JB - I understand. Guess I was confused what you meant by "time". In this case I assume you mean it's the amount of "time" it takes a horse to pass through the lens at the finish. Regardless, the expression of distance separating each horse is determined by each Photo Finish Company Employee. One employee in particular at a track I worked NEVER gave margins of 1/4 (neck) or 3/4. It was either a whole length, or a half a legth. That was it; there was no arguing with him.

I knew that The Jockey Club & The TRA tried to buy the DRF Database. I guess the DRF does regret it now. I worked at Beulah Park - it was the first track in the country to use the Equibase Program with the Past Performances. Believe me when I say that the TRA tracks were licking their chops financially too: this gave them all the reason they needed to jack up pricing of a program (the ratio of what the printed costs are to what they charge is enormous).
Tracks make very little in profit beyond things like concessions, parking and admissions. Program sales are monies mostly all profit for each track.

In spite of all this, I still maintain beaten lengths is much ado about nothing. It might matter when horses are "all in" for the whole race. Once their "Millionaire Jockeys" (as Lukas likes to say to tweak them) wrap up on them, how far they get beat is a weak barometer to measure the quality of an effort. Trainers are the same way - there's still the "give 'em one" crowd. This year's Bluegrass Stakes is a perfect example: Bandini (at the time of the race, April 16th) looked real doubtful to make the Derby on earnings. He needed to run lights-out to be sure he'd get in. All the others behind him (HL,CA, SK, Consolidator, etc.) already had a Derby starting spot for the asking with their earnings, but needed to get a race in so as not to go into the Derby off 7-8 weeks without a race, which is a guaranteed loser preparation. None of the ones behind Bandini was gonna floor it for $750k in a prep when the $2000k big dance is 3 weeks later and they're already in if they choose. And if any trainer operates otherwise, they need to have their licenses revoked.