Dan Patch
| Dan Patch | |
|---|---|
Dan Patch in harness
|
|
| Breed | Standardbred |
| Gait | Pace |
| Sire | Joe Patchen |
| Grandsire | Patchen Wilkes |
| Dam | Zelica |
| Damsire | Wilkesberry |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | April 29, 1896 |
| Died | July 11, 1916 |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Dark bay |
| Breeder | Daniel Messner, Jr. |
| Owner | Daniel Messner, Jr. Manley E. Sturges (1902) Marion Willis Savage (1902-1916) |
| Record | undefeated |
| Driver | John Wattles (1900) Myron McHenry (1901-1903) Harry Hersey (1904-1909) |
| Mile record | 1:55 1⁄4 unofficially 1:55 |
| Honors | |
| Harness Racing Hall of Fame Immortal (1953) | |
| Last updated on January 2017 | |
Dan Patch (April 29, 1896 – July 11, 1916) was a noted American Standardbred pacer. At a time when harness racing was one of the largest sports in the nation, Dan Patch was a major celebrity. He was undefeated in open competition and was so dominant on the racetrack that other owners eventually refused to enter their horses against him. Instead, he ended his racing career performing time trials and traveled extensively on exhibition, earning millions of dollars in purses, attendance gate receipts and product endorsements. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s. In 1905, he set a world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse (1:55 1⁄4 – 1 minute, 55 1⁄4 seconds) that stood unmatched for over 30 years. Unofficially, Dan Patch broke this record in 1906 with a clocking of 1:55.
Dan Patch was inducted into the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in 1953.
Dan Patch was a mahogany bay Standardbred stallion who was bred by Daniel (Dan) Messner, Jr., a prosperous dry goods merchant from Oxford, Indiana. In late 1894, Messner purchased a three-year-old filly named Zelica for $255, planning to use her as a buggy horse. Zelica had gone lame in her only start and was later estimated to be worth under $100 at the time. In 1895, Messner paid a $150 stud fee to breed her to Joe Patchen, a top quality racehorse but an untried stallion. The resulting colt was foaled on April 29, 1896 at the livery stable in Oxford. His legs were so crooked that he could not at first stand on his own, leading many of the locals to call him "Messner's Folly". Some even suggested he be put down. Instead, Messner and his friends held the colt so he could ingest the colostrum (first milk) from Zelica. The foal's legs gradually grew straighter, although he still had crooked hocks, especially on his left hind leg. The colt developed an alert, cheerful personality and was noted for his intelligence.
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