Kentucky Derby horses may have reached their speed limit

The Kentucky Derby, now in its 150th edition, has seen no significant improvement in winning times since 1960. The famous horse Secretariat’s 1973 record of 1 minute and 59.4 seconds still stands after half a century.

The average winning time in the 2010s was even slightly slower than in the 1960s, says Sportico.

Despite advancements in thoroughbred breeding programs and increased population size for selection, the Kentucky Derby has not seen an improvement when it comes to time, suggesting a potential physiological limit for horse speed.

Selective breeding, which initially led to faster times in the Derby’s early years, may have reached its limit due to reduced genetic variation among racehorses.

A 2008 Stanford study suggests that the absolute maximum running speed for the Derby may only be about 1% faster than the current record.

Meanwhile, new records were set in the men’s 800-meter race in 2012 and 2016, indicating ongoing improvement in human performance.

However, human athletes are driven by a relentless pursuit of progress, a motivation not necessarily shared by horses.