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96-561: Dan Patch was inducted into the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in 1953 and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2019. Dan Patch was a mahogany bay Standardbred stallion 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 (equal to $ 8,980 today), planning to use her as

192-458: 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 untried as a sire. 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

288-405: A "hefty" 1,165 pounds. His hindquarters were notably higher than his front. He had a short body and long legs, a combination that would have been problematic for a trotter, as the hind legs would have risked striking the front leg in full stride (known as firing). As a pacer, the risk of firing is nonexistent, as the front and hind legs on a given side move back and forth together. However, because of

384-408: A Military Intelligence School (MIS) language program, which taught Japanese to American military personnel. Established in 1942, the school trained with niseis and improved military intelligence of the time. It was later relocated to Fort Snelling and is commemorated at Normandale College's Japanese garden. At about the same time, Cargill , Incorporated, began building ships for the U.S. Navy at

480-446: A Sunday." Among the hundreds of thousands of people who turned out for a glimpse of the horse over his career was Dwight Eisenhower , who lined up with his parents at the 1904 Kansas State Fair . Harry Truman recalled that as a boy he had written a fan letter to the horse. Dan Patch retired undefeated in 1909 as the holder of nine world records, and spent much of his later life attending exhibitions. Even during his racing career, he

576-472: A cloud of dust, leading the New York Times to call him the "Black Whirlwind". Two days later, Dan Patch outdid himself, setting his official record of 1:55 1 ⁄ 4 , a time that would remain a record for over 30 years. Savage then decided to tackle the record for an unprompted mile, which still stood at 1:59 1 ⁄ 4 . The harness racing community was becoming increasingly concerned about

672-437: A few foals behind. Dan Patch's name is rare in modern pedigrees. His most famous descendant is Hall of Famer Jate Lobell , who traces to Dan Patch's daughter Theda Patch in the female line. In July 1916, Savage went into the hospital for minor hemorrhoid surgery. At the same time, Dan Patch suffered an attack of colic, from which he soon seemed to recover. However, at 10:00 AM on July 11, Dan Patch collapsed, thrashed his legs in

768-537: A final quarter mile in 30 seconds, a noteworthy fraction at a time when only one pacer had ever broken the two-minute barrier for the mile. McHenry told reporters, "Dan Patch is the best pacer I've ever drawn a rein over." Dan Patch made his next start on August 16 at the Brighton Beach racetrack in New York City, known as a gambling hotbed. He was the heavy favorite to win the race, but his odds to win

864-613: A heat timed at 2:18 1 ⁄ 2 . Although some blamed Wattles for the loss (either due to inexperience or in an effort to drive up the odds), Wattles himself blamed it on a new harness. Regardless, Dan Patch proved his superiority by winning the next three heats, the fastest of which was completed in 2:16. On September 12, Dan Patch took the winner's share of another purse worth $ 300 at the fair in Crawfordsville in three straight heats in times of 2:19 3 ⁄ 4 , 2:20 3 ⁄ 4 and 2:20 1 ⁄ 2 . The following week,

960-449: A heated meeting of the officials and a near riot by the fans. In the second heat, Dan Patch won in a time of 2:04 1 ⁄ 2 , a new personal best. Because of the delay in the start of the first heat and another delay due to protests over its result, the third heat was not run until the next day. Dan Patch again won easily, this time in 2:07 1 ⁄ 4 before winning the fourth and final heat in 2:05 3 ⁄ 4 . His next start

1056-508: A male householder with no wife present, and 20.8% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.31. The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 31.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 5.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

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1152-415: A pacing motion and then died of a massive heart attack. Savage was notified and indicated that he wished to have Dan Patch stuffed and mounted . Before this could be done, Savage died on July 12 of a pulmonary embolism. Dan Patch is believed to be buried somewhere on the "Taj Mahal" property in an unmarked grave – the tombstone in Oxford is just a memorial. Dan Patch's home town of Oxford continues to honor

1248-721: A plaque in the Hall of Fame, and a replica is presented to the current owner of each horse. Museum members in good standing nominate people and horses who are deceased more than 3 years. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, recommendations are made to the board of trustees, and the board elects the honorees. Inductees include horses such as Greyhound and Victory Song and drivers such as Del Cameron , Jim Dennis , Edward Geers , Gladys F. Harriman , and Gene Riegle . Inductees are trainers, owners, breeders, industry executives, artists, writers, and horses. Savage, Minnesota Savage ( / ˈ s æ v ɪ dʒ / SAV -ij )

