The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage [With DVD]

At the height of this champion's popularity, crowds of 100,000-plus would jam venues throughout the nation for a chance to view him in action. During the years when records fell as fast as he set them, endorsement deals were a-plenty, with annual earnings topping $1 million. In retirement, he "penned" an autobiography through the use of a ghost writer and never took the time to read the final draft before it went to print. But you can't blame the legend for overlooking his book. You see, this superb athlete was the natural pacer, Dan Patch. Author Tim Brady does a marvelous piece of research in bringing to life the truly forgotten history of this great Standardbred and owner/promoter Marion W. Savage in the early years of the 20th Century. The pair rode to tremendous heights, but suffered tragic falls in the years after the last race was paced. It was a wild ride when it was at its peak, with Savage shrewdly parlaying the athletic prowess of Dan Patch into great wealth, which faded away when the franchise fell apart. And Dan Patch went from touring the nation in his own railroad coach to dying in obscurity, being buried in an unmarked grave. The nine-minute DVD contains archival footage of Dan Patch, which is an extremely rare look at the racer. There is very little recorded material available. Time and age not only erodes the talent of a superior athlete, but it can disintegrate from the public consciousness the feats that seemed like they would live on forever. Brady blows away the dust of a century past and delivers a remarkable distant replay.

I love the book but I have noticed several errors in the years. Some of the pages show 2003 instead of 1903. some show 2000 instead of 1900. Not sure who proof read this book before it was released, but they missed allot of errors.

Dan Patch was race horse that pulls a two-wheeled cart carrying a driver who weighs 150 lbs. max. Patch was an unknown pacer in Indiana in 1901 and nationally known in 1902 because of his results in the Grand Circuit. That year he won so many races his owner decided to race him only against the clock. In 1903, Minnesotan W.M. Savage paid $60,000 for him! Savage is a rags-to-riches story of a man who owned International Stock Food Company. He had big plans for Dan Patch, and for horse breeding in Minnesota. His company made nutritional supplements for farm animals--and when he built his fabulous breeding stables on 700 acres across the Minnesota River from the village of Bloomington, they named that area Savage. Dan Patch almost died in 1904 from impacted bowels (his recovery may have been helped with Savage's products), and this showed the world Patch was vulnerable-making it all the more important to see him race. After one race, the newspaper said, "The crowd broke forth in a burst of applause that would have overpowered a mere czar or emperor." Patch broke the two-minute mile numerous times--even achieving a 1.55 time. At his first appearance at the Minnesota State Fair, 30,000 people came from surrounding areas and filled the grandstand, the infield and hills surrounding the track. Savage was a smart businessman, negotiating Dan Patch's success. But Patch's value wasn't only winning races. In spring 1904, he "serviced" 57 mares, earning Savage $300 stud fee for each, or $17,000--and the race season hadn't even started. Business genius, Savage used Patch's likeness on every one of his products and advertising. The wonderful photos, and the accompanying DVD show the stable and Patch racing in the early 1900s. He was a well-loved sports hero of his time. "He had won American's heart and on the day he died, the nation mourned," a newspaper wrote when he died at age 20 in 1916. The ill Mr. Savage died a few days later. Armchair Interviews says: Well-written, this will keep your interest and teach you facts about horses, racing and smart businessmen--and make you admire a fabulous horse long gone.

Written by Tim Brady, whose many credentials include frequent contributions to the "History Channel" magazine, The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage is the true story of an exceptional racehorse and its equally exceptional rags-to-riches owner. Did the man make the horse, or did the horse make the man? Set in the early 1900's, The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage follows equine champion Dan Patch's remarkable career from county fairs to competitive "brushes" between farm wagons on rural roads to nickelodeon films distributed for public viewing. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs and nine-minute DVD of rare film footage of Dan Patch racing round out this enjoyable glimpse of a gifted horse and a genius entrepreneur at the turn of the century.