How to complete Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby

The Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby takes place during the second half of December in your first year (Junior Class). It’s a G1-tier Medium-distance Turf race, requiring just 1000 fans to enter. This early-career event is often your first big test, and it helps set the pace for future races. If your stats are balanced and your Support Cards are working in your favor, this race is a solid way to build momentum.

It is held at Nakayama Racecourse on the inner course, running clockwise for a total of 2000 meters. The daytime winter event features 18 participants, and while not overly difficult, it does demand well-rounded training. Focus on Speed and Stamina as a baseline, and your positioning style will determine which other stats take priority.

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Requirements and details of the Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Best characters to use for the Hopeful Stakes race

King Halo in Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Image via Cygames)

You’ll want to go with Umamusume who are comfortable on Medium Turf tracks, and who scale well with Speed and Power. Here are some reliable choices for this early G1 challenge:

• King Halo: King Halo works best as a Late Surger in Sprint events, but can handle Medium distance with proper Power and Speed training. Her Stamina demand is lower, letting you focus on front-loaded stats.
• Gold Ship: Her base stats are strong, and she’s well-suited for mid-to-late race surges. Gold Ship thrives when she’s overtaking during the second half, especially with good positioning and a Power-focused training route.
• Agnes Tachyon: She is a reliable Pace Chaser who performs well on Medium tracks. You’ll need solid Stamina and Speed, with enough Power to support her lane switching and burst plays in the final stretch.
• Winning Ticket: This Late Surger favors Medium and Long races. If trained properly, her combination of high Speed and Power makes her a strong closer, especially in 18-runner races like Hopeful Stakes.
• Tosen Jordan: While her lore paints her as someone who doesn’t like to try too hard, her skillset tells a different story. With Slick Surge, Medium Straightaways, and On Your Left!, she has the right toolkit for sneaking into a top spot near the end.

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Best stats and race skills for the Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Hopeful Stakes runs long enough. Hence, Stamina needs to be taken seriously. Speed is vital, but if you’re using a Late Surger or Chaser, Power will also be key to push through the field. Those relying on position-triggered abilities should consider boosting Wit, as it helps activate skills more reliably during specific segments of the race.

The G1 race (Image via Cygames)

Some great green skills for this track include:

• Right-Handed
• Nakayama Racecourse
• Standard Distance
• Winter Runner

These passives give you a consistent stat boost throughout the race and can help tilt things in your favor if you're undertrained in certain areas.

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Rewards for winning the Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby gives you a tidy list of guaranteed and random rewards, which are useful during the early parts of your training progression.

Guaranteed rewards

• Medium Distance Shoes
• Hopeful Stakes Garland
• Monie (400–2400 range)
• Support Points (20–120, 84% chance)

Random rewards

• 1x Goddess Statue
• 5x Carats

In addition to the item rewards, you’ll earn 7000 fans for first place and 2800 for second place.

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With that, you should be able to complete the Hopeful Stakes race in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

Check out: URA Finale victory guide for Umamusume: Pretty Derby