T.M. Opera O wins 3rd consecutive Tenno-sho

T.M. Opera O wins 3rd consecutive Tenno-sho

KYOTO, Japan - T.M. Opera O (No. 1) wins an unprecedented third straight Tenno-sho title at Kyoto Racecourse on April 29, solidifying his place on the all-time list of legendary horses in Japan.

T.M. Opera O rewrites records with Arima Kinen victory

T.M. Opera O rewrites records with Arima Kinen victory

FUNABASHI, Japan - Odds-on favorite T.M. Opera O captures the Arima Kinen title in a photo finish at Nakayama Racecourse in suburban Tokyo on Dec. 24, with the 4-year-old making Japanese horse-racing history by ending the year unbeaten with eight straight victories in graded races.

Top favorite T.M. Opera O claims Tenno-sho double

Top favorite T.M. Opera O claims Tenno-sho double

TOKYO, Japan - T.M. Opera O (13) lives up to his top-favorite status with a devastating last-gasp run on Oct. 29, becoming only the third horse ever to win both the spring and fall Tenno-sho races in the same year. T.M. Opera O, ridden by jockey Ryuji Wada, surged past front-running Meisho Doto (15) in the final furlong to win by two and a half lengths as he completed a 2,000-meter test on turf in 1 minute, 59.9 seconds at Tokyo Racecourse.

T.M. Opera-O holds off Rascal Suzuka for Tenno-sho win

T.M. Opera-O holds off Rascal Suzuka for Tenno-sho win

KYOTO, Japan - Top favorite T.M. Opera-O (L) overtakes Narita Top Road (C) and Rascal Suzuka (R) down the final stretch April 30 at Kyoto Racecourse to win the 121st running of the Tenno-sho and take home the richest prize in Japanese horse racing.

Narita Top Road wins Kikka-sho

Narita Top Road wins Kikka-sho

KYOTO, Japan - Second favorite Narita Top Road (No. 1) storms into the lead down the stretch and holds off Satsuki-sho winner T.M. Opera-O (No. 4) in the 60th running of the 3,000-meter Kikka-sho, the final leg of the triple crown series for 3-year-olds at Kyoto Racecourse on Nov. 7.

Jungle Pocket beats out T.M. Opera O for Japan Cup victory

Jungle Pocket beats out T.M. Opera O for Japan Cup victory

TOKYO, Japan - Jungle Pocket (L) charges ahead of top-favorite T.M. Opera O (2nd from L) in the final stretch to win the 21st running of the Japan Cup at the Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 25, 2001. ''I am very happy. I've been coming to Japan for some time now and winning races here, but I'm so happy I could be victorious with a Japanese horse at the Japan Cup,'' said jockey Olivie Peslier.

T.M. Opera-O holds off Rascal Suzuka for Tenno-sho win+

T.M. Opera-O holds off Rascal Suzuka for Tenno-sho win+

KYOTO, Japan - Top favorite T.M. Opera-O (L) overtakes Narita Top Road (C) and Rascal Suzuka (R) down the final stretch April 30 at Kyoto Racecourse to win the 121st running of the Tenno-sho and take home the richest prize in Japanese horse racing.

T.M. Opera O wins 3rd consecutive Tenno-sho

T.M. Opera O wins 3rd consecutive Tenno-sho

KYOTO, Japan - T.M. Opera O (No. 1) wins an unprecedented third straight Tenno-sho title at Kyoto Racecourse on April 29, solidifying his place on the all-time list of legendary horses in Japan.

T.M. Opera O rewrites records with Arima Kinen victory

T.M. Opera O rewrites records with Arima Kinen victory

FUNABASHI, Japan - Odds-on favorite T.M. Opera O captures the Arima Kinen title in a photo finish at Nakayama Racecourse in suburban Tokyo on Dec. 24, with the 4-year-old making Japanese horse-racing history by ending the year unbeaten with eight straight victories in graded races.

T.M. Opera O heads home for Japan Cup victory

T.M. Opera O heads home for Japan Cup victory

TOKYO, Japan - Top favorite T.M. Opera O (No. 8), ridden by jockey Ryuji Wada, heads home to victory at the 20th running of the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 26. Meisho Doto (R) was second by a neck while Fantastic Light (L) was third.

Narita Top Road wins Kikka-sho

Narita Top Road wins Kikka-sho

KYOTO, Japan - Second favorite Narita Top Road (No. 1) storms into the lead down the stretch and holds off Satsuki-sho winner T.M. Opera-O (No. 4) in the 60th running of the 3,000-meter Kikka-sho, the final leg of the triple crown series for 3-year-olds at Kyoto Racecourse on Nov. 7.