Dan Patch
Encyclopedia
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse (1m:55s) during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.
Life
Standardbred horse
Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. Developed in North America, the breed is now recognized worldwide for its harness racing ability...
stallion sired by Joe Patchen
Joe Patchen
Joe Patchen was a Standardbred racehorse foaled in Peabody, Kansas in 1889. His sire was Patchen Wilkes and his dame was Josephine Young. Though best remembered for siring the famous Dan Patch, Joe Patchen enjoyed a successful racing career of his own....
, his dam Zelica was by Wilkesberry. Dan Patch was foaled on 29 April 1896, in a barn in the town of Oxford, Indiana
Oxford, Indiana
Oxford is a town in Oak Grove Township, Benton County, Indiana. The population was 1,162 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. He was named for his owner, Dan Messner, and his sire, Joe Patchen. The young horse showed little promise in his first year, but a local trainer named Johnny Wattles saw potential in the animal. Wattles received permission from Messner to train Dan Patch and developed the horse's racing abilities until 1900, when Messner sold the horse to Manley E. Sturgis of New York. Sturgis in turn sold Dan Patch in 1902 to a resident of the city of Hamilton (later Savage
Savage, Minnesota
Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the...
) in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
named Marion Willis Savage. Dan Patch lived in Minnesota from 1902 until his death on 11 July 1916.
Racing record
Dan Patch lost only two heats in his whole career, and never lost a race. His speed was such that other owners sometimes refused to race their horses against him, leaving him to run against the clock.Dan Patch's official record of 1:55¼ for the pacing mile was set in 1905 in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. His 1:55 unofficial record for the pacing mile was set in 1906 at the Minnesota State Fair, but not officially recognized because of the use of a prompter with a windshield. This record was tied 32 years later in 1938 when Billy Direct became the official 1:55 world record holder. Marion Savage was so indignant about Dan Patch's 1:55 mark not being recognized (the rules having recently been changed) that he renamed the International Stock Food Farm in Savage to the International 1:55 Stock Food Farm. The 1:55 mark was equaled in following years, but was not broken until 1960, 54 years after Dan Patch's run, when Adios Butler
Adios Butler
The horse Adios Butler, also known as "The Butler" , was a North American harness racing champion.Sired by the great Standardbred Adios with an obscure broodmare named Debby Hanover, Adios Butler was trained and driven by Clint Hodgins...
paced the first sub-1:55 mile in 1:54:3. Dan Patch's fastest race mile was 1:58.
In 1900, Dan Patch was sold by Messner for a record $20,000 to M. E. Sturgis of New York City. Dan Patch's achievements made him a sports celebrity, with extensive product endorsements including toys, cigars, washing machines and automobiles. During his racing years from 1900 through 1909, he was front-page newspaper copy. At the height of his fame, he earned for his owner more than a $1 million a year.
Crowds of 100,000 turned out for a glimpse of the horse, which possessed an unusually gentle temperament yet radiated charisma. Dwight Eisenhower lined up with his parents at the 1904 Kansas State Fair
Kansas State Fair
The annual Kansas State Fair is held in Hutchinson each September. The 2012 State Fair runs from September 7 through September 16.The Kansas State Fair is held annually beginning the Friday following Labor Day and lasts for 10 days at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas.The largest...
to see him, and Harry Truman recalled that as a boy he had written a fan letter.
Dan Patch retired undefeated in 1909 as the holder of nine world records and spent much of his later life attending exhibitions.
Owner Marion Savage and Dan Patch died within thirty-one hours of each other, in 1916. Marion Savage died at age 57 due to a heart attack just after Dan had died.
Memorials
The City of Savage, Minnesota was renamed for Dan Patch's owner, Marion Willis Savage, in 1904. Dan Patch Avenue on the Minnesota State FairMinnesota State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its slogan is "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." It is the 2nd largest fair in the United States, and the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily attendance, though the State Fair of Texas runs...
grounds is named for the horse. Dan Patch Drive and Dan Patch Lane in Savage, Minnesota
Savage, Minnesota
Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the...
, are also named after Dan Patch.
A century later, the land in Savage once occupied by the "Taj Mahal" stables and racetracks now stands vacant, though the outline of a track is visible from the air http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=16&ll=44.784226,-93.343363&spn=0.009245,0.013497&t=h. The land is posted "no trespassing" and no historical marker documents that anything of significance ever stood there.
As rumor has it, Dan Patch is buried somewhere on the Taj Mahal property in an unmarked grave. The tombstone in Oxford, Indiana is just a memorial.
Dan Patch's home town of Oxford continues to honor the horse at its annual Dan Patch Days festival, held in September. Savage, Minnesota also holds a Dan Patch Days to celebrate Dan Patch in June.
Prior Lake High School, located in Savage, Minnesota, has a Stadium nearby named Dan Patch Stadium.
Other references
The brass era automobileAutomobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
maker Dan Patch was founded in Minneapolis in 1911.
In addition, Dan Patch was the subject of the 1949 motion picture The Great Dan Patch
The Great Dan Patch
The Great Dan Patch is a 1949 American film directed by Joseph M. Newman about the trotting horse Dan Patch. The film is also known as Ride a Reckless Mile .- Cast :*Dennis O'Keefe as David Palmer...
starring Dennis O'Keefe
Dennis O'Keefe
Dennis O'Keefe was an American actor. Born as Edward Vance Flanagan he was the son of Irish vaudevillians working in the United States...
and Gail Russell
Gail Russell
Gail Russell was an American film and television actress.-Career:She was born Elizabeth L. Russell to George and Gladys Russell in Chicago, Illinois, and then moved to the Los Angeles, California, area when she was a teenager. Russell's extraordinary beauty brought her to the attention of...
The proposed Dan Patch Corridor
Dan Patch Corridor
The Dan Patch Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that would serve a region which runs from Minneapolis to Northfield, Minnesota. The corridor consists of the tracks on the former Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company lines, which came to be known as the Dan...
commuter rail line in southern Minnesota runs along the tracks of the former Dan Patch line, created in 1908 by Marion Willis Savage.
Dan Patch Toastmasters, Club 1280 of Toastmasters International, was founded in 1954, and continues to meet on Wednesday evenings in Richfield, Minnesota
Richfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,439 people, 15,073 households, and 8,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,993.9 people per square mile . There were 15,357 housing units at an average density of 2,226.9 per square mile...
.
The song "Ya Got Trouble
Ya Got Trouble
"Ya Got Trouble" is a song by Meredith Willson from the 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man, and its 1962 filmed version The Music Man. It is one of the most popular and recognizable songs in the musical, and Robert Preston's performance in the film is admired...
", from the Broadway musical and film The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
, makes a reference to the horse in expounding upon the "degradation" of jockeys sitting on the horse during a race, when Harold Hill (Robert Preston) states:
See also
- Harness Racing page on Dan Patch
- Harness racingHarness racingHarness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...