Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Career Guide (2025) – Master Training, Team Building & Social Tips

Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Career Guide (2025) – Master Training, Team Building & Social Tips

Introduction

Welcome to the definitive Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Career Guide for 2025! Whether you’re a new trainer or a returning fan, this in-depth guide covers every aspect of mastering Career Mode, building the ultimate team, and staying ahead in the ever-evolving meta. With insights from top players, the latest tier lists, community wisdom, and embedded social content, you’ll be ready to lead your favorite horse girls to victory—and maybe even the Google Search AI Overview!

What is Uma Musume: Pretty Derby?

Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is a unique blend of horse racing, idol management, and sports simulation, where you train anthropomorphic horse girls, each inspired by real-life Japanese racehorses. Released globally in June 2025, the game features a robust training system, gacha mechanics, PvP, and vibrant community engagement.

Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Career Guide

On Steam, Umamusume: Pretty Derby players have been actively discussing the Career Mode, with one player, @Flukha7, raising the question: “mission career is hard for new player ? Why?”- and several other players have since shared their thoughts and comments in response.

mission career is hard for new player ?
Why ?

There is no way to pass the beginner level?
Or should I get more good cards? And what should it be?

Every new player has this problem all the time. I would like to ask for advice from those who are experienced on what to do.

Overview of Career Mode

• Objective: Train a selected Uma Musume over ~70 turns (roughly three in-game years) to boost their stats, complete career objectives, and win races, including the URA Finals. After completing a run, the trainee becomes a Veteran Umamusume, usable in other modes like Team Trials (PvP) or as a Legacy for future runs.

• Gameplay Loop: Choose training regimes, manage energy and mood, race strategically, and build friendships with support characters to unlock skills and stat boosts.

• Difficulty: Expect frequent failures early on due to RNG and the need for optimized builds. It’s designed to be replayed to improve Veterans and Legacies over time.

Getting Started

• Choosing a Trainee:

  • Beginners should start with Sakura Bakushin O due to her simple stat needs (focus on Speed) and short-distance race goals, making her easier to train.

  • Other solid starter options include Oguri Cap (versatile for multiple race types) or Special Week (consistent with strong skills).

  • Every Uma Musume is viable with the right strategy, regardless of star rating.

• Selecting Legacies:

  • Pick two Veteran Uma Musume (yours or borrowed from friends, limited to 3 uses/day) to provide Sparks of Inspiration. These grant:

    • Blue Sparks: Starting stat boosts (e.g., +21 Speed for a 3-star Speed Spark).

    • Pink Sparks: Boost race type or pace aptitudes.

    • Green/White Sparks: Grant skills or skill hints.

  • Strong Legacies (e.g., with 3-star Sparks) significantly improve your run. Borrow maxed-out Veterans from friends early on.

• Support Cards:

  • Choose six support cards (five owned, one borrowed). Prioritize:

    • 3–4 Speed Cards: Essential for all builds, as Speed is critical for winning races.

    • SSR Super Creek: Provides the Swinging Maestro skill for stamina recovery, crucial for Medium/Long-distance runners.

  • For Sprint builds: 3 Speed + 3 Wit or 4 Speed + 2 Power.

  • High-rarity cards (SR/SSR) with maxed bond gauges offer better stat gains and skills. Focus on building friendships early.

• Scenarios:

  • The starting scenario is URA Finale, a beginner-friendly mode to learn mechanics. Others, like Mecha Umamusume ST-2 or Twinkle Series, introduce unique mechanics.

  • Scenarios have specific goals, sometimes overriding the trainee’s personal objectives.

Training Tips

• Stat Prioritization:

  • Speed: Always prioritize; it determines max velocity, especially in the final spurt. Aim for 901+ for breakpoints, though growth slows past 1200.

  • Stamina: Critical for Medium/Long races to avoid burnout. Aim for 1200+ for long-distance builds.

  • Power: Boosts acceleration, key for mid-race positioning and Dirt races.

  • Guts: Improves stamina efficiency and late-race endurance. Useful for close finishes.

  • Wit: Enhances skill activation and training consistency. Secondary but valuable.

  • Match stats to race type: Speed/Power for Sprints, Stamina for Long races.

• Energy and Mood Management:

  • Keep mood high (green or rainbow) via Recreation or Going Out to boost training and racing performance.

  • Avoid overtraining to prevent negative conditions. Use the Infirmary to remove debuffs, but weigh the turn cost.

  • Enter non-mandatory races with low energy to gain skill points and fans without wasting training opportunities.

• Racing Strategy:

  • Choose a running strategy (e.g., Front Runner, Late Surger) that matches your Uma Musume’s aptitudes.

  • Race often to earn Skill Points and Fans (60k–120k for unique skill upgrades). G1 races are ideal for rewards.

  • Winning specific races (e.g., Satsuki Sho, Japanese Derby, Kikuka Sho) earns titles like the Triple Crown.

• Skill Optimization:

  • Unlock skills via support card hints, Legacy Sparks, or random events. Prioritize:

    • Swinging Maestro (stamina recovery for Medium/Long races).

    • Velocity boosts for Late Surgers (e.g., Certain Victory for Special Week).

  • Spend Skill Points strategically on skills matching your race type and strategy.

• Friendship Building:

  • Early in Year 1, focus on maxing support card bond gauges to unlock skills and rainbow training bonuses.

  • Look for red exclamation marks on support characters for skill hint events.

Advanced Tips

• Rerolling: If you want a strong start, reroll for SSR support cards like Super Creek, Fine Motion, or Kitasan Black. The game’s 3% SSR rate and easy data reset make rerolling viable.

• Legacy Building: Strong Veterans with high-rank Sparks (e.g., 3-star Speed) boost future runs. Aim for 600+ in key stats to improve Spark quality.

• Team Trials (PvP): Build a roster of Veterans for each race type (Sprint, Mile, Medium, Long, Dirt). Random conditions (weather, track) require versatile teams.

• Events: Participate in limited-time events to earn Carats, items, and free support cards. Check the event calendar to plan runs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best starter Umamusume?

Sakura Bakushin O and Oguri Cap are highly recommended for beginners due to their simple race objectives and strong stats.

How do I reroll for the best start?

Use the in-game gacha to roll for top-tier SSR Support Cards and S-tier Umamusume, then restart if you don’t get them.

Why do I keep failing Career Mode?

Early runs are tough due to RNG and lack of resources. Level up support cards, borrow strong legacies, and keep trying—every run helps