Deep Impact racing down the straight at Kyoto in the Tenno Sho (Spring)

REAL RACING ARCHIVE(documented racing history)

GREAT RACE · Kyoto Racecourse

Tenno Sho(Spring)

天皇賞（春）

3200MRight-handedGI

Run over 3,200 metres at Kyoto — the longest Grade 1 in Japan.

Deep Impact — Tenno Sho (Spring), Kyoto Racecourse, 30 April 2006 — Photo: Goki / CC BY-SA 3.0

Current conditions

These are today’s conditions; past runnings may have differed.

Distance: 3200m
Grade (current): GI
Racecourse: Kyoto Racecourse
Direction: Right-handed
Eligibility: Four-year-olds and up
Surface: Turf
First run: 15 May 1938

Historical context

The official name is simply Tenno Sho; the JRA has written “Tenno Sho (Spring)” since 1984, when the autumn race was shortened.

Runnings in the archive

Race records are taken from the “Racing record” tables of each horse’s Japanese Wikipedia article (which cite netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search) and cross-checked against the career start count. Grades are shown as printed for that year’s running — current grades are never applied retroactively.

1985

1stSymboli RudolfYukio OkabeGI · 3200m · 3:20.429 Apr 1985

1991

1stMejiro McQueenYutaka Take2nd: ミスターアダムスGI · 3200m · 3:18.828 Apr 1991

1992

1stMejiro McQueenYutaka Take2nd: カミノクレッセGI · 3200m · 3:20.026 Apr 1992
5thTokai TeioYukio OkabeGI · 3200m · 3:21.726 Apr 1992

1993

2ndMejiro McQueenYutaka TakeWinner: ライスシャワーGI · 3200m · 3:17.525 Apr 1993

1996

2ndNarita BrianKatsumi MinaiGI · 3200m · 3:18.221 Apr 1996

1999

1stSpecial WeekYutaka Take2nd: メジロブライトGI · 3200m · 3:15.302 May 1999

2000

1stT.M. Opera ORyuji Wada2nd: ラスカルスズカGI · 3200m · 3:17.630 Apr 2000

2001

1stT.M. Opera ORyuji Wada2nd: メイショウドトウGI · 3200m · 3:16.229 Apr 2001

2006

1stDeep ImpactYutaka Take2nd: リンカーンGI · 3200m · 3:13.4 R30 Apr 2006

2012

11thOrfevreKenichi IkezoeWinner: ビートブラックGI · 3200m · 3:15.629 Apr 2012

2013

5thGold ShipHiroyuki UchidaWinner: フェノーメノGI · 3200m · 3:15.128 Apr 2013

2014

7thGold ShipCraig WilliamsWinner: フェノーメノGI · 3200m · 3:15.604 May 2014

2015

1stGold ShipNorihiro Yokoyama2nd: フェイムゲームGI · 3200m · 3:14.703 May 2015

2016

1stKitasan BlackYutaka Take2nd: カレンミロティックGI · 3200m · 3:15.301 May 2016

2017

1stKitasan BlackYutaka Take2nd: シュヴァルグランGI · 3200m · 3:12.5 R30 Apr 2017

FILM

On film

Published on the JRA official YouTube channel.

「1985年天皇賞（春）（GⅠ） | シンボリルドルフ | JRA公式」
Record: 29 Apr 1985 · Kyoto · 3200m · 1st · Yukio Okabe
Source: YouTube / JRA公式チャンネル(official)Watch on YouTube ↗Symboli Rudolf
「1991年天皇賞（春）（GⅠ） | メジロマックイーン | JRA公式」
Record: 28 Apr 1991 · Kyoto · 3200m · 1st · Yutaka Take
Source: YouTube / JRA公式チャンネル(official)Watch on YouTube ↗Mejiro McQueen

The venue

Kyoto Racecourse

京都競馬場

Home of the Kikuka Sho and the spring Tenno Sho — known as “Yodo” after its nearest station.

SOURCES & REFERENCES

Sources & References

01
天皇賞（春） — Wikipedia（日本語版）
Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26
02
Tennō Shō (Spring) — Wikipedia (English)
Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

IMAGE CREDITS

Image credits

Each photograph was checked on its individual Wikimedia Commons file page for author and licence.

Deep Impact — Tenno Sho (Spring), Kyoto Racecourse, 30 April 2006
Photo: Goki · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The new grandstand at Kyoto Racecourse, 2023
Photo: Nadaraikon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons