This is a picture pedigree of the great Standardbred race horse Dan Patch. Even after all these years he is still well known as one of the great pacers of all time. Made by myself it measures 8 1/2 X 11 inches on archival card stock.

All pictures that I use I have permission to use or are in the public domain please see my website for definitions.  With thanks to the American Trotting Horse Association.

 

Please copy and paste for your records

 Dan Patch was a brown standardbred horse and was the outstanding pacer of his day. Foaled in 1896, 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 (1:55 seconds) during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.

Dan Patch was foaled on 29 April 1896, in a barn in the town of Oxford, Indiana. He was named for his owner,and owner of his dam Zelica, 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) in Minnesota named Marion Willis Savage. Dan Patch lived in Minnesota from 1902 until his death on 11 July 1916.
Dan Patch had three official trainers in his racing career, John Wattles in Indiana, Myron McHenry while on Grand Circuit and Harry Hersey during his final time trails and exhibition races.Dan Patch's caretaker (groom) while owned by Savage was Charlie Plummer.
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. 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. 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 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 paced the first sub-1:55 mile in 1:54:3. Dan Patch's fastest race mile was 1:58.
Dan Patch's achievements made him a sports celebrity, with extensive product endorsements including toys, cigars, washing machines and automobiles. He retired undefeated in 1909 as the holder of nine world records and spent much of his later life attending exhibitions.

Once retired in 1909, he began breeding full time at Savage's farm in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the farm was quite a distance from the established breeding centers of Kentucky, Tennessee, and the East Coast. Owners were reluctant to send their mares to Minnesota. Dan Patch became a regional sire with very limited success, in part due to Savage's acceptance of any mare to be bred to Dan Patch.

 Dan Patch sired 176 horses, 38 trotters and 138 pacers, The fastest of his get was Power Patch who had a mark of 2:03½. Sadly, none of Dan Patch's sons went on to be successful sires themselves. His name is only found in some of the maternal lines of a few modern harness horses, such as Jate Lobell.

The City of Savage, Minnesota was renamed for Dan Patch's owner, Marion Willis Savage, in 1904. Dan Patch Avenue in Falcon Heights, Minnesota (on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds) is named for the horse. Other streets in Minnesota are also named after Dan Patch, such as in Savage, Minnesota.

In 1922,a fire destroyed the stables built by M W Savage, known to all as the Taj Mahal. Several years later, an attempt was made to establish a dog racing track on the site, but state gambling laws quickly ended that venture. Today, there is little indication of the expansive farm that once graced the banks of the Minnesota River. An outline of the track is still viewable, however, from the air.

Dan Patch's home town of Oxford continues to honor the horse at its annual Dan Patch Days festival, held in September. Savage, Minnesota, the town of M.W. Savage and owner of Dan Patch, also has Dan Patch Days to celebrate Dan Patch in June.