Umamusume: Pretty Derby Pisces Cup (CM11) Champions Meeting Guide

Welcome, trainers! The track is set, the weather forecast is miserable, and the longest Champions Meeting of the season is almost upon us. The Pisces Cup (CM11) runs from March 26 to April 5, 2026, and it’s bringing a unique challenge that’s got everyone in the training facilities scrambling .

Here’s the kicker: this is our first Champions Meeting in the Trackblazer (MANT) era. The shiny new scenario dropped on March 12, and now we’re expected to produce top-tier long-distance monsters while still figuring out Pro Shop rotations and Race Bonus optimization. No pressure, right?

Let’s break down everything you need to survive—and thrive—in this grueling 3,200m showdown.

CM11 Race Info

The Basics:

• Course: Hanshin Turf, 3,200m (Long), Right-handed
• Conditions: Spring, Rainy, Heavy Ground
• Dates: March 26 – April 5, 2026 (signups March 26-30, races March 30-April 5)

Why This One Hurts:

3200 meters is already a marathon. Adding Heavy Ground and Rainy conditions means your stamina bar is going to drain faster than a sink with the plug pulled . If your Uma isn’t built to last, she’ll be walking the final straight while everyone else sprints past.

The Silver Lining:

The late-race (final spurt) starts on a straight. You know what that means? Straightaway Spurt is back on the menu, and it’s as delicious as ever for End Closers.

 

Course Analysis

Let’s talk about the elephant on the track—or rather, the corners.

The Acceleration Landscape

Here’s what makes Pisces Cup unique: the final spurt starts on a straight, but thefirst late-race corner comes late. This seemingly small detail completely reshuffles which skills are worth your precious Skill Points.

✅ GOOD:

• Straightaway Spurt / Encroaching Shadow– Hits exactly where you need it: the late-race straight
• Kitasan Black’s Victory Cheer!– Triggers from 1st or 2nd place on the backstretch, giving both velocity and acceleration
• No Stopping Me!– Still a monster when it procs, though you’ll need the Yukino Bijin Wit SSR to access it now
• First Star (Radiant Star)– The Trackblazer scenario skill. Expensive, random, and potentially game-winning

❌ BAD (Save Your SP):

• Angling and Scheming / Let’s Pump Some Iron– They trigger almost 100m after the late-race starts, making them significantly less effective
• Red Shift / Shooting for Victory– Final corner accelerations? On this track? Hard pass
• Final Straight skills– By the time they trigger, the race is practically over

Downhills and Uphills

The course features two downhills and two uphills. High Wit helps you conserve stamina on the downhills, while Power helps you power through the climbs. If you’re running a Front Runner, stacking Wit isn’t just nice—it’s essential for maintaining position through the undulations.

The Meta: Fronts vs. Ends

Forget Pace Chasers and Late Surgers for a moment (sorry, not sorry). Pisces Cup is shaping up to be a two-horse race—literally.

Kitasan Black: The Game-Changer

With the recent release of Kitasan Black (Gilded Shrine to Glory), Front Runners finally have a seat at the long-distance table . Her unique skill, Victory Cheer!, triggers from 1st or 2nd place on the late-race backstretch, providing both velocity and acceleration .

Here’s the kicker: unlike Seiun Sky’s Angling and Scheming (which requires being first), Victory Cheer! activates even from second place. This means that pesky Runaway Suzuka can’t completely shut down your Front Runner’s acceleration.

The Catch: Kitasan Black lacks an innate gold recovery skill . You’ll need to compensate with your support card lineup—hello, Super Creek SSR—or get creative with your recovery setup.

End Closers: Still the Kings

Let’s not pretend the old guard has retired. Narita Taishin remains terrifying with her Encroaching Shadow(the gold version of Straightaway Spurt) .Tamamo Cross brings a unique that grants acceleration and speed when overtaking on the straight—perfect for this course . And Gold Ship? Still the budget-friendly legend who refuses to leave the meta .

Christmas Oguri Cap: The Wildcard

Christmas Oguri Cap’s unique provides speed, acceleration, and recovery all at once . That’s a triple threat on a course where every resource matters. The problem? Reliably triggering it. Triple 7s activates about 300mpastthe late-race start .Do not take it.Instead, focus on mid-race recoveries like Corner Recovery and Swinging Maestro, and consider letting First Star do the heavy lifting .

Pace and Late

Pace Chasers and Late Surgers lack reliable acceleration options on this track . They can try to out-stat the competition, stack velocity skills, and pray to the RNG gods, but let’s be honest: if you’re bringing a Late Surger to this party, you’re hoping for a miracle.

 

Stat Guidelines

Here are the numbers you’re aiming for.

Stat	Target	Notes
Speed	1200	Non-negotiable. You need to be fast at the finish .
Stamina	1100+	With 2 gold recoveries, this is the safe zone .
Power	1000	Helps with uphills and acceleration .
Guts	500+	Reduces speed loss when stamina runs low .
Wit	600+	Critical for position maintenance and downhill stamina conservation .

Minimum Viable: 1000 Stamina + 2 gold recoveries. Anything less, and you’re gambling .

For the Guts-Build Enthusiasts: Some Japanese players are experimenting with 850 Stamina / 1200 Guts / 2 gold recoveries. It checks out on calculators, but requires precise execution and strong card support.

A Note on Race Bonus: In Trackblazer, Race Bonus is everything. Aim for at least 50% total from your support cards. The higher, the better.