1344-550: A preserved stable, which serves as a walk-through display case for racing equipment. The museum also maintains a research library with more than 4,000 books and videos on the sport of harness racing. The Hall of Fame is contained within the museum. The Hall of Fame inducts nominees under several categories, divided between those for horses and those for humans, including drivers, owners, and trainers. The three main categories are Living Persons, Living Horses, and Immortals. Winners from each category are inducted on Hall of Fame Day,

1440-630: A proper windshield. The conditions in Macon, Georgia on November 30 were cold and windy but Dan Patch still set two world records within an hour of each other. In the first, he was attached to an old-fashioned high-wheeled sulky and lowered the existing record by 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 seconds. In the second, he paced two miles in 4:17, lowering the existing record by two seconds. In 1904, Savage split company with McHenry, who had been Dan Patch's trainer and driver since 1901. A variety of reasons were cited, including McHenry's drinking and his complaints that Savage

1536-473: A race and lost only two heats. The first of those two losses occurred in his second start against what was termed "real competition" at the Lafayette Fair . In that heat, Dan Patch was last at the beginning of the homestretch and despite closing rapidly, lost by a nose. The other loss occurred in 1901 at Brighton Beach in a heat where the judges determined that the driver was "not driving to win", much to

1632-577: A record $ 20,000. Sturges first became interested in Dan Patch in 1901 when he placed a large bet on the horse in a race at Brighton Beach. Sturges was the part owner and operator of an illegal, but highly profitable, casino in Manhattan, the Victoria Club. Although the casino was frequently raided, Sturges was never arrested and maintained a low profile. He made his first offer for Dan Patch in

1728-599: A resident of Hamilton (later Savage ) Minnesota , for the then unheard of price of $ 60,000 (equivalent to $ 2,110,000 in 2023). Savage was the owner of the International Stock Food Company, which specialized in feed supplements for animals, and used the horse to advertise the business. Savage took great pride in his champion and was reported as saying he loved Dan Patch like a son. When not on exhibition, Dan Patch lived in Minnesota, either in

1824-515: A shoe that was raised in the back, a combination that some observers said made the horse look like he was wearing high heels. Despite the odd appearance, the shoeing improved on the earlier changes made by Wattles to keep Dan Patch's hind legs from interfering with his front legs while reducing the wide action that led to him sometimes striking the wheels of the sulky. Always a natural pacer who required no hobbles or special equipment to keep him on stride, Dan Patch soon attracted interest from observers of

1920-554: A sulky, which gave Dan Patch a target to beat and also acted as a wind breaker. The pace makers would eventually swing wide, leaving Dan Patch alone against the clock. Not long after buying Dan Patch, Savage entered him in the Minneapolis Riding and Driving Club's winter horse show held on January 29, 1903. The "champion harness horse of the world" was given the chance to show his paces on a snowy Park avenue. Savage scheduled other special appearances for Dan Patch throughout

2016-424: A vast array of merchandise including whiskey bottles, shot glasses, cigars, coffee, billiard cues, sheet music, chewing tobacco, toothpicks, playing cards, liniments, stable disinfectants, knives, washing machines, sewing machines, and manure spreaders. At the height of his fame, he earned more than $ 1 million a year for his owner and was billed as "kindhearted, generous, and a staunch Methodist who never performed on

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2112-534: A very high fatality rate at the time since abdominal surgery on horses was not then an option. Hersey sent two telegraphs on hearing the news: one to Savage and the other to the Minneapolis Journal . While Savage rushed to Dan Patch's side, news went out across America that the horse was dying. On his arrival in Kansas on the 13th, Savage called in other veterinarians, one of whom felt that the condition

2208-480: A wind shield, lessened the wind resistance that a horse faced (similar to drafting in cycling or motor racing). Although the usage of wind shields was eventually disallowed by the American Trotting Register, in the short term it meant that Dan Patch was no longer the fastest harness horse in the world. Dan Patch responded to the challenge by setting a flurry of records. In Lexington, he broke

2304-618: Is 1:55 1 ⁄ 4 . Unofficially, his best time was 1:55, paced in September 1906 at the Minnesota State Fair. Savage was so indignant about the 1:55 mark not being recognized that he renamed his International Stock Food Farm to the International 1:55 Stock Food Farm. Savage later used Dan Patch and his offspring in ads for the farm, with the 1:55 time clearly included. The 1:55 mark was equaled in following years but

