Never was a Pacer like Dan Patch
Indiana Standardbred raced Against his Own Times for Competition
Apr 14, 2007
One hundred eleven years ago, the fastest pacer in history was born near Oxford, Indiana.
His name was Dan Patch. His owner was Daniel Messner, Jr., a small farm harness racing die-hard.
Before Dan Patch came along, Messner, Jr. bought a mare named Zelica and began to train her. A good Standardbred then could cost more than $300, which is what Messner, Jr. paid in cash for Zelica. The purchase included the trade of one of Messner Jr.'s horses.
Zelica was Messner Jr.'s great hope for a record winning pacer. But the mare met with great misfortune, instead. A racing accident ended her career in her first heat. A badly torn tendon put Zelica on the harness racing sidelines.
Zelica and Joe Patchen
Messner Jr. used most of the money he possessed to send Zelica to Illinois to be mated with Joe Patchen, one of the fastest pacers on record at the time. Zelica and Joe Patchen begat Dan Patch at Thistle Ridge Stock Farms in 1895.
Always looking for a winner, Messner Jr. elected to sell his great pacer before Dan Patch fully achieved his greatest fame. But the small time trainer/racer had named Dan Patch for himself and the pacer's sire, so Dan Patch took Messner Jr. along in heritage and in name into the winner's circle.
At the age of three, when he became eligible to run with the big boys, Dan Patch was swift. He was freaky fast; very fast and willing to train without being asked. Dan Patch spent a year racing the local fairgrounds circuit before graduating to the country-wide grand circuit. Messner Jr. then accepted an offer of $20,000 to sell Dan Patch to M. E. Sturgis, a sports enthusiast from Buffalo, New York.
So began in earnest the legend called Dan Patch.
No Takers to run Against Him
Dan Patch broke his sire's record for a one mile pace in 2:01-1/4 with a trip of 1:59-3/4. He shattered the world record time for a mile, 1:59-1/4. On the grand circuit of Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Memphis, Lexington, and others, he became unbeatable, running faster and faster times until other harness racing drivers began to scratch their pacers, or not drive them onto a track that scheduled Dan Patch.
Since no one would compete with Dan Patch, it was suggested to race officials that, in order not to disappoint the large crowds that came to see Dan Patch run, the pacer be allowed to run alone, against the stopwatch and his own time. Track stewards readily agreed to such appearances.
The public had already flocked to Dan Patch's competitive races, and they loved to cheer him on. So, people quickly got on the bandwagon to watch Dan Patch race against his own time.
Dan Patch never disappointed a crowd. He ran many races against his own time in faster pace, frequently setting new records. Between 1900 and 1902, the pacer improved his own time in mini-second increments, while many times taking on runners.
The Purchase Offer
His fame grew, until in 1902, Sturgis received an offer from a Minnesotan Standardbred owner named M.W. Savage. The brief message from Savage offered Sturgis $60,000 for Dan Patch.
The purchase offer was accepted, and in Savage's rich and connected hands, Dan Patch became a household name.
World Wide Fame
In faster and faster times, Dan Patch paced the mile, traveling in Savage's privately owned train car, stopping in all the grand circuit cities, racing at every available state fair, from 1902 to 1906. His well-to-do owner, of the International Stock Food Company, raced him and promoted him far and wide, sealing his place in history.
Dan Patch Day tickets for his state fair races generated millions of dollars in sales. This income, combined with Dan Patch's stud fees, was said to earn as much as $3,000,000 for the enterprising and cordial Savage.
Dan Patch steadily lowered his pacing times for the mile. In exhibitions across the country, he scooted from 1:59-3/4 to 1:59 flat, to 1:58 flat, to 1:57-1/4, to 1:56 flat.
By now, to offer Dan Patch maximum competition, most of his appearances featured two, or more running horses pulling Standardbred carts. Dan Patch paced faster than running horses!
His name was emblazoned on cigar boxes, horse feed bags, playing cards, cups, mugs, and rugs, sleds and buggies. Old horse shoes supposedly worn by the champion pacer were sold in quick fashion.
Last Race at Age Eleven
Retirement finds every individual. And so it found the great Dan Patch. His generous Minnesotan owner presented the pacer to his public in Minneapolis for a last pace against his own time. Minnesotans had adopted the Indiana-bred as their own in his four years of traveling fame.
Against runners pulling carts, once again, Dan Patch shone. At the age of eleven, he rounded the track to the cheers of thousands, and put the runners to shame. He took a full second off his fastest previous time, a world record mile pace in 1:56 flat, hitting the wire in 1:55 flat, an unofficial pacing record because runners were allowed in the race.
The name Dan Patch is forever revered in harness racing circles. In his long career, he never lost a race. He was beaten just twice in individual heats, but rebounded to win both those contests.
When retired in 1909, Dan Patch owned nine world records. He died on July 11, 1916. The entire nation mourned. The next day, Savage also passed on, keeping the great pacing team in tandem.
