Winning Brew, a Thoroughbred, holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest horse in the world, clocking in at 43.97 mph. He won the American Grand National Championship in 1998 and 1999. While he was still racing, the term "Brewster's Curse" was coined to describe his losing streak that lasted from before he broke through to win the Grand National to when it ended.
Of all the horses who have tried, only two have come close to Winning Brew's speed: Tumbleweed and Native Dancer. Tumbleweed came within a quarter mile of Winning Brew's record in 2001 when he ran 42.26 miles an hour at Canterbury Park in Lincoln, Nebraska. Native Dancer was even faster, hitting 44.24 miles per hour around the same track four years later.
The current record holder for fastest horse is Whittingham, who crossed the line at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England at 45.5 mph in 1995. He held this record for five years until it was broken by Tumbleweed.
You may be wondering, how do you go about breaking a world record? First, there is the process of certifying the new record.
The top recorded speed for a horse is 55 mph. Some gallop at as low as 30 kph. It is about the breed and type of horse. A horse may not be the fastest animal on land, but it is naturally built to cover long distances. It can move faster depending on the ground and training. Top speeds are achieved when riding across open country where there is no danger of falling over.
Horses are capable of running all day without rest or water. They are very efficient animals that can run more than 20 miles (32 km) without stopping. In fact, horses are the only animals besides humans who can go for days without sleep. Humans need eight hours of sleep every night in order to function properly. Horses' bodies are designed with this fact in mind; they can survive for several days without food or water. Humans cannot live more than three days without water because our bodies are hydrodynamic and require regular input of fluid to function properly.
Horses reach their maximum speed within a few short bursts of energy. They can keep this up for quite some time if necessary. The average human being can walk only 3-5 miles (4.8-9.2 km) before needing a break. But a horse can travel 40 miles (64 km) or more without a stop if necessary. This is why horses are used for work and transportation purposes. They are much more efficient than other vehicles available today.
SeaBiscuit was the horse at the time, but Secretariat is THE Superhorse in my opinion. Secretariat still retains the record for the quickest time in each of the Triple Crown races, winning the Kentucky Derby in 1:59.4 seconds, the Preakness in 1:53 seconds, and the Belmont in 2:24 seconds. He also set a new world record for a mile and an eighth race with his time of 2:21.8.
Secretariat's owner, Stanley Marcus, bought him for $750,000 after he broke through a barrier during a training run. He proved to be a huge success, winning all four of his races by over 20 lengths, and taking home the 1970 American Horse of the Year Award along with another prize money worth $1 million. He died in 1973 at the age of twenty-one.
Seabiscuit on the other hand, only won the Kentucky Derby but that was enough for him to become a national icon. He has been voted into the National Racing Hall of Fame, and is considered by many to be the greatest Kentucky Derby winner ever. His record still stands today.
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