Swynford Stakes

Swynford Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late September at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. One of the track's top races for North American two-year-olds, it is raced on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs.

Inaugurated in 1956 at Greenwood Raceway as a race for horses aged three and up, in 1967 it was moved to Woodbine Racetrack where it was modified to its current status as a race restricted to two-year-olds.

In 1982, the Swynford Stakes was won by Sunny's Halo who went on to win the 1983 Kentucky Derby. The 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold ran second to Holzmeister in the 1996 running of the Swynford.

Since inception, the Swynford Stakes has been run at various distances:

At Greenwood Raceway:

• 1956 : 6 furlongs
• 1957 :  6 ¹⁄₂ furlongs
• 1958-1960 : 7 furlongs
• 1961-1966 : 1 mile

At Woodbine Racetrack:

• 1967-1970 : 5 furlongs
• 1971-1972 :  5 ¹⁄₂ furlongs
• 1973-1975, 2016 : 6 furlongs
• 1976-1979 : 5 furlongs
• 1980-1985 : 7 furlongs

1986-1995 :  6 ¹⁄₂ furlongs 1996 to 2015 : 7 furlongs

Records

Speed record: (at distance of 7 furlongs)

• 1:23.00 - Holzmeister (1996) (recorded in fractions of 1/5 seconds)
• 1:23.02 - Turf War (2007)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 - Robin Platts (1968, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1992)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 6 - Mark E. Casse (1999, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Lanson Farms (1956, 1960)
• 2 - Windfields Farm (1958, 1987)
• 2 - Stafford Farms (1976, 1978)
• 2 - John C. Oxley (2011, 2012)
• 2 - Conquest Stables (2013, 2014)

Winners of the Swynford Stakes