Welcome to the Harness Horse Association of
Central New York

To learn about us and what we are all about, visit the About section of the site.
Want to catch up on the latest news?  Visit the News section.
Don't know when the next race is?  Head on over to the  Race Dates section.
Learn more about our insurance rates and more in the Insurance section.
Visit links to some of our favorite sites at the Links section.
Need to get a hold of us?  Then navigate to the Contact section to find out how to contact us.

Dan Patch and the Need for a New Equine Hero

By Tony Farina

When I was teaching English 12 at Waterville Central School, I always started the school year with a discussion of Joseph Campbell’s series of essays titled The Power of Myth.  One of those essays stressed the importance and impact of heroes in the lives of each and every human being.  For children, the heroes may be comic book characters such as Superman, Batman or Spiderman.  Middle school students often replace their childhood heroes with those found in Greek and Roman mythology.  Parents, teachers, athletes and coaches also fulfill the need for heroes of students at this age.  Adults may satisfy their emotional need for a hero with their respect for actors, writers, world leaders, doctors and other successful professionals.  Yet in many cases, the hero for children, adolescents and adults alike may be an animal such as Lassie or an equine athlete like Dan Patch.

Last week I received my renewed USTA license, which included a bookmarker, advertising the release of a new book on the life of the great pacer of the early 1900’s – Dan Patch.  This book, which will be available in bookstores throughout America, is titled Crazy Good by Charles Leerhsen and published by the reputable publishing company, Simon and Schuster.

Crazy Good focuses on this champion harness horse whose name was known throughout the country and “…brings to life an all but forgotten hero from a by-gone era.”

Dan Patch was foaled in 1896 in Oxford, Indiana, the first foal of a $225.00 pacing mare named Zelica and sired by Joe Patchen, a stud whose fee was $400.00.  The colt was named after his owner, Dan Messner and his sire Joe Patchen.  Dan Patch, as a two year old, appeared awkward and growthy, so Mr. Messner and his trainer, John Wattles, decided to have patience and allow Dan Patch to mature.  Therefore Dan Patch was a four year old before being entered in a race.  Dan Patch easily won that race and in fact, never lost a race.  This was the time when racing was done in heats similar to New York State Fair races.  Dan Patch only lost two heats in his racing career but then went on to win the race-off.

Dan Messner raced Dan Patch for two seasons- 1900 and 1901.  After his 1901 season, Dan Patch was sold for a record setting $20,000.  According to one story, Messner sold his famous pacer because someone had poisoned Patch’s full sister, Lady Patch.  Fearing the same would happen to his champion pacer, Messner reluctantly sold him to M.E. Sturgis of New York.

Sturgis raced Dan Patch in 1902 and the regal pacer destroyed his competition.  So dominating was Dan Patch, that owners of other pacers refused to race against him.  This action forced Sturgis to sell Dan Patch to his third and final owner, M.W. Savage.  Sturgis reportedly received $ 60,000 for the dark bay stallion.

Savage, who was a marketing genius, had other plans for Dan Patch.  In his own custom-built railroad car, Dan Patch was transported all over the country appearing in exhibition races and time trials.  Needless to say, he shattered records (some were his own) and attracted thousands of race fans to observe his efforts.

Approximately 93,000 fans were present at the Minnesota State Fair of 1906 to witness history when Dan Patch paced his time trial in 1:55, breaking his own 1905 record of 1:55 ¼ set at Lexington, Kentucky before 108,000 enthusiasts.  However Dan Patch was denied the 1:55 mark because he followed a thoroughbred that had a screen attached to his sulky preventing dirt and stones from hitting Dan Patch.  Another attempt at Lexington also proved nearly disastrous when the prompter on the inside of Dan Patch suddenly bore to the right and forced Patch’s driver to check him and pull to the center of the race track.  Dan Patch had reached the ¾ pole in 1:25 in this attempt.  Prior to this incident Patch had always paced his final quarters in 29 seconds or faster.  Dan Patch could have paced a 1:53 mile in 1906!

It was after this attempt that M.W. Savage retired Dan Patch from any form of racing. When he retired in 1906, held nine world records, some of which still exist.  Savage continued to profit from the great Dan Patch charging admission just to view the beautiful stallion.  His popularity was so great that many products bore his name and/or image including cigars, chewing tobacco, candy, serving trays, washing machines, etc.  There were even songs and dances named in his honor.  Parents by the thousands named their male children after the pacer.  When Dan Patch died on July 11, 1916, he was mourned throughout the country.  M.W. Savage, already in the hospital for health reasons died the next day; both were heroes for hundreds of thousands of fans.

Finally, it is my wish that Crazy Good accomplishes for harness racing what Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit did for thoroughbred racing.  That book created new fans for the sport of horse racing by retelling the story of a “rags to riches” champion who appeared on the scene during the Great Depression, when America most needed a hero.  Like Seabiscuit, Dan Patch was as noble and popular as any hero from Greek mythology and like a true epic hero, he embodied the values and spirit of an entire country.  Our sport could really benefit by the reappearance of a hero like the Great Dan Patch.