I know that "back in the day" the starter was told to bring the car up to 30 MPH (44ft/sec) as it released the wings at the "starting line"...That was premised on the fact that the "average" good mile was a 2:00 mile (120 seconds), and a 2:00 mile (44 ft/sec) was the "par" speed they wanted to have to start the race. Of course, today, races can often go in 1:50 (using round numbers to make this clearer)... and that means that horses are averaging 110 seconds to cover 5280 feet (assuming correct track measurements)..and thus the average speed for that mile is 32.73 mph...so by starting them (even at the actual start) at 30 MPH they are really slowing the horses down compared to what they could get away at if they were released a bit earlier (perhaps 70 as was noted) and allowed to get up to their new "normal" speed. Either that, or the starter car SHOULD be now instructed get to 33 mph as it releases them at the start.
Now, I need a margarita as my head is spinning; however I remember Lou Miller using his stopwatch as I jogged my horse around the track and then having me come into the shed and convert it (or perhaps it was JoAnn) into MPH.
You hit the number right on the nose. I sat in the starting car at Yonkers for race 4 Tuesday. As I exited the cat, I asked him how fast do you kick the horses loose when the gate opens. I was told 30 mph for the lower classes (n/w 2) up to 33 mph for the better horses racing there.
