Tenno Sho

The Tennō Shō (天皇賞, "Emperor's Prize") is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Grade I races.^[1]

Spring

Tenno Sho (Spring)

Int'l Grade 1 race
The 145th Tenno Sho (2012)
Location	Kyoto Racecourse, Kyoto
Inaugurated	1938
Race type	Thoroughbred
Website	japanracing.jp
Race information
Distance	3200 meters (About 16 furlongs / 2 miles)
Surface	Turf
Track	Right-handed
Qualification	4-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds
Weight	4-y-o & up 58 kg Allowances 2 kg for fillies and mares
Purse	¥ 325,000,000 (as of 2018) 1st: ¥ 150,000,000

The Spring Tenno Sho is held at Kyoto Racecourse, in late April or early May. It is run over a distance of 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), making it the longest Grade I race in Japan.

Deep Impact won the 2006 version of the race setting the world record for a 3200 metre race with a time of 3:13.4. beating the Melbourne Cup record of 3:16.3.^[2][3] Deep Impact's record stood until Kitasan Black won in 3:12.5 in 2017.

Autumn

Tenno Sho (Autumn)

Int'l Grade 1 race
Daiwa Major wins the 134th Tennō Shō
Location	Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchu, Tokyo
Inaugurated	1937
Race type	Thoroughbred
Website	japanracing.jp
Race information
Distance	2000 meters (About 10 furlongs / ​1 1⁄4 miles)
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	3-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds
Weight	3-y-o 56 kg \ 4-y-o & up 58 kg Allowances 2 kg for fillies and mares
Purse	¥ 325,000,000 (as of 2017) 1st: ¥ 150,000,000

The Autumn Tenno Sho is held at Tokyo Racecourse, in late October. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). It is considered the first leg of the Japanese Autumn Triple Crown (the other two are the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen).

Originally, the Autumn Tenno Sho was run over a distance of 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), but was shortened to its current distance to promote middle-distance horses and to promote 3-year-old horses as a shorter-distance alternative to the Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger, which is 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).

Multiple winners

Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tennō Shō races was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race but this bar was lifted in 1981. Only two horses won the prize three times:

• Kitasan Black (2016 Autumn, 2017 Spring and Autumn)
• T M Opera O (2000 Spring and Autumn, 2001 Spring)

Apart from Kitasan Black and T M Opera O, four horses to date have won consecutive runnings, either by winning both the Spring and Autumn races in the same year or by winning the Autumn race, and following year's Spring race.

• Tamamo Cross (1988 Spring, Autumn)
• Super Creek (1989 Autumn, 1990 Spring)
• Special Week (1999 Spring, Autumn)
• Meisho Samson (2007 Spring and Autumn)

Four horses have won two non-consecutive runnings.

• Mejiro McQueen (1991-1992 Spring, finished 1st in 1991 Autumn but demoted to last)
• Rice Shower (1993,1995 Spring)
• Symboli Kris S (2002-2003 Autumn)
• Fenomeno (2013-2014 Spring)

References

Spring

• Racing Post:
  • 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
  • 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • 2016, 2017

Autumn

• Racing Post:
  • 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016