You're staring at the screen. It’s raining at Chukyo Racecourse. Your Uma Musume has perfect stats, or so you thought, but she just got swallowed by the pack at the 200-meter mark. If you've played the Takamatsunomiya Kinen Uma Musume Pretty Derby scenario more than a dozen times, you know the frustration. It’s one of the most deceptively difficult G1 races in the game. It’s short. It’s fast. And if you don't have the right skills triggered at exactly the right micro-second, you’re done.
Basically, this race is the ultimate gatekeeper for short-distance builds.
Most people approach the Takamatsunomiya Kinen like it's just another sprint. It isn't. Because the race takes place at Chukyo, the track layout features a notorious rise in the final stretch. That "hill" kills momentum for girls who lack power. You can have an Speed stat of 1200, but if your Power is sitting at a mediocre 600, you’ll watch lower-rated NPCs breeze past you. It’s painful to watch.
Why the Takamatsunomiya Kinen is a Different Beast
Let's talk logistics. 1200 meters. Left-handed track. Spring season. Usually, the track condition is "Rough" or "Heavy" because, well, it’s spring in Japan and the game loves to simulate that rainy weather. These variables aren't just flavor text; they drastically change how the stamina consumption works.
In Uma Musume Pretty Derby, short distances usually mean you can ignore Stamina. That is a massive trap for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. While you don't need the 800+ Stamina required for the Tenno Sho Spring, dipping below 400 is a recipe for a "gasping" animation right when the "Umi no Sachi" or other acceleration skills should be kicking in.
I’ve seen players go all-in on Intelligence and Speed. They get the "Rainbow" training sessions every turn. They feel like gods. Then the race starts, the rain begins to fall, and their girl gets stuck in the "inner lane" traffic because she didn't have the "Lane Moving" skills or the raw Power to shove through the crowd. Chukyo’s stretch is short. There is zero time to recover from a bad start.
Characters That Actually Dominate This Track
Not every short-distance runner is built for this. You've got your staples, but the meta shifted significantly with the introduction of newer support cards and scenarios like Project L'Arc or U.A.F. Ready GO! King Halo is the classic choice, but she is notoriously difficult to train because of her "temperamental" training bonuses. However, her unique skill is a monster on this track if you can get her into the right position. Then there's Curren Chan. She’s basically the queen of 1200m. Her ability to stay near the front and explode out of the final corner is exactly what the Takamatsunomiya Kinen demands.
And don't sleep on Aston Machan. Her consistency in the early game of a race is vital. In a 1200m sprint, the "Opening Leg" is everything. If you lose three lengths in the first five seconds because of a late start or poor acceleration, you aren't winning. Period.
Honestly, the most underrated pick for this race is often a properly built Agnes Tachyon (Summer alt) or even Sakura Baku Shin O. People call Baku Shin O the "newbie" pick, but with the right inheritance—specifically getting some "Left-Turn" or "Spring Horse" green skills—she remains a powerhouse.
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The Skill Set You Actually Need
Forget the generic "General" skills. For the Takamatsunomiya Kinen Uma Musume Pretty Derby success, you need specific triggers.
- Sprint Turbo: Essential. It’s the gold version of Sprint Gear. If this doesn't trigger in the final straight, your win rate drops by 40%.
- Left-Turn (Hidari Mawari): Since Chukyo is a left-handed track, having this at Level circles (Double Circle) gives a hidden boost to your Speed stat that breaks the cap.
- Spring Uma Musume: Similar to Left-Turn, this is a "Green Skill" that provides a flat stat buff. In a race decided by centimeters, these are the skills that matter.
- Curren Chan’s Inheritance: If you’re not using her, try to inherit her unique. It provides that much-needed "clogging" prevention.
The Stamina Myth in Sprints
I mentioned it before, but let’s get into the weeds. Heavy rain. That’s the "hidden boss" of this race. When the track is "Heavy" (Omo) or "Bad" (Refu), the stamina drain increases by a specific multiplier calculated against your total stats.
If you're running a "Runner" (逃げ) strategy, you’re burning energy to keep that lead. If an opponent uses a debuff skill like "Pressure," and you’ve skimped on Stamina, your Uma Musume will slow down 50 meters before the finish line. It looks like she just gave up. She didn't; she ran out of gas. Aim for at least 450 Stamina with one recovery skill (even a white one like "Straight Recovery") just to be safe. It’s better to have it and not need it than to watch your lead evaporate.
Dealing with the Chukyo "Final Rise"
The elevation change at Chukyo is one of its defining features. In the real world, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen is known for being a "tough" sprint because of that climb. In the game, this translates to a Power check.
