Dan Patch

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Contributor: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Source: Minnesota 150 (F606 .R63 2007)
Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry, his first trainer

Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry, his first trainer, ca. 1900.

Sired by a champion pacer and born in 1896, Dan Patch was bred to be a racehorse. At first glance, though, his chances didn't look too good. He had long legs, knobby knees, and worst of all, a sweet disposition—not considered an asset in the hypercompetitive world of harness racing. "I thought all he would be good for would be hauling a delivery wagon," said his first owner.

Luckily, a stable owner took an interest in the little charmer and began training him for a life on the track. After four years he was ready—and once he started running, he never looked back. Dan Patch was a pacer, a horse that pulls his driver in a wagon in harness races. He lost only two heats in his career and never lost a final race. So fast that other owners eventually refused to race their horses against him, Dan Patch spent most of his career running against the clock.

By December 1902, when Minneapolis businessman Marion Savage bought him for $60,000 (about $1.2 million today), Dan Patch was famous in horse-racing circles. Savage's friends questioned his extravagance, but Savage had a plan for recouping his investment. Savage's company, International Stock Food, was a large operation that sold feeds and tonics to Midwestern farmers and ranchers. Dan Patch was soon featured in the company's advertisements, and within a year Savage's sales had risen from $1 million to $5 million.

Decades before images of sports figures began appearing on cereal boxes and in TV commercials, Dan Patch began "endorsing" everything from cigars to cars to washing machines. Under Savage's watchful eye, he was transformed from a racetrack wonder into a household name. Adding to his reputation was his continued high level of performance at exhibitions. On Saturday, September 8, 1906, Dan Patch made horse-racing history when he set a new world record by pacing a mile in one minute and fifty-five seconds. Savage changed the name of his farm in Savage, Minnesota, to the International 1:55 Stock Food Farm, and his horse's record stood until 1938. Dan Patch died on July 11, 1916. Marion Savage died just thirty hours later.

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Roberts, Kate. "Dan Patch." MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www3.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/thing/dan-patch
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First Published: July 25, 2011
Last Modified: July 17, 2025

Bibliography

El-Hai, Jack. "The King of Sport." Minnesota Monthly (July 2003): 40–43.

Martin, D.R. "The Most Wonderful Horse in the World." American Heritage 41, no. 5 (July/August 1990): 98–105.

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MN90: The Greatest Minnesota Athlete to Run on Four Legs | Details

MN90: The Greatest Minnesota Athlete to Run on Four Legs

One of Minnesota's greatest athletes was Dan Patch, a harness horse from the turn of the 20th century who set the world record by pacing a mile in 1:55. When salesman Marion Savage (the town Savage is named after him) bought Dan Patch, he became very rich by turning his horse into a supreme pitchman for all kinds of products, including cars, watches and washing machines. MN90 producer Marisa Helms has the story.

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Related Images

Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry, his first trainer

Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry, his first trainer, ca. 1900.

Dan Patch and driver

Dan Patch and driver, ca. 1904.

Dan Patch and driver

Dan Patch and driver, ca. 1904.

10396016.640x640

Sterling silver trophy won by Dan Patch in Kentucky, 1905.

Dan Patch with his private train car

Dan Patch with his private train car, 1904.

10314167.640x640

Dan Patch leading in a race, ca. 1905.

10339665.640x640

M. W. Savage and Dan Patch, ca. 1905.

Dan Patch racing at the Minnesota State Fair

Dan Patch racing at the Minnesota State Fair, ca. 1905.

Dan Patch's stable

Dan Patch's stable, ca. 1905.

Badge with image of Dan Patch

Dan Patch badge commemorating his world-record mile time, ca. 1905.

Dan Patch with driver Harry Hersey

Dan Patch with driver Harry Hersey, 1906.

Dan Patch

Dan Patch, August 11, 1910.

Dan Patch tobacco tin

Tobacco tin featuring images of Dan Patch, 1910s.

To Remember Dan Patch, art original

To Remember Dan Patch, a sculpture of Dan Patch commissioned by his owner, Marion Savage, and created by Alexander Stirling Calder Sr. between 1912 and 1915.

Covered race track of Dan Patch

Covered race track of Dan Patch and home of International Stock Foods, Savage, 1915. Photographer: Charles P. Gibson.

Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry, his first trainer

Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry

Dan Patch driven by M. E. McHenry, his first trainer, ca. 1900.

Dan Patch and driver

Dan Patch and driver

Dan Patch and driver, ca. 1904.

Dan Patch and driver

Dan Patch and driver

Dan Patch and driver, ca. 1904.

10396016.640x640

Dan Patch loving cup from Kentucky

Sterling silver trophy won by Dan Patch in Kentucky, 1905.

Dan Patch with his private train car

Dan Patch with his private train car

Dan Patch with his private train car, 1904.

© Minnesota Historical Society    

All rights reserved

10314167.640x640

Dan Patch leading in a race

Dan Patch leading in a race, ca. 1905.

10339665.640x640

M. W. Savage and Dan Patch

M. W. Savage and Dan Patch, ca. 1905.

Dan Patch racing at the Minnesota State Fair

Dan Patch racing at the Minnesota State Fair

Dan Patch racing at the Minnesota State Fair, ca. 1905.

Dan Patch's stable

Dan Patch's stable

Dan Patch's stable, ca. 1905.

Badge with image of Dan Patch

Badge with image of Dan Patch

Dan Patch badge commemorating his world-record mile time, ca. 1905.

© Minnesota Historical Society    

All rights reserved

Dan Patch with driver Harry Hersey

Dan Patch with driver Harry Hersey

Dan Patch with driver Harry Hersey, 1906.

Dan Patch

Dan Patch

Dan Patch, August 11, 1910.

Dan Patch tobacco tin

Dan Patch tobacco tin

Tobacco tin featuring images of Dan Patch, 1910s.

© Minnesota Historical Society    

All rights reserved

To Remember Dan Patch, art original

To Remember Dan Patch, art original

To Remember Dan Patch, a sculpture of Dan Patch commissioned by his owner, Marion Savage, and created by Alexander Stirling Calder Sr. between 1912 and 1915.

© Minnesota Historical Society    

All rights reserved

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society
Covered race track of Dan Patch

Covered race track of Dan Patch

Covered race track of Dan Patch and home of International Stock Foods, Savage, 1915. Photographer: Charles P. Gibson.

Holding Location

Minnesota Historical Society

Turning Point

In 1906, 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

1896
Dan Patch is born, bred to be a racehorse.
1902
Dan Patch is famous in horse-racing circles, and Minneapolis businessman Marion Savage buys him for $60,000 (about $1.2 million today).
1906
On September 8, Dan Patch sets a new world record by pacing a mile in one minute and fifty-five seconds. His record stands until 1938.
1916
Dan Patch dies on July 11, just thirty hours before his owner, Marion Savage.

Bibliography

El-Hai, Jack. "The King of Sport." Minnesota Monthly (July 2003): 40–43.

Martin, D.R. "The Most Wonderful Horse in the World." American Heritage 41, no. 5 (July/August 1990): 98–105.

Related Resources