2400-639: Is a suburban city 15 miles (24 km) south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota . The city is on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly called South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul , the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The population of Savage was 32,465 at

2496-444: Is added to the Hall of Fame. The museum maintains a nomination committee which compiles a list of five nominees per year to be voted on by all museum members. All horses are required to have been drug-free during their careers and to have been retired from the sport for at least five years. A category for race horses, another for stallions , and another for broodmares have been established, each with its own criteria. Winners receive

2592-542: Is land and 0.82 square miles (2.12 km ) is water. The city's northern boundary is the Minnesota River ; its tributary the Credit River flows northward through the city. As of the census of 2010, there were 26,911 people, 9,116 households, and 7,222 families living in the city. The population density was 1,721.8 inhabitants per square mile (664.8/km ). There were 9,429 housing units at an average density of 603.3 per square mile (232.9/km ). The racial makeup of

2688-603: Is posted "no trespassing" and no historical marker documents that anything of significance ever stood there. In 1953, Dan Patch was inducted in the new Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame . The City of Savage, Minnesota, was renamed for Dan Patch's owner, Marion Willis Savage, in 1904. Dan Patch Avenue on the Minnesota State Fair grounds is named for the horse. Dan Patch Drive and Dan Patch Lane in Savage, Minnesota , are also named after Dan Patch. In 1992,

2784-466: The 2020 census . Minnesota State Highway 13 and County Road 42 are two of the main routes in Savage. Interstate 35W and U.S. Highway 169 are in close proximity to the city. The landing point for Irish and Scottish immigrants in 1800, Savage has grown into a developing bedroom community , absorbing population growth from Burnsville , its larger neighbor to the east. Once a shipbuilding port for

2880-462: The Minnesota River . William Byrne, who immigrated from County Kilkenny, Ireland , to Hamilton , Ontario , Canada , in 1840, arrived in the area shortly after, via steamboat from Fort Snelling . Already established in business and trade, he and other Irish and Scottish settlers built Hamilton Landing, a port for boats, named after the city he immigrated to in Canada. The town incorporated in 1892 as

2976-512: The bookmakers given the way the odds changed before the race. The time for the heat was 2:09, two seconds slower than Dan Patch's best time to date. McHenry stated that he had held back because he had heard that the winner was fast and he wanted to see how things sorted out. Some reports say the judges paid no attention to the "improbable" result. However, the Boston Globe reported that the judges were "very displeased" and others reported on

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3072-481: The "national pet". His next scheduled appearance was in Memphis, Tennessee , where little was expected of him due to the recent illness. On October 24, he paced a mile without prompters in 2:00 1 ⁄ 4 , the fastest time paced that year despite appearing "dull and weak" to his old owner Manley Sturges. Just two days later though, Dan Patch returned in much better condition. Behind his galloping prompter, he paced

3168-536: The 17th century, French fur traders and explorers explored the Minnesota River valley. After 1750, Mdewakanton Dakota then settled at Chief Black Dog's camp—near what is now Black Dog Lake in Burnsville . Dakota used the Minnesota River valley region including present-day Savage for fish, game, boating and camping. In 1852, traders established a small post at the confluence of the Credit River and

3264-616: The American Trotting Association for the name Dan Patchen, based on his own first name and the last name of the colt's sire, with Dan P. as an alternative. Both names were taken, so the Trotting Association assigned a similar name, Dan Patch. Zelica continued to be used as a buggy horse with her colt running freely alongside until he was weaned around five or six months. At first, the young horse showed little promise. "The only redeemable feature about

3360-639: The Dan Patch Historical Society was formed to "collect, preserve and disseminate information about the horse". In 1997, it helped set up a Heritage Room in the Savage Public Library, which contains two display cases of Dan Patch memorabilia and extensive records. Harness Racing Museum %26 Hall of Fame The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is a museum in Goshen , New York. The museum collects and preserves

3456-656: The Grand Circuit at the Grosse Pointe racetrack. Although he faced some steep competition, he again won easily in straight heats. The Grand Circuit continued in Cleveland, Columbus, and Buffalo with Dan Patch continuing to build his reputation with one win after the other. In the Buffalo race, McHenry took Dan Patch to the back of the field in one of the heats, then unleashed him in the stretch. He responded with

