How fast in avg. m.p.h."s do horses go when they are in a race, like the Kentucky Derby?

Question

How fast in avg. m.p.h."s do horses go when they are in a race, like the Kentucky Derby?

Answer 1

I don't know, but fast enough for one poor horse to break both his ankles while he's running.  I think that's so sad.

Answer 2

Horse Speed in not measured in MPH its measured in Miles per second.  m/s.  Secretariat still holds the record for fastest horse he ran the Belmont in 2:24 over a mile and one half distance, which calcualted he coverd that distance at a rate of 16.764 miles per second.  So thats about 40 MPH.

Answer 3

It ranges. The average is 45-50, but they have been clocked 55-60.

Answer 4

Hey, your question has GREAT merit, but most of the answers i saw have been provided for comic relief cause they are mostly so wrong as to only be a JOKE.

I will not only provide you the correct answer, but will also prove the incorrectness of the several others, and provide you a chart that proves what i say and will allow you to calculate speed of horses

First understand that the science involved here is plain old simple MATH, not physics.

Our TRUE equation here is time (t) over distance (d) equals speed (s) and it is in mile per hour not seconds. BUT remember if you know any 2 you can always find the third. so s over d = t  or any way you wish to state this a very very simple concept.

let us do the math on Secretariat running the mile and one half in 2 minutes and 24 seconds. know further that there are and always will be 8 furlong each being 660 feet, to a true mile, hence four quarters of 1320 feet each.  One quarter is what is  AQHA horses  generally compete at, and pacers and trotters contest races of 1 mile or 4 units of 1320 feet, 98% of the time.

therefor this chart will allow for and assist youi efforts to deterime speed of the race. ( remember that 60 mph it take 1 minute to go 1 mile )

30 seconds / 1320 feet (2 furlong or 1/4th of a mile)= 30 mph

29 seconds/  1320 feet                                                = 31 mph

28 seconds/ 1320  feet                                                 = 32 mph

27 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 33 mph

26 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 34 mph

25 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 35 mph

24 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 36 mph

23 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 37 mph

22 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 38 mph

21 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 39 mph

20 seconds/ 1320 feet                                                  = 40 mph

Now a 2:00 pacer or trotter, winning a mile race has navigated and preformed at ( tah dah ) 30 mph, not rocket science even in texas.

Now the very fastest AQHA which i thinks is the abreveation for alpo quality hangin around is by the horse No secrets Here who ran a quater mile in 20.886, or just over 39 mph. the ONLY way a quater horse does  55 to 60 mph is in the truck and trailer on the highway.

NOW to answer the Secretariat question, from above long ago ( Hey do to all of the absolutely assine answers all without validity i was obligated to walk everybody thru a very long answer, but i used small words and spoke no faster that they could read, i hope.)

Time 144 seconds ( 60 + 60 +24 = 144  ) to go Distance 7920 feet equals = 36 mph

the proof can be found by the fact of 3 half  mile units each negociated in 48 seconds or 6 quarter miles each done in 24 seconds and again the answer is always the same 36 mph.

in the derby 1:59.2/5 or 119.4 seconds/ 1.25 mile or 6600 feet equals a quarter in 23.88 per 1320 feet hence 36.875 mph,

let us look at Seabiscut doing a mile in 1:36 which is 96/4 oh yeah  36 mph. kudos to robb4ever who spoke the truth.

and as my final opinion not proven fact I do think Big Brown wins the Belmont becoming the 12th crowned monarch of the flat dirt world, and to those who say his pedigee is to light to go the distance to beat him in New york you must pass him, and to hope to do that you must be much closer than ever widening daylight, as this horse is as yet unproven, because he is yet untested, and his times are about 35.4 mph

Answer 5

Well the Derby is 1.25miles and the winning time is usually about 2 minutes. Converted to mph is about 37-37.5mph. Edit:Note this is average speed over the 2minutes. Acceleration probaby provides some variation of this figure. The fastest horses (quarterhorses) I know can run close to 50mph over short distances.

Answer 6

most horses from derby class to selling platers can reach roughly the same top speed,difference is that derby class horses can sustain it for longer.

Answer 7

55 mph