyo Yushun—better known as the Japanese Derby.
Most players treat the G2 circuit as a footnote. They shouldn't. In the world of Uma Musume, hitting the Aoba Sho is a high-stakes gamble that requires a specific stamina profile and a very particular set of skills. It’s late April. The sun is out. Your training is almost at its peak. But if you haven't prepped for that long Tokyo stretch, the Aoba Sho will swallow your run whole.
The Aoba Sho Reality Check: It’s Not Just a Warm-up
Basically, the Aoba Sho is the "Trial" race. In real-world Japanese horse racing—which Cygames mirrors with terrifying accuracy—finishing in the top two of this race grants a "priority entry" to the Derby. In the game, this translates to a massive influx of fans and a critical boost to your ranking just before the biggest race of the Classic season.
It's tough. You're dealing with a 2400m distance. That’s a lot of ground. If your girl is a "Miler" masquerading as a "Medium" distance runner, she’s going to gas out right around the final turn. The Tokyo track is famous for its long home straight—about 525.9 meters of pure agony if your stamina bar is flashing red.
Honestly, I’ve seen so many players fail here because they focused too much on Speed (SPD) and ignored Power (POW) or Stamina (STA). You need that Stamina to survive the distance, but you need the Power to climb the slope. Yes, there’s a slope. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it drains your girl faster than a gacha addiction drains a wallet.
Why the 2400m Distance Changes Everything
The jump from 2000m (like the Satsuki Sho) to 2400m is a psychological barrier for many players. It doesn't sound like much. Only 400 meters? That’s just one lap of a standard track. But in Uma Musume, those 400 meters are where the "stamina wall" lives.
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- The Stamina Requirement: For a G2 like this, you really want to be sitting comfortably at 450-500 Stamina if you don't have recovery skills.
- Recovery Skills: If you're running someone like Mejiro McQueen or Rice Shower, you might have built-in "blue" skills. Use them.
- The Pace: The Aoba Sho often runs at a "Medium" or "Fast" pace depending on the NPC lineup. If a "Runner" (Runner/逃げ) type takes an early, aggressive lead, the whole pack has to burn energy to keep up.
I remember one specific run with a Zenno Rob Roy where I thought 400 Stamina was plenty. I was wrong. She hit the final 200 meters and just... stopped. It was like she hit a brick wall. That’s the Aoba Sho for you. It’s a filter. It filters out the unprepared.
Navigating the Tokyo Track Layout
Tokyo Racecourse is a beast. It’s left-handed. That’s the first thing you need to remember. If you have the "Left-handed" (左回り) skill, this is where it pays dividends.
The start happens on the home straight, which is a bit weird if you think about it. The girls run past the grandstands, enter the first turn, and then head into the backstretch. This gives them a long time to settle into their positions.
The real drama starts at the third and fourth turns. They are wide. Very wide. If your girl has a low "Intelligence" (WIS) stat, she might take the turn too wide, wasting precious distance. Conversely, if she’s tucked inside, she might get boxed in by the NPCs. This is why "Lane Selection" and "Positioning" skills are actually underrated for the Aoba Sho.
The Strategy: Between "Leader" and "Betwixt"
Most people find success in the Aoba Sho using either the "Leader" (先行) or "Between" (差し) strategies.
The "Runner" strategy is risky here. Because the straight is so long, a Runner has to hold off the entire pack for over half a kilometer. Unless you have a monster like Mihono Bourbon with insane SPD and STA, you’re likely to get caught in the final 50 meters.
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"Between" (Sashi) runners love this track. They spend the first 1800 meters chilling in the back, and then they explode on the straight. If you have "Oguri Cap" or "Symboli Rudolf," the Aoba Sho is basically their playground. They just need enough Power to break through the crowd.
Hidden Stats and the "Derby" Connection
There’s a bit of a superstition—or maybe it’s a hidden mechanic—among high-level Uma Musume players. Some swear that the performance in the Aoba Sho dictates the RNG for the Derby. While that’s likely just confirmation bias, the fans you gain from winning a G2 race like this are vital.
If you don't have enough fans, you don't get the "Support Card" triggers you need. You don't get the upgraded "Unique Skill" levels during the Senior year.
Wait, what about the real-world curse? In real-life Japanese racing history, there was a long-standing "curse" that no winner of the Aoba Sho had ever gone on to win the Japanese Derby. It took decades for the "Aoba Sho Group" to be taken seriously as Derby contenders. In the game, thankfully, you can break that curse. Your girl can win the Aoba Sho in April and the Derby in May. No problem.
Training Tips: Prepping for the Late-April Crunch
By the time the Aoba Sho rolls around in late April (Junior Year/Classic Year), you’ve probably finished your main Speed training blocks. You should be looking at your skill points.
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Don't spend everything on "Gold" speed skills yet.
Look for "Corner Recovery" or "Straight Recovery."
A single "Maestro" (Arc Maestro) skill makes the Aoba Sho a walk in the park. Without it, you’re playing Russian Roulette with your stamina bar.
- Check the weather. It’s usually Sunny/Clear, but if it rains, the track becomes "Heavy." This increases the stamina drain significantly. If you see clouds in the forecast, pray you have "Grit."
- Watch the rivals. Depending on your scenario (URA, L'Arc, etc.), the NPCs in the Aoba Sho can vary. Usually, they aren't as terrifying as the ones in the Satsuki Sho, but they are consistent.
- The "Grit" Factor. In the 2026 meta, Grit (根性) has become more relevant for the final kick. Don't ignore it entirely. A girl with 300 Grit will lose a toe-to-toe battle on the Tokyo straight against a girl with 600 Grit, even if their Speed is the same.
The Psychological Toll of the G2
Let’s be real: losing the Aoba Sho feels bad. It’s a Grade 2. It’s not even a Grade 1. But because it’s so close to the Derby, a loss here can tilt your entire training run. You might feel tempted to burn an "Alarm" to redo the race.
Should you?
If you finished 2nd or 3rd, honestly, keep going. You still got the fans. You still got the stats.
If you finished 10th? Yeah, hit that alarm. Something went wrong with your positioning or your stamina is way lower than you thought. Use that redo to analyze the race replay. Watch where she gassed out.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Run
To dominate the Aoba Sho and transition smoothly into the Derby, follow these specific adjustments:
- Target Stats: Aim for 550 Speed, 450 Stamina, and 450 Power by late April. This is a "safe" baseline for most characters.
- Skill Priority: Prioritize "Non-Stop Girl" or "Positioning" skills. The Tokyo track is wide, but the pack gets dense. You need to move.
- The "Maestro" Rule: If you are using a Power-focus build, you must have a gold recovery skill. The 2400m distance is the exact point where "Natural Stamina" stops being enough.
- Left-Handed Advantage: Since Tokyo is left-handed, a single point in the "Left-handed" skill is more cost-effective than a generic speed buff. It’s a flat boost to your performance for very little Skill Point (SP) cost.
- Rest Management: Don't train the week before the race if your energy is below 50%. A "Failure" on a training session right before the Aoba Sho can tank your motivation, and a "Low Motivation" (Purple/Blue) girl will almost certainly lose at Tokyo due to the stat penalties.
Stop treating the Aoba Sho as a filler race. It is the definitive test of whether your training plan is actually working or if you've just been lucky. Success here doesn't just give you a trophy; it gives you the momentum needed to take the crown in the Tokyo Yushun. Focus on the stamina, respect the Tokyo straight, and you’ll find your girl on the podium.