| 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 | 1:551⁄4 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 (1:551⁄4 – 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. He died on July 11, 1916. His owner, Marion Willis Savage, died just one day later.[1]
Dan Patch was inducted into the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in 1953 and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.