.jpg) 2021 Ōka Shō winner Sodashi | |
| Class | Grade 1 |
|---|---|
| Location | Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyōgo |
| Inaugurated | April 9, 1939 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred Flat racing |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1600 meters |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed (outer course) |
| Qualification | 3-y-o, Fillies |
| Weight | 55 kg |
| Purse | ¥ 302,400,000 (as of 2025)
|
| Bonuses | Fillies Triple Crown Winner of Ōka Shō, Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho ¥ 100,000,000 |
The Ōka Shō (桜花賞) is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan. The race is restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyōgo. Run in early April, it is the traditional start to the annual classic races for three-year-olds in Japan.
The Ōka Shō was first contested in 1939 as Nakayama Yonsai Himba Tokubetsu (中山四歳牝馬特別) over a distance of 1,800 metres at Nakayama Racecourse, and is the Japanese equivalent of the English 1,000 Guineas.
The race was run at Nakayama Racecourse until 1944 when it was run at Tokyo Racecourse. After a two-year hiatus, the race was renamed to the Ōka Shō in 1947 and it was staged at Kyoto Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 metres from 1947 to 1949, then settled at Hanshin Racecourse since 1950. The race was also run at Kyoto in 1967, 1991 and 1995.
It is one of Japan's five Classic races, and the first of two restricted to fillies. It can also serve as the opening leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara, followed by the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and the Shuka Sho.
Winners of the Ōka Shō usually go on to contest the Yushun Himba, run in May, and the double has been completed by Swee Sue, Yamaichi, Miss Onward, Kane Keyaki, Tesco Gaby, Titania, Mejiro Ramonu, Max Beauty, Vega, Still In Love, Buena Vista, Apapane, Gentildonna, Almond Eye, Daring Tact, Stars On Earth and Liberty Island. Still In Love, Apapane, Gentildonna, Almond Eye, Daring Tact and Liberty Island also went on to take the Shuka Sho and secure the Japanese Triple Tiara, whereas Mejiro Ramonu became the only mare who won the Japanese Triple Tiara by winning its original third leg, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.