Tennō Shō (Autumn)
Equinox winning the 168th Tennō Shō | |
| Class | Int'l Grade 1 |
|---|---|
| Location | Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchu, Tokyo |
| Inaugurated | December 3, 1937 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Website | japanracing |
| 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 | ¥ 648,000,000 (as of 2025)
|
| Bonuses | Winner of the following in the same year: Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup, Arima Kinen Domestic: ¥ 300,000,000 International: ¥ 150,000,000 Winner of any three of the following in the same year: Ōsaka Hai, Tenno Sho (Spring/Autumn), Japan Cup, Takarazuka Kinen, Arima Kinen Domestic: ¥ 200,000,000 International: ¥ 100,000,000 |
The Tennō Shō (Autumn) (天皇賞（秋）; lit. 'Emperor Prize (Autumn)') is an International Grade I horse race held at Tokyo Racecourse, Japan in late October. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) on turf. It is considered the first leg of the Japanese Autumn Triple Crown, the other two being the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen.
Originally, the Autumn Tennō Shō 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). The current record holder for this race is Equinox who set up a time of 1:55.2 in 2023, beating previous record holder Tosen Jordan by point nine seconds.