Tennō Shō
Horse races held in Japan
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The Tennō Shō (天皇賞; lit. 'Emperor Prize') refers to two horse races held yearly in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. Tennō refers to the emperor of Japan. The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tennō Shō races were Japanese domestic Grade 1 races.[1]
Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tennō Shō race was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race but this ban was lifted in 1981. Only two horses won the prize three times:
- Kitasan Black (2016 Spring, 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)
Five 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)
- Fierement (2019, 2020 Spring)
- Almond Eye (2019, 2020 Autumn)
- Equinox (2022, 2023 Autumn)