The Satsuki Shō is the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown series, the equivalent of the English 2,000 Guineas Stakes. The race itself was inaugurated in 1939; however, the Japanese Triple Crown was only introduced in the early 1940s. Like the races of the original English Triple Crown series, the Satsuki Shō allows entry only to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies and colts; however, there is a slight difference in the distance over which the race is conducted.
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes, the patron race of the Satsuki Shō, is run over one mile; the Japanese version runs over one mile and two furlongs. The Satsuki Shō is held annually in April at the Nakayama Racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba. It is a tremendously well attended event, attracting spectators and contenders from around the world. As part of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Satsuki Shō has done the Japanese horse racing industry an enormous service, helping to establish Japan as a world class contender on the horse racing circuit.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
| 2010 | Victoir Pisa |
Yasunari Iwata |
Katsuhiko Sumii |
2:00.80 |
| 2009 | Unrivaled |
Yasunari Iwata |
Yasuo Tomomichi |
1:58.70 |
| 2008 | Captain Thule |
Yuuga Kawada |
Hideyuki Mori |
2:01.70 |
| 2007 | Victory |
Katsuharu Tanaka |
Hidetaka Otonashi |
1:59.97 |
| 2006 | Meisho Samson |
Mamoru Ishibashi |
Tsutomu Setoguchi |
1:59.93 |
| 2005 | Deep Impact |
Yutaka Take |
Yasuo Ikee |
1:59.24 |
