Tenno Sho

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Grade 1 race
Tenno Sho (Spring)
Image:Tenno Sho.jpg 天皇賞・春 (Tenno Sho Haru)
Location	Kyoto Racecourse, Kyoto
Inaugurated	1938
Race type	Thoroughbred
Website	japanracing.jp/
Race information
Distance	3200 meters (About 16 furlongs / 2 miles)
Track	Turf, Right-handed
Qualification	4-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds (except geldings)
Weight	4-y-o & up 58 kg
Purse	¥281,560,000 (as of 2007)

Grade 1 race
Tenno Sho (Autumn)
Image:Tenno Sho.jpg 天皇賞・秋 (Tenno Sho Aki)
Location	Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchu, Tokyo
Inaugurated	1937
Race type	Thoroughbred
Website	japanracing.jp/
Race information
Distance	2000 meters (About 10 furlongs / 1 ¼ miles)
Track	Turf, Left-handed
Qualification	3-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds (except geldings)
Weight	3-y-o 56 kg \ 4-y-o & up 58 kg
Purse	¥281,560,000 (as of 2007)

The Tenno Sho (天皇賞) is a race that is actually held two times per year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. The races are both International Grade I races."Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan"

Before the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Grade I races.

[edit] Tenno Sho (Spring)

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, making it the longest Grade I race in Japan.

[edit] Tenno Sho (Autumn)

The Autumn Tenno Sho is held at Tokyo Racecourse, in late October. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres. 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 ran over a distance of 3,200 metres, 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.