Dan patch trainer

Wattles conditioned Dan Patch for harness racing, teaching him to pull a two-wheeled cart, called a sulky, and jockey behind him while pacing around the track—a gait requiring the horse to move the legs on the same side of their body in unison. Harness racing was a big deal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Whereas many horse tracks were closed during this era due to the crime and gambling that surrounded them, harness racing was viewed as a tasteful alternative since the horses trotted at an even gait rather than racing at full speed.

By the time Dan Patch started racing in the Grand Circuit in , he had lost just one heat in his career. Sturgis, a professional gambler in Brooklyn, New York, made his money through betting and by rigging races and fights.

He hired scientists to develop a blend of roots and herbs, and began shipping his supplement across the Midwest. The strategy worked and Savage was soon able to purchase a warehouse in downtown Minneapolis in order to continue to expand his company. Beyond succeeding in business, Savage also aspired to be a well-known horseman. In the years leading up to , he purchased three championship harness racers and built a world-class stable on the Minnesota River just south of the Twin Cities, near present-day Savage.

The horse who could not lose was on his way to Minnesota. When he finally arrived on January 5, , Dan Patch was celebrated with a parade down Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Beyond using Dan Patch to advertise products, Savage also bred him and offered him up for photo opportunities. Turning an obstacle into yet another money-making venture, Savage opted instead to have his horse race the clock.

The duo began traveling around the country, visiting state fairs, putting on exhibitions and attempting to beat records. On October 26, , Dan Patch set the world record for a paced mile at Then, on September 4, , in front of 90, people at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, the horse broke his own world record for a paced mile, clocking in at Left: The sterling silver trophy, presented by the Kentucky Trotting Association, won by Dan Patch for setting the world record on October 7, In , Savage retired Dan Patch.

His world record remained unbroken for over a half-century, until Adios Butler finished a paced mile in in Lexington, Kentucky in When Savage, who was in the hospital for a minor surgery, heard the news, he collapsed and died the following day.

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Science and Technology. Sports and Recreation. War and Conflict. Category Event. Era Before European Contact: Pre Colonization: Revolution and a New Nation: Expansion and Reform: Civil War and Reconstruction: Development of an Industrial United States: Home Index Topics African Americans. Back to top Dan Patch. Kate Roberts. Cite Roberts, Kate.

Facebook Twitter. Dan Patch driven by M. McHenry, his first trainer, in Dan Patch's younger days, c. Twitter Facebook. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3. First published: July 25, Last modified: March 1, Bibliography Related Resources Bibliography. El-Hai, Jack. Paul Pioneer Press, September 9, Secondary Ackerman, Willis.

Morosco, Beatrice. The Racing Life of Dan Patch: The Dan Patch Story. Related Audio. Your browser does not support the audio tag. Download File. Related Images. Minnesota State Fair: Origins and Traditions. Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway. Turning Point In , Dan Patch makes horse-racing history when he sets a new world record by pacing a mile in one minute and fifty-five seconds.

Chronology Dan Patch is born, bred to be a racehorse. Dan Patch dies on July 11, just thirty hours before his owner, Marion Savage.