High Power helps with two things:
- Acceleration: Getting to top speed faster after the final corner.
- Hill Climbing: Maintaining speed while going up the incline.
If you find your Uma Musume constantly getting overtaken in the last 100 meters, stop focusing on Speed for a second. Check your Power. If it’s under 900 for a Grade 1 race, that’s your culprit. You want that Power as high as possible—ideally 1000+ for the "A" or "S" rank brackets.
Support Card Selection for the Win
You can't just slap on any SSR cards and hope for the best. For the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, you need cards that grant short-distance specific gold skills.
SSR Daiwa Scarlet (Intelligence) is a great pick if you're running a "Leader" (先行) strategy. But for many, the go-to is SSR Sakura Baku Shin O (Speed). She gives you the "Groundwork" (Jigatame) skill, which is mandatory for Runners to get that early lead. If you don't have Jigatame, you're basically conceding the lead to someone who does.
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Also, consider the SSR Mejiro Ramonu card. Even though it's an Intelligence card, the sheer amount of skill hints it provides for "Short" and "Mile" distances is unmatched. It helps fill out those white skills that support your gold ones.
Why Motivation and Status Matter
We've all been there. It’s the morning of the G1. Your Uma Musume has "Normal" motivation because she had a "bad sleep" event two turns ago.
In a sprint like the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, motivation is a massive percentage modifier. "Very Good" (Kouzetsu) motivation gives a 4% boost to all stats during the race. In a 1200m race, that 4% is the difference between first and fifth. Use a Cup of Tea or go to the Outing if you have to. Do not enter this race on anything less than "Good" motivation unless you like losing.
The Strategy "Rock-Paper-Scissors"
Usually, "Runner" strategies dominate sprints. If you can get out front and stay there, the short distance doesn't give "Betweener" or "Chaser" types enough time to catch up.
However, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen has a relatively long "Straight" compared to other 1200m tracks in the game. This actually gives "Betweeners" (Sashi) like King Halo or Bamboo Memory a fighting chance. If they have high enough Power, they can slingshot past the Leaders who are struggling on the hill.
If you’re struggling with a Runner, try switching to a Leader build. Sometimes having a target to chase helps the AI trigger acceleration skills more reliably.
Common Mistakes to Stop Making
Stop ignoring the "Guts" (Konjou) stat. I know, for a long time the community said Guts was useless. That hasn't been true for years. In the current version of the game, Guts affects "Last Spurt" speed and your ability to engage in "Positioning Fights."
When two Uma Musume are side-by-side in the final stretch—which happens constantly in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen—the one with higher Guts will likely edge out the other. You don't need 1200 Guts, but getting it to 600 or 700 will drastically improve your consistency in winning those tight photo finishes.
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Another mistake? Not checking the "Inherited Traits" (Factors). You want to stack as many "Short Distance" and "Chukyo Racecourse" factors as possible. Getting that "S" rank in Distance Aptitude is a hidden Speed multiplier that goes beyond the 1200 cap. It is the single most important factor for winning high-level PVP or CM (Champions Meeting) versions of this race.
Practical Steps for Your Next Training Run
To actually win the Takamatsunomiya Kinen consistently, you need a workflow.
First, prioritize Speed and Power. Use a deck with at least 3 Speed cards and 2 Intelligence cards, or a Guts-heavy deck if you're playing the newer scenarios.
Second, hunt for the Green Skills. "Left-Turn," "Spring Horse," and "Chukyo Racecourse." These are non-negotiable for optimized builds.
Third, watch the weather. If the training scenario allows, try to get skills that mitigate "Rough" track conditions. "Inner Path Specialist" is also surprisingly good here because the AI tends to hug the rail at Chukyo.
Finally, make sure your Skill Pt allocation is smart. Don't just buy every gold skill you see. Ensure they actually trigger at "Short Distance" or "Random point in the final straight." A skill that triggers at "Middle Distance" is literally dead weight here.
Success in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen Uma Musume Pretty Derby isn't about luck. It’s about building a specialized machine that can handle a 1200m sprint with a nasty uphill finish in the rain. Fix your Power stats, grab those green skills, and stop neglecting Stamina. You’ll see the winners' circle a lot more often.
Focus on your Power and Guts balance for the next three training sessions. Check your inheritance for "Short Distance" stars. If you don't have at least 9 stars of Short Distance in your parent pool, your chances of hitting that "S" rank aptitude are slim. Fix the inheritance first, then go for the trophy.