How come humans get faster but not thoroughbreds?

[Hector]

Thoroughbreds today would get smoked by Secretariat...but today's Usain Bolt would smoke yesterday's Carl Lewis.

Secretariat still holds the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes track records...Big Red (Secretariat's nickname) did it way back in 1973.

Fascinating article...

Humans Keep Getting Faster; Why Not Horses? | ThePostGame

Thoughts anyone?



Secretariat...what a beauty of a horse...

[Hector]

1930s Seabiscuit has not been as admired...nor did had the imposing features of Secretariat...but he was one helluva little horse...too bad he was medicore when he was three years old (Triple Crown only races three year olds)...but he came into his own when he was five...and started kicking some major arse...including whipping Triple Crown winner War Admiral in a one-to-one race.

[johnmiic]

Well Hector, I'm not as fast as I used to be.

[Hector]

I used to be into horse races back in the day...but don't follow the sport today that much.

BTW...both Seabiscuit and Secretariat movies are really good...check them out...nothing but feel-good stuff...highly enjoyable.

[Hector]

Well Hector, I'm not as fast as I used to be.

[johnmiic]

I used to follow horse-races a little. My Mom used to play the horses and thats how my High School tuition was paid for.

[Brazoo]

Really cool post - thanks Hec!

Forces you to think about biology differently when it's put this way. Really cool.

Also, another example of how amazingly adaptive humans are.

[Dark Shadow]

Faster People: Steroids & other performance enhancers?
Slower Horses: Animal cruelty laws?

[johnmiic]

Actually Hec I run pretty fast when I have to go to the bathroom but I don't think that would count as it's a short sprint.

[Hector]

[Hector]

Really cool post - thanks Hec!

Yo are more than welcomed...

[Adam West]

I think a lot of it has to do with specific breeding with horses which isn't done with humans (at least to my knowledge). Horses are specifically bred and have been for centuries to run fast....that is their entire life. I have never heard of taking the fastest male and female runners on the planet, breeding them (for lack of a better term), pulling them aside as infants and training them their entire lives for running. If this had been happening for centuries; I don't think we would be seeing many differences between now and then. I think fast runners are being weeded out earlier and train harder at the sport than they did 20 or 30 years ago.