 

Recommended Skills

Green Skills (Track-Specific)

• Right-Handed – Speed boost
• Spring Runner – Spring season performance
• Wet Conditions / Rainy Days – Heavy ground mitigation
• Hanshin Racecourse – Course familiarity
• Standard Distance – Long distance bonus
• Front Runner Savvy – Wit boost for Front Runners

Yellow Skills (Speed & Acceleration)

For Front Runners:

• Victory Cheer!(inherited) – Your primary acceleration
• Groundwork– Requires 3 early-race skills to trigger
• Taking the Lead / Early Lead– Early positioning
• Long Corners / Long Straightaways – Velocity
• Tail Held High / Tail Nine– Mid-race velocity (needs 3 skills to proc)

For End Closers:

• Straightaway Spurt / Encroaching Shadow– Mandatory
• No Stopping Me!– If you can fit the Yukino Bijin card
• Daring Strike– From Admire Vega SSR
• Ramp Up / It’s On!– Mid-race velocity

Universal:

• First Star (Radiant Star)– The Trackblazer scenario skill. Expensive (costs a lot of SP), random activation after 50% of race, but provides speed + acceleration + recovery. Worth the gamble if you have spare SP .

Blue Skills (Recovery)

The Gold Standard:

• Swinging Maestro– From Super Creek SSR. Consistent, reliable, the best in the business .

Front Runner Options:

• Restless– From Mayano Top Gun Speed SSR
• Moxie– Alternative recovery

Pace Chaser Options:

• Gourmand– Christmas Oguri Cap’s innate
• Hydrate– Accessible recovery

End Closer Options:

• Go-Home Specialist– Gold Ship’s specialty
• After-School Stroll– Reliable for End Closers

Budget/RNG Options:

• Cooldown / Breath of Fresh Air (BOFA)– Accessible without gacha supports, but may trigger on the final straight where recovery is less impactful .

Red Skills (Debuffs)

• Stamina Siphon– From Manhattan Cafe. Drains opponent stamina. Effective against players who skimped on endurance .
• Stamina Eater– Alternative stamina drain .
• Hesitant/Subdued/Flustered [Running Style]– Target specific running styles .

 

Best Characters for Pisces Cup

SS Rank

Character	Running Style	Why They’re Here
Kitasan Black	Front	Victory Cheer! activates perfectly on this course. 20% Speed / 10% Stamina growth. No gold recovery, so plan accordingly .
Narita Taishin	End	Encroaching Shadow (gold Straightaway Spurt). The acceleration king .
Tamamo Cross	End	Unique triggers on straight overtakes. Also has Tail Nine and innate Straightaway Spurt .
Gold Ship	End	Free-to-play friendly. Go-Home Specialist recovery. Reliable and consistent .
Mayano Top Gun	End	Scramble Zone unique + No Stopping Me! potential .

S Rank

• Christmas Oguri Cap – Unique provides speed, acceleration,andrecovery. Needs careful recovery management .
• Manhattan Cafe – End Closer with Stamina Siphon potential .
• Special Week – Summer version. Recovery unique.
• Super Creek – Recovery unique. Makes stamina management easier .

 

Team Compositions

The Classic Long-Distance Setup

• Runaway(Suzuka) – Pace setter
• Ace(Christmas Oguri Cap or Front Runner)
• Ace(End Closer like Taishin or Tamamo)

Suzuka	Oguri Cap	Taishin

Stable, reliable, and Suzuka helps your Front Runner shine.

The Front Runner Special

• Front(Kitasan Black)
• Front(Valentine Bourbon / Summer Maruzensky / Seiun Sky)
• Ace(Gold Ship or any End Closer)

Kitasan Black	Valentine Bourbon	Gold Ship

Two Front Runners stretch the field; the End Closer cleans up if they falter.

Triple Ace

• End Closer
• End Closer
• Christmas Oguri Cap

Hope and pray. Sometimes the best strategy is just stacking talent and letting the RNG chips fall where they may .

 

Support Card Strategies

Recommended Deck Composition

Standard Setup: 2 Speed + 1 Stamina + 2 Wit + 1 Pal (Riko Kashimoto)

Alternate Setup: 2 Speed + 2 Stamina + 2 Wit

Budget Setup: 2 Speed + 1 Stamina + 2 Wit + 1 (borrowed Super Creek)

Key Cards to Consider

Card	Role	Why
Super Creek (Piece of Mind)	Stamina	Swinging Maestro. 10% Race Bonus at MLB. Almost mandatory .
Kitasan Black (Fire at My Heels)	Speed	Great skills, but only 5% Race Bonus. Use only if skills are essential .
Matikanefukukitaru (Touching Sleeves)	Speed	High Race Bonus. Excellent for Front Runners .
Narita Top Road (Peachy Silhouette)	Speed	Solid all-around speed card .
Fine Motion (Wave of Gratitude)	Wit	Reliable Wit card with good bonuses .
Nice Nature (Daring to Dream)	Wit	High Race Bonus. Excellent choice .
Yukino Bijin (Hometown Cheers)	Wit	Only if you need No Stopping Me! Has 5% Race Bonus—use cautiously .
Riko Kashimoto (Planned Perfection)	Pal	Versatile. Can be replaced with another Stamina card if needed .

Race Bonus Target: 50% minimum. 60% is better. This is Trackblazer’s golden rule .

 

Final Thoughts

Pisces Cup arrives at a chaotic time. We’re all still learning Trackblazer—how to optimize Pro Shop purchases, when to race vs. when to train, which rivals to target for skill hints . Some players will master it quickly; others will take time. That means theace variancein this Champions Meeting will be higher than usual .

Good luck, trainers. May your Victory Cheers trigger and your Straightaway Spurts carry you to glory. Click Here to Top Up Umamusume: Pretty Derby on LDShop Now!