Fastest speed a racehorse can reach

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minkymoo

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Just wondering if any of you lot can help settle a 'discussion' me & my OH are having in regards to the top speed a horse and a racehorse can reach. I said that I reckon the average hosre could reach about 30mph and a race horse about 35. He said about 50 for a racehorse. He then posted this on facebook where several people took the Mick.

So, which is it? 35 or 50?

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thanks guys!
 
Well the fastest breed of horse is an American Quarter horse...not a TB.


Fastest recorded time...

Big Racked at 43.26 mph in a 1/4 mile race in Mexico City
 
i did a bit of research on this before, just found it on a search:
when Secretariat set the world record for 1 1/2 miles in 1973 in the Belmont Stakes, which still stands, doing it in 2 mins 24, he averaged 37.5 mph.
sprinters over shorter distances might be faster i guess.
 
Kerilli beat me to it, was going to say one of the greatest races I've ever seen was Secretariat in the Belmont, mile and a half averaging 37.5mph, Youtube it, absolutely fab. Im sure some sprinters mustve reached faster than that though, I think Lochsong must've been doing about 45mph when she "cantered" to the post with Frankie before the Nunthorpe!
 
*blushes* A horse of unknown breeding (but obviously near full TB and with a sprinter's build) I had on loan some years back was once timed at the AHT when in for "investigations" at 40mph. Not sure how scientific this was tho - suspect it may have involved him galloping alongside a car - but they were astonished and told us so on multiple occasions. Ironically, he was an endurance horse.
 
a sprinter over 6 furlongs would reach top speeds faster than Secretariat's, i'm sure. he kept that up for a mile and a half, wow.
i'd love to know how fast Mine That Bird was going when he took off as if his tail was on fire in the Kentucky Derby. he passed the others as if they were standing still, amazing.
brummyrat, i agree with you about Secretariat, what a horse. unreal.
 
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I always thought the top MPH was 45, same as a grey hound

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45 MPH is close to top for a sprinter on a good track - some very rich purses have been won by horses doing a mile at 45mph. But it will depend very much on the track, the going, the wind conditions - AND the other runners (even the best of horses won't produce their TOP speed unless under pressure!)
 
Our local trotters have been recorded as doing 31mph, and that's after going for miles!
 
On the hard track at Tir Prince the Standardbred pacers have been averaging sub 2 minute miles this season - maintaining a speed of between 29 and 32 mph a quarter.
Bearing in mind they're pulling a sulkie which is considerably heavier than flat racing tack, and most of the drivers are on the... larger size in height at least (and for quite a few weight) I think it's blimmin impressive.
Another thing to remember with UK vs US horses, whether they're TB's or StandardBreds (not sure about the Quarter horses as don't know the rule) in the US they can run on all sorts of substances which are banned here such as Lasix, so you'll almost always find they're running quicker times.
 
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Another thing to remember with UK vs US horses, whether they're TB's or StandardBreds (not sure about the Quarter horses as don't know the rule) in the US they can run on all sorts of substances which are banned here such as Lasix, so you'll almost always find they're running quicker times.

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Lasix doesn't make a horse run faster - it only reduces the risk of it bleeding! The reason some times in the US are faster is the 'dirt tracks' which are VERY fast (and break horses down!)
 
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