3552-484: The Grand Circuit. In these wins, he was so dominant that subsequently either owners refused to race their horses against him or tracks were unwilling to allow betting. Sturges's only alternative was to have Dan Patch compete against the clock in exhibition races. Dan Patch paced his first public time trial on August 2 in Columbus and made headlines by surpassing the mark of his sire with a time of 2:00 3 ⁄ 4 . This

3648-479: The Lafayette Fair for a purse of $ 300. Although the race was still at the 2:35 level, the competition was much stiffer. With a field of nine horses, five or six horses started in the first tier, while Dan Patch started in the second tier. Dan Patch was jostled and trapped at the back of the field until Wattles finally found racing room as they entered the homestretch. Dan Patch closed rapidly but just missed in

3744-552: The Minnesota River, Savage finally boomed as one of the growing exurbs with low-cost greenfield land in the metropolitan area. The citizens of Savage reclaimed some of their history in the early 21st century, when it relocated the displaced Savage Depot built in 1880 by the then Chicago, Minneapolis and Omaha Rail Road. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 16.45 square miles (42.61 km ); 15.63 square miles (40.48 km )

3840-609: The U.S. Navy, Savage is now an industrial manufacturing job center in the southern metro. The city is still relatively undeveloped, with sections of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve within its borders. Previously named Hamilton after the city in Ontario, Canada , the town was renamed Savage after Marion Willis Savage, who owned and trained the nationally celebrated racing horse Dan Patch . In

3936-406: The average family size was 3.38. In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 43.5% from 25 to 44, 13.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males. The median income for a household in the city

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4032-515: The best horses in the country on the Grand Circuit, a series of valuable races around the north-eastern United States. Accordingly, he hired Myron McHenry to be Dan Patch's new trainer and driver. Though McHenry was reputed to be difficult to work with, his ability with horses was such that he was called "America's greatest reinsman". On May 13, Dan Patch left Oxford on a train bound for Cleveland so that McHenry could try him out. In their first drive together, Dan Patch did not appear to be working hard but

4128-802: The city of Savage: A portion of Savage is in the Bloomington School District, but no households are in this area. Students of the schools in the Prior Lake-Savage District that are in Savage (Redtail Ridge Elementary School and Glendale Elementary School) go on to Prior Lake High School . Students of the schools in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District that are in Savage (Harriet Bishop Elementary School, Hidden Valley Elementary School, and Eagle Ridge Middle School) go on to Burnsville High School . The current mayor

4224-574: The city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 21,115 people, 6,807 households, and 5,717 families living in the city. The population density was 1,326.9 inhabitants per square mile (512.3/km ). There were 6,994 housing units at an average density of 439.5 per square mile (169.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 90.65% White , 1.59% African American , 0.25% Native American , 5.39% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.66% from other races , and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of

4320-445: The city was 82.6% White , 4.3% African American , 0.4% Native American , 8.4% Asian , 0.3% Pacific Islander , 1.4% from other races , and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population." There were 9,116 households, of which 47.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had

4416-566: The colic. Some skeptics wondered if Savage had manufactured the crisis for the resulting publicity, though this seems unlikely since he was not present when the horse first became ill. Dan Patch made a brief appearance before the crowd in Topeka before being shipped home to Minnesota. He was given a brief time off before attending a previously scheduled event on October 7 at the Illinois State Fair , where 50,000 people turned out to see

4512-412: The crooked hock on his left hind, Dan Patch would initially "cross fire", meaning his left hind leg would sometimes hit his right fore. A special horseshoe was used on his left hind to stabilize the leg, resulting in a smooth, rhythmical stride. The left leg would still sometimes "paddle" wide though, striking the wheel of the training cart. Wattles resolved this problem by designing a wider sulky. Messner

4608-525: The crowds though continued to grow, reaching 40,000 in Des Moines and 50,000 in Milwaukee. He was then scheduled to make an appearance in Topeka on the September 14 and arrived in town a few days early. After a workout on the 12th, he cooled out normally but later started to show signs of distress. The condition quickly deteriorated and a respected veterinarian diagnosed a strangulated hernia , which had

4704-478: The existing record for pacing while attached to a wagon, instead of the lighter, more aerodynamic sulky, by over two seconds. A week later in Memphis, he regained the one mile world from Prince Alert with a time of 1:56 1 ⁄ 4 , an accomplishment that made the first page of the New York Times . Dan Patch maintained a steady pace, completing the first quarter mile in 29 seconds, the first half in 58 seconds and

