Dan Patch (April 29, 1896-July 11, 1916). was a brown standardbred horse sired by Joe Patchen (dam Zelica) 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 (1m:55s) 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 th...
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Dan Patch (April 29, 1896-July 11, 1916). was a brown standardbred horse sired by Joe Patchen (dam Zelica) 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 (1m:55s) 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, 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...
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