If you’ve spent any significant time in the trenches of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, you know the specific brand of dread that comes with the 3,200-meter turn at Kyoto. It’s the Uma Musume Tenno Sho Spring. Most players call it the "Stamina Check," but that’s honestly an understatement. It’s a brick wall. You think your build is perfect, your speed is capping out, and then your girl starts gasping for air at the final bend while a CPU-controlled Mejiro McQueen glides past you like she’s on a Sunday stroll.
It's brutal.
The Tenno Sho Spring is widely considered the hardest "standard" race in the game's main scenarios like URA, Aoharu, or Grand Live. It’s the longest G1 race in the rotation. It demands a level of resource management that the early game just doesn't prepare you for. You can't just "Speed" your way through this. If you try to brute-force it with 1200 Speed and 300 Stamina, you aren't just going to lose—you’re going to watch your horse-girl finish in double-digit placement.
The Math Behind the Tenno Sho Spring Wall
Why is it so hard? Basically, the game calculates "Spurt" distance based on your remaining stamina. In a 3,200m race, if you run out of juice before the final straight, your girl hits a state called kakari or just flat-out "out of fuel" (the heavy breathing animation). Once that happens, your top speed is capped at a snail's pace.
To safely clear the Uma Musume Tenno Sho Spring, you generally need at least 600 Stamina plus at least one gold recovery skill (like Maestro of the Arc). If you don't have a gold recovery skill? You're looking at needing 800+ raw Stamina. That’s a massive investment for a race that happens relatively early in the second or third year of training.
Most trainers fail because they focus on the "flashy" stats. Speed looks good. Power looks good. But the Tenno Sho Spring doesn't care about your highlights. It cares about the grind.
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Real Talk on Recovery Skills
Not all recovery skills are equal. Honestly, a lot of players waste points on "Linear Recovery" or "Corner Recovery" thinking they'll stack. While they help, the "Gold" versions are what actually change the math. Super Creek’s Maestro of the Arc is the gold standard for a reason. It triggers on a corner, and since Kyoto (the Tenno Sho Spring track) has plenty of those, it’s almost a guaranteed activation.
If you're running a stayer—someone like Gold Ship or Mejiro McQueen—you absolutely have to prioritize these. Without them, you’re basically gambling with your runs. It sucks to lose a 30-minute training session because a single race had a stamina requirement you couldn't meet.
The Rivals Who Will Ruin Your Day
In the Tenno Sho Spring, the AI isn't just a placeholder. You’re often running against historical monsters. Rice Shower and Mejiro McQueen are the two biggest hurdles.
Rice Shower is the "Stamina Queen" in this specific race context. Historically, she was the "Black Assassin" who broke Mejiro McQueen’s winning streak. In the game, she reflects that. She has high guts and high stamina. If you are playing as a "Betweener" (Sashi) or "Chaser" (Oikomi), Rice Shower will often sit right in front of you, blocking your pathing while she just... keeps... going.
Then there’s the track itself. Kyoto Racecourse is famous for its "Third Corner Hill."
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In real life and in Uma Musume, the Kyoto track features a literal incline and decline. If your girl has low "Power," she’s going to lose momentum on the uphill. If she has low "Wisdom," she might mismanage her pace on the downhill and burn all her stamina before the final 400 meters. It’s a tactical nightmare.
Why "Guts" (Konjo) Actually Matters Here
For a long time, the Western community thought Guts was a "trash stat." That was a mistake. In the Uma Musume Tenno Sho Spring, Guts acts as a secondary buffer for when your Stamina runs dry. It also determines your "Last Spurt" speed during the "Last Spurt" phase.
If you have two girls with 600 Stamina, but one has 300 Guts and the other has 600 Guts, the one with 600 is going to win the final stretch every single time. It represents the "will to win" when the body is failing. For a 3,200m race, Guts is the difference between fading into 5th place and clutching a 1st place finish by a nose.
Building Specifically for 3,200 Meters
If you know the Tenno Sho Spring is coming up in your schedule, you have to pivot your training three to four months in advance. You can't just spam the Speed training button.
- Prioritize Stamina Support Cards: Even if your girl isn't a natural stayer, bring at least one high-level Stamina card. SSR Super Creek is the obvious choice.
- The "Blue" Skill Priority: Don't buy "Red" (debuff) skills yet. Don't even buy "Yellow" (speed/acceleration) skills unless you’ve already secured your "Blue" (recovery) skills.
- Inheritance is Key: This is where the pros win. They don't train Stamina; they inherit it. By using a parent with 9-star Stamina factors, you start the game with a massive boost. This allows you to keep clicking the Speed and Power buttons while your inheritance handles the "Spring Wall."
It’s kinda funny how the meta evolved. At launch, everyone was obsessed with Speed. Now, the Tenno Sho Spring has humbled everyone into realizing that endurance is the actual king of the Kyoto track.
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Common Misconceptions About the Kyoto Track
People think the "Spring" and "Autumn" Tenno Sho are similar because they share a name. They aren't. Not even close.
The Tenno Sho Autumn is a 2,000m race. That’s a medium distance. You can run that with a Speed-heavy build and be totally fine. But the Uma Musume Tenno Sho Spring is a completely different beast. It’s 1,200 meters longer. That’s three extra furlongs of pure pain.
Another mistake? Ignoring the "Inner" vs "Outer" track. Kyoto has both. The Spring version uses the "Outer" track, which has a wider turn. This means your "Power" stat is slightly less critical for navigating tight corners but much more important for the long, sustained drive to the finish.
Does Weather Matter?
Honestly? Yes. If you get "Heavy" or "Bad" track conditions (Rainy days), your stamina consumption increases significantly. If you were already on the edge of failing the stamina check, rain will end your run. Some players keep a "Rainy Day" or "Ground Condition" skill in their back pocket just in case, but usually, it's better to just over-spec into raw Stamina.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
Stop losing to Rice Shower. If you want to actually clear the Uma Musume Tenno Sho Spring consistently, follow this checklist for your next training session:
- The 600/600 Rule: Aim for a minimum of 600 Speed and 600 Stamina by the time the race starts. If you’re below this, you’re relying on luck.
- Secure "Maestro of the Arc" or "Cool Down": These are non-negotiable for long-distance G1 races. If your support card doesn't give it to you, restart or pivot to a shorter race schedule if the scenario allows.
- Check the "Strategy" (Kakushitsu): If you’re struggling with Stamina, try switching your girl to "Leader" (Preceding/先行) instead of "Runner" (逃げ). Runners burn stamina much faster because they’re fighting to stay ahead the entire time. Leaders can "draft" behind others and conserve energy.
- Watch the HP bar (in scenarios that show it): If you see the stamina bar flashing red before the final bend, you know exactly what you need to fix for the next inheritance cycle.
The Tenno Sho Spring isn't a race you win on the day of the event. You win it in the menus, months prior, by picking the right parents and the right support deck. It’s the ultimate test of a trainer’s long-term planning. Once you crack the code, the rest of the G1 calendar feels like a victory lap.
Focus on the blue skills, respect the Kyoto hill, and stop neglecting your Guts stat. That’s how you get the trophy.