4800-469: The expectation that he would set a new record on any given trial was lower, but the horse's popularity remained intact. Dan Patch made his first appearance of the year in September at the Minnesota State Fair before a crowd of 98,000, followed by a crowd of 55,000 at Indianapolis and more than 100,000 in Allentown. He then shipped to Lexington, where he tied his own world record of 1:56 while surrounded by

4896-534: The first "Dan Patch Day", in which the horse was led around town to the tune of the newly written "Dan Patch Two Step". Dan Patch started 1902 in Indiana with his backers speculating just how fast he could go, as he had thus far only paced as hard as needed to win. The Oxford Tribune wrote, "It does not seem possible to those of our town who see this beautiful stallion, as gentle as a Newfoundland dog, driven about every fine day for exercise, that they are looking at

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4992-527: The first Sunday of each July. Living people are nominated for the Hall of Fame annually by the United States Harness Writers Association, based upon their "ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contribution to harness racing." All members with more than 10 years of membership are eligible to vote, and 75% support is needed for a nomination to pass. Winners receive a ring, and a statuette of each inductee

5088-472: The first heat drifted up from 3/5 to 5/4, attracting a "mad scramble" from bettors looking to cash in. The start of the first heat was delayed by over an hour due to an equipment malfunction. When the race began, Dan Patch went to the early lead but was then eased back. In the homestretch, he was given "modest" encouragement but failed to close enough ground, finishing fourth. Bettors were incensed, believing McHenry did not drive to win, possibly after having tipped

5184-555: The first heat to a time of 2:04 1 ⁄ 2 , he won the next two heats and was reported to have made a deep bow to the crowd after the race. Dan Patch followed up with routine wins in Hartford, Cincinnati, Lexington, and Memphis. All told, he won 12 races in 1901. He was supposed to finish the season at the Terre Haute meet, but no one would enter against him. Instead, he returned home on November 2. On November 14, Oxford held

5280-421: The first quarter mile in 29 seconds and completed the first half in 57 1 ⁄ 2 seconds. He seemed to falter around the far turn, but still completed the three-quarters in 1:26 1 ⁄ 2 . In the stretch, he recovered his best stride and completed the mile in a new world record of 1:56. He was greeted with an ovation and Hersey was carried from the sulky on the way back to the stands. Dan Patch finished

5376-619: The fury of the crowd. Wattles began training Dan Patch in earnest at a half-mile track (0.8 km) in Templeton in 1899. Before his first start in August 1900, Dan Patch impressed Messner and Wattles with a timed mile of 2:14, a promising performance for an unprompted horse who did not seem to be working hard. On August 30, they entered him at the Boswell county fair with a purse of $ 250 against 2:35 horses, meaning their fastest official time

5472-412: The half mile from 57 1 ⁄ 2 seconds to 56 seconds flat. In the second, he lowered his own record for a mile pacing to wagon from 1:59 1 ⁄ 4 to 1:57 1 ⁄ 4 . Dan Patch made two further appearances in 1903. At Birmingham, Alabama on November 10, he lowered the record for a mile on a half mile track to 2:03 1 ⁄ 4 , even though his pacemaker had moved too far ahead to act as

5568-472: The half-mile track in Lima, Ohio, Dan Patch paced a world record of 2:04, only to have the record broken by Prince Alert a few weeks later. Prince Alert then lowered the world record on a one-mile track to an astonishing 1:57, thanks in part to perfect weather conditions but also aided by a large canvas sail carried between the galloping horses who set the pace. Critics pointed out that the sail, later referred to as

5664-596: The history of harness racing and serves as a hall of fame for the American Standardbred horse . Orange County is the birthplace of Hambletonian 10 , the ancestor of all American Standardbred horses, and many of the early Hambletonian races were held in Goshen at the Good Time Park mile track. Established in 1838, the neighboring half-mile Historic Track is a National Historic Landmark ,

5760-425: The homestretch and he responded with a final quarter mile in under 30 seconds to set the record. Dan Patch next tackled the record for one mile on a half-mile track. Because the horse must negotiate more and tighter turns on a smaller track, the half-mile track record is slower than the time on a one-mile track. Even today, separate records are kept in harness racing depending on the track dimensions. On September 7 at

5856-543: The horse at its annual "Dan Patch Days" festival, a festival that is scheduled for the weekend following Labor Day each year. Savage, Minnesota, also holds a celebration called "Dan Patch Days" annually in June. Today, the land in Savage formerly occupied by the Taj Mahal stables and racetracks is vacant, though the outline of a track is visible from the air, near the intersection of State Highway 13 and Vernon Avenue. The land

