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Tennō Shō

Tenno Sho (Spring)
Int'l Grade 1 race
Beat-black20120429(1).jpg
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 ¥ 286,000,000 (as of 2015)
1st: ¥ 150,000,000
Tenno Sho (Autumn)
Int'l Grade 1 race
134th Tennosho 20061029.jpg
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 14 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 ¥ 251,200,000 (as of 2014)
1st: ¥ 132,000,000

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.

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.

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).

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 five 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.

Four horses have won two non-consecutive runnings.


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