Well, the scenario I described was not this year's Kentucky Derby since the horses ran into the wind from the start. Big mistake by me. But an even bigger mistake by the jockey's who, knowing they had to travel a mile and a quarter, challenged the wind at the beginning.
Still I think these premises still hold. Running a half a race into the wind and half against the wind will not offest performance wise for flesh and blood with the same mathmatical rigor as it would for a car.
And two, wind can throw off one's inner clock.