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5952-401: The horse began breaking speed records, and with it grew the town's prestige. In 1904 the townspeople renamed the community after Savage with the post office officially confirming. In 1906 at the Minnesota State Fair, Dan Patch broke the world pacing mile record at 1 minute and 55 seconds, a record that remained unsurpassed for 54 years. During World War II , Savage was home to Camp Savage ,

6048-514: The horse was asked for a little more effort in a $ 400 race at the Brazil fair. He responded with times of 2:16 3 ⁄ 4 , 2:19 1 ⁄ 4 and 2:17 1 ⁄ 4 . Messner had hoped to end the year at the Terre Haute fair but heavy rains forced the cancellation of the race. Dan Patch ended the year with four wins and earnings of $ 625. In 1901, Messner decided to test Dan Patch against

6144-490: The horse. Savage finally succeeded in December with an offer of $ 60,000, then a staggering amount. Savage was known for his advertising skills and soon capitalized on Dan Patch's growing fame. Rather than charging an exhibition fee, Savage received a proportion of the gate receipts for crowds that grew to between 40 and 50 thousand. In most of his exhibition races, Dan Patch started behind galloping horses who were hooked up to

6240-419: The little fellow was that he was friendly and cute," recalled Messner. "I honestly thought the colt's future would be confined to hauling a delivery wagon." However, a close friend named John Wattles, the owner of the livery stable in which Dan Patch was foaled, saw potential in the colt. Wattles received permission from Messner to train Dan Patch and gradually developed the horse's abilities. By late 1898, Messner

6336-418: 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. In 1897, Messner applied to

6432-593: The model of Buffalo Bill Cody 's Wild West Show, turned each appearance by Dan Patch into a major event. Dan Patch was shipped in a custom built rail-car, with half of the space reserved for Dan Patch and the other half for his grooms and the horses used as prompters. Savage estimated that Dan Patch traveled roughly 10,000 miles in 1904 alone. Dan Patch did not make his seasonal debut for 1904 until August 11 in Indianapolis and his first performances were considered disappointing, well off his personal best. Despite this,

6528-472: The newly constructed Meadowland Shipyard, renamed Port Cargill (former site of Hamilton Landing). To launch the ships, 14 miles (23 km) of the Minnesota River were dredged down to 9 feet (2.7 m) from Savage to the Mississippi River confluence. About 3,500 people were employed during peak production resulting in 18 auxiliary oil and gas carriers and 4 tugboats constructed. After World War II

6624-566: The oldest harness horse track still in use in the United States. Stables still operate on the grounds, and races are held annually. The museum opened in 1951, during Goshen's Hambletonian Stake era. The half-timber building that houses the museum was built as a stable in 1913. It houses artwork by famous equine artists and racing memorabilia dating back to the start of trotting. Exhibits include more than 1,700 paintings, lithographs and sculptures, 19,300 photographs, hundreds of drivers' uniforms, 75  sulkies , 59 sulkies, and seven carts, and

6720-487: The pace, with one running beside Dan Patch at the start and the other behind. The effort was nearly derailed when Dan Patch came close to clipping the rail when moving into the first turn, while his running mates swept wide and were left behind. Dan Patch completed the half-mile in :59 1 ⁄ 4 before one of the pacemakers caught up, then moved in front. His time for the three-quarters was 1:29 1 ⁄ 4 , just off of world record pace. McHenry urged Dan Patch hard down

6816-604: The pacing king of the world." Townsfolk hoped that "Daniel" would be able to attend the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations. In a surprising development, Dan Patch was sold to Manley Sturges in February, and was relocated to New York with McHenry remaining as his driver. His first start of the year was in Windsor, Ontario, in a match race against Canadian pacer Harold H., followed by races in Grosse Pointe and Cleveland on

6912-408: The population. There were 6,807 households, out of which 56.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.0% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and

7008-458: The port began shipping agricultural commodities. Savage remained undeveloped in the postwar housing boom, isolated by the Minnesota River and without a direct interstate connection. Lack of available construction materials in the immediate area also prevented development. By the 1980s, with the upgrade of Highway 13 and construction of the Highway 169 Bloomington Ferry Bridge in 1996 across

