Stats are incredibly important for winning races in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, but skills are what really set your trainee apart from the competition. Even with maxed-out stats, your Umamusume won't be able to consistently win races unless they learn skills that give them advantages at key moments along the track.

There are all sorts of skills to learn in Umamusume, and some are much better than others. The best skills come from SSR Support Cards and Legacy inheritance, but you can get some surprisingly strong builds with just the basic skills you can get from career events. The best skill set up for your horse girl will vary depending on their track and distance aptitudes, but there are a few key skills that every Umamusume can benefit from.

how to get a rank in umamusume pretty derby
How to Get A-Rank in Umamusume Pretty Derby

If you want A-rank horsegirls in Umamusume Pretty Derby, here’s a simple guide to help you achieve that without being a pay-to-win player.

Umamusume Skills Tier List

Umamusume-Pretty-Derby-How-To-Level-Unique-Skills-Use

These are the strongest skills in Umamusume: Pretty Derby ranked from best to worst.

Tier

Skills

S-Tier

  • Swinging Maestro
  • Gourmand
  • Hydrate
  • Straightaway Adept
  • Straightaway Acceleration
  • Corner Adept
  • Corner Acceleration
  • Slipstream
  • Homestretch Haste
  • Tail Held High
  • Triumphant Pulse
  • Shooting for Victory!
  • Class Rep + Speed = Bakushin
  • Professor of Curvature
  • Beeline Burst
  • Staggering Lead
  • Red Shift/LP1211-M
  • Straightaway Spurt
  • Anchors Aweigh
  • Warning Shot
  • Red Ace
  • In Body and Mind
  • It's On!
  • Go with the Flow
  • Fast & Furious
  • Furious Feat
  • Turbo Sprint
  • Speed Star
  • Any Distance Straightaways
  • Any Style Straightaways

A-Tier

  • Introduction to Physiology
  • #LookatCurren
  • Moxie
  • Passing Pro
  • Race Planner
  • I Can Win Sometimes, Right?
  • Shooting Star
  • Corazon Ardiente
  • Empress's Pride
  • The View from the Lead is Mine!
  • Sky-High Teio Step
  • Sturm und Drang
  • Certain Victory
  • Legacy of the Strong
  • Xceleration
  • The Duty of Dignity Calls
  • Shooting Star
  • Behold Thine Emperor's Divine Might
  • Rushing Gale!
  • No Stopping Me!
  • Concentration
  • Feel the Burn!
  • Our Ticket to Win!
  • Escape Artist
  • Plan X
  • Ramp Up
  • Shifting Gears
  • Pressure
  • Inside Scoop
  • Straightaway Spurt
  • Acceleration
  • Unrestrained
  • Technician
  • Outer Swell
  • Firm Conditions
  • Standard Distance
  • Non-Standard Distance
  • Dominator
  • Intimidate
  • Mystifying Murmur
  • All-Seeing Eyes
  • Stamina Eater
  • Stamina Siphon
  • Speed Eater
  • Intense Gaze
  • Petrifying Gaze
  • Step on the Gas!
  • Reignition
  • On Your Left!

B-Tier

  • This Dance is for Vittoria!
  • Luck Be With Me!
  • Blazing Pride
  • win Q.E.D.
  • Flashy Landing
  • 1st Place Kiss
  • V is for Victory!
  • U=ma2
  • Super-Duper Climax
  • G00 1st. F∞
  • Blue Rose Closer
  • Nimble Navigator
  • 1,500,000 CC
  • Blinding Flash
  • Rising Dragon
  • Serenity
  • Miraculous Step
  • Cooldown
  • Trackblazer
  • Sleeping Lion
  • Murmur
  • Stop Right There!
  • Calm and Collected
  • Keen Eye
  • Studious
  • Leader's Pride
  • Shrewd Step
  • Shatterproof
  • Killer Tunes
  • Calm in a Crowd
  • Triple 7s
  • Clear Heart
  • Breath of Fresh Air
  • Shake It Out
  • Adrenaline Rush
  • Adored by All
  • Battle Formation
  • Greed for Speed
  • Mile Maven
  • Killer Tunes
  • You've Got No Shot
  • Sixth Sense
  • Any Style Savvy
  • Hesitant/Flustered/Subdued Any Style

C-Tier

  • Prudent Positioning
  • Fighter
  • Groundwork
  • Countermeasure
  • Slick Surge
  • Unruffled
  • Disorient
  • Meticulous Measures
  • I Can See Right Through You
  • Strategist
  • Go-Home Specialist
  • Final Push
  • Second Wind
  • Masterful Gambit
  • Vanguard Spirit
  • Stamina to Spare
  • Indomitable
  • Iron Will
  • Wet Conditions
  • Target in Sight
  • Lightning Step
  • Perfect Prep!
  • Lane Legerdemain
  • Center Stage
  • Hard Worker
  • Unyielding
  • Innate Experience

D-Tier

  • Straight Descent
  • Determined Descent
  • Updrafters
  • Smoke Screen
  • Tactical Tweak
  • Highlander
  • Steadfast
  • Outer/Inner Post Proficiency
  • Lone Wolf
  • Maverick
  • Sympathy
  • Lucky Seven
  • Super Lucky Seven
  • Crusader
  • The Coast is Clear!
  • Clairvoyance
  • Any Racecourse
  • Any Season Runner
  • Any Weather

S-Tier skills are the best of the best, and you should prioritize them over everything else no matter what your trainee's preferred racing style or distance is. Skills like Super Creek's Swinging Maestro are just too good to pass up, and the same goes for other skills like Beeline Burst and Professor of Curvature. These are the skills tied to the best SSR Support Cards in the game, and you should use your borrowed Support Card slot at the start of a career to snag one or two of them.

Umamusume-Pretty-Derby-Mejiro-Ryan-Running

A-Tier skills are just as good as S-Tier skills, but they don't apply to every single scenario. Most of the skills in A-Tier boost acceleration and speed when certain conditions are met, but not every horse girl will be able to make the most of them. Still, they're incredibly helpful if they fit your chosen racing style and distance.

B-Tier skills are solid, but they're outperformed by other skills. There's nothing wrong with Calm in a Crowd, for example, but it's a better idea to just steal a Super Creek card and unlock Swinging Maestro instead. This is also where most of the generic buffs and debuffs end up since they're highly situational and only belong in certain builds, particularly for PVP.

Umamusume Winning Ticket Clutch win

C-Tier and D-Tier skills should really be ignored in favor of anything else. C-Tier includes certain navigation skills and speed boosts that only slightly improve your trainee's abilities, so your skills points are best spent elsewhere. D-Tier skills should really only be unlocked if you have extra skill points to spare at the end of a career run. They can help in a pinch, but they're not ideal for most builds.

Again, the best skills will vary depending on your chosen trainee and racing style, but the best skills are considered the best for a reason. The JP community has already had Umamusume: Pretty Derby for quite some time now, so there's already a consensus about which skills are worth getting. That's why everyone is so adamant about pulling for Kitasan Black, for example. Use your borrow slot to steal SSR Support Cards with the best skills if you don't have them.

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Umamusume Pretty Derby Tag Page Cover Art
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Sports
Management
Gacha
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Systems
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Critics Rec: 100%
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Released
June 26, 2025
Developer(s)
Cygames
Publisher(s)
Cygames, Kakao Games, BiliBili
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Kitasan Black
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
All platforms
Cross Save
All platforms
Number of Players
Single-player
Steam Deck Compatibility
Playable
PC Release Date
June 26, 2025
Genre(s)
Sports, Management, Gacha
Platform(s)
Android, iOS, PC