7104-415: The spring before finally handing him over to McHenry for serious training in June. Dan Patch made his first major appearance of 1903 in a time trial at Columbus on July 17. Despite being short of conditioning and pacing into a headwind, Dan Patch tied Prince Alert's world record for the half mile of 57 3 ⁄ 4 seconds. Although far less famous, Prince Alert was the only other active horse to have broken

7200-465: The stable of Savage's Minneapolis mansion or at Savage's sprawling farm in Hamilton in an extravagant stable known as the "Taj Mahal". Dan Patch made his first start as a four-year-old in 1900. At the time, harness races consisted of multiple heats – a horse had to win a majority of heats (usually three out of a possible five heats) to be declared the race winner. During his career, Dan Patch never lost

7296-446: The stopwatch showed he had been moving fast. McHenry reportedly said to the horse, "You're either the world's biggest counterfeit, or you're the fastest horse in the world." McHenry worked with Dan Patch for two months before the start of the Grand Circuit season. Although he had been trained well by Wattles, he still had some gaiting issues associated with his conformation. McHenry had the toe of Dan Patch's feet trimmed short while using

7392-483: The summer of 1901, and was finally successful in February 1902. At that time, Messner cited many reasons for the sale, including the record price and the pressure of running his store. Years later, however, Messner said that he had felt threatened by Sturges. A two-year-old daughter of Dan Patch died suddenly in February 1902, apparently from poisoning, and Messner believed that Sturges was responsible. In turn, Sturges sold Dan Patch in December 1902 to Marion Willis Savage,

7488-402: The three-quarters in 1:37 1 ⁄ 4 . McHenry had used only a small canvas strip between the wheels of his pacemaker's sulky that McHenry called a dust shield, compared to the much larger wind shield carried between two pacemakers used by Prince Alert. On October 27 while still in Memphis, he set two world records within 45 minutes of each other. In the first trial, he lowered the record for

7584-519: The training sessions. He made his first start with McHenry at the racetrack in Windsor, Ontario , on July 10 in a race for 2:15 level pacers. With a purse of $ 600, the race was meant to serve as a modest test for a horse whose official best time was 2:16. Dan Patch won in three straight heats, the fastest of which was completed in 2:07 1 ⁄ 2 . On July 17 in Detroit, he made his first start on

7680-437: The two minute barrier for the mile and might have given Dan Patch a serious battle had the two ever met head to head. Instead, the two tried to outdo each other racing against the clock. Dan Patch's next notable achievement was on August 19 at Brighton Beach, where he broke the world record by pacing a mile in 1:59 despite cold and windy conditions. This was the first time the race format had used galloping Thoroughbreds to prompt

7776-554: The use of prompters and wind shields, so Savage wished to establish that Dan Patch could break Star Pointer's old record without assistance. After several attempts that were close to or matched that time, Dan Patch finally shattered the "in the open" record with a time of 1:58 at Memphis on November 11. In 1906, the National Trotting Association banned the use of wind shields, although they did allow Dan Patch's 1905 records to stand. Thus, his official best mile

7872-487: The village of Hamilton. Byrne later settled another nearby area which became Burnsville. The Chicago & North Western (present day Union Pacific Railroad ) railway line reached the site in 1865, and in 1866 the town gained a post office. Hamilton became the crossroads of trade and service in the region with the Credit River, Minnesota River, the valley's wagon and road trails, and the rail line. The post office

7968-484: The world record with a time of 1:59 1 ⁄ 2 at Providence. After strong attempts in Philadelphia, Syracuse and Empire City, Dan Patch finally tied Star Pointer's world record on September 29 at Readville. He rounded out the year with exhibitions before enormous crowds at Cincinnati, Terre Haute, Davenport and Memphis. Marion Savage became one of Dan Patch's biggest fans and made multiple offers to Sturges for

8064-576: The year with appearances in St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Dallas. At Oklahoma City, he broke his own record for one mile on a half-mile track with a time of 2:03, despite "dreadful" track conditions that caused Dan Patch to nearly fall. Hersey said, "It was the most wonderful mile ever paced by a horse." The crowd concurred – according to a reporter, "Canes, hats, and coats filled the air." Dan Patch celebrated his ninth birthday in 1905, an age at which racehorses are considered past their prime. From this point onward,

8160-443: Was $ 75,097, and the median income for a family was $ 79,244 (these figures had risen to $ 92,571 and $ 99,814 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $ 50,884 versus $ 35,824 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 26,858. About 1.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over. Three school districts serve

8256-404: Was able to use Dan Patch as his buggy horse, since Zelica was again in foal, and even hooked the horse up to his sleigh over the winter. The locals were increasingly impressed by the almost black colt, who loved to move fast, but was biddable enough to pull young boys behind him on the sleigh. At maturity, Dan Patch stood 16  hands (64 inches, 163 cm) tall at the withers and weighed

8352-431: Was actually an impacted bowel – still serious but much more survivable. For the next few days, newspapers updated on Dan Patch's slowly improving condition until the horse was finally pronounced out of danger on September 29. Savage had administered triple doses of "International Colic Cure", one of his company's feed supplements, and later said this helped Dan Patch's recovery, though he did not claim that it actually cured

8448-681: Was at the Readville racetrack in Boston on August 22. The Globe reporter noted that Dan Patch was clearly superior to the field while the race result would be "as close as McHenry cares to draw the finishes." No betting was allowed, and Dan Patch won easily in straight heats. Following the race, he developed a cough but still raced on August 30 at the Narragansett Trotting Park in Cranston, Rhode Island on August 30. Pushed in

8544-702: Was forced to check but still finished the mile in 1:56 1 ⁄ 4 . Savage advertised that Dan Patch would otherwise have finished in 1:54, which "the Horse Papers and all Horsemen admit was the Fastest and Greatest Performance in the life of the World Famous Harness Horse King." Dan Patch's achievements made him a sports celebrity, possibly the most famous athlete in America until Babe Ruth . His name and likeness were used to sell

8640-451: Was later renamed Glendale Post Station in 1894 and formed Glendale Township to the west of Hamilton, but was later consolidated with Savage in 1969. The roughly 17 blocks of the late 19th-century town remain as Savage's downtown along Highway 13 (Minnesota) . In 1902, Minneapolis entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage purchased racing horse Dan Patch and trained and raced him at his farm in the limits of Hamilton. Dan Patch's notoriety grew as

8736-534: Was no better than the next level of 2:20. Attendance at the fair that day exceeded 8,000, boosted by a large contingent from Oxford, who wanted to see the local favorite. Dan Patch did not disappoint, winning in three straight heats in times of 2:24 1 ⁄ 2 , 2:24 1 ⁄ 4 and 2:24 1 ⁄ 2 . Wattles had not pushed the colt, wanting to be able to stay at the 2:35 level and perhaps to improve his odds in potential side bets in his upcoming races. With only five days of rest, Dan Patch made his next start at

8832-468: 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. Although Dan Patch continued to make public appearances and posted some excellent times, he was never able to achieve that level again. The closest he came was on October 11, 1908, at Lexington, when he paced the first three-quarters of a mile in an exceptional 1:25 1 ⁄ 2 before his prompter started bleeding and slowed down. Dan Patch

8928-432: Was second only to Star Pointer's world record of 1:59 1 ⁄ 4 , a time that now looked achievable. Over the summer and fall, interest in Dan Patch continued to grow, with racetracks negotiating with McHenry to have the horse appear. Dan Patch paced a mile in 2:00 3 ⁄ 4 at Brighton Beach despite high winds, then lowered his personal best to 2:00 1 ⁄ 2 at Readville. On August 29, Dan Patch just missed

9024-446: Was the owner of a dry-goods store in Oxford and traveled extensively as a buyer of clothing and fabrics and other items for his growing business. During these trips, he frequently went to the harness races and probably made small bets with his friends. Despite his long-standing interest in the sport, Zelica was the first horse he ever owned. In 1902, Messner sold Dan Patch to Manley E. Sturges (sometimes spelled Sturgis) of New York, for

9120-412: Was treating Dan Patch like a circus act. Savage replaced McHenry with Harry Hersey, who had been the manager of Savage's farm in Minnesota but had little race-driving experience. Savage had no inclination to test Dan Patch in competitive formats, where even the fastest horse can lose due to a variety of factors. Instead, Savage used Dan Patch to promote the horse feed supplements his company produced and, in

9216-426: Was used for stallion duty with a stud fee of between $ 300 and $ 500, though he was never exposed to the best mares. He had a moderately successful stud career but never sired a horse close to his ability. He sired 38 trotters who met the 2m:30s standard with 1 breaking 2:10. He also sired 138 pacers who met the standard, 5 of whom broke the 2:05 barrier. Dazzle Patch was his most successful son but died young and left only

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