The Washington times., 1905-10-15
GREAT DAN PATCH'S
STARTLING CAREER
Worlds Champion PAGER
Clips Many Records.
HEL D AT HIGH PRICE
Has Made Best Time Behind Wind
Shieids-Really Without
Rival.

Dan Patch, 1:55A, the worlds cham
pion PAGER. and the fastest harness
horse ever foaled. first attracted the
notice of the public in 1902. when he
took record of 1:59i1, which was a
quarter Of a second slower than the
mark of Star Pointer, who held the
pacing crown. The same year Dan
Patch paced mile in 1:59A. at Read
vile, Mass but the time was not
allowed. as the son of Joe Patchen
started to beat Star Pointers record and
failed, making it a losing performance
1t was in 1903. however. that Dan
Patch began to do really sensational
stunts Starting the season at the
Grand Circuit meeting at Brighton
Beach, in August, he paced a mile in
l;5s. thereby wrestling the pacing title
from Star Pointer, 1884, which had
held 1t for years. The mile at Brighton
Beach was made under unfavorabIe con-
ditions. and it was easy to see that,
given a favorable track and day, Dan
Patch would go faster.
Clips Seconds Of.
This proved to be the case. for under
the skillful handling of Myrou Nc
Henry the champion kept clipping sec
onds Off the worlds mark, until by the
close Of the season he had placed 1t at
1:56A, where it looked TO be beyond
reach All these records. of course
were made with the aid of pacemakers
and wind shield Dan Patch's only
rival was the veteran Prince Alert
which also developed extreme speed in
lsos, and succeeded in making several
miles faster than the Zoo mark.
I'm
seemed TO have the foot of the son of
Joe Patchen, when the former took a
record Of 1:57 at the Empire City track.
at Yonkers. This performance, too, was
made with a wind shield. Prince Alert
never lowered this mark
In 1904 Dan Patch paced a mile at
Memphis. on October 26. in 1855. lower
ing the world% record. which he held,
a quarter Of a second. The best per-
formance which he made in 1904 without
a wind shield was a mile in 2:00ix, at
Memphis.
Prince Alert's Fast Time.
Prince Alert was the only horse to
beat zoo in 1904 without the use of a
wind shield. He paced miles at Lexing-
ton. Syracuse and Philadelphia In I:5e11z
He also equaIed the half-mile track
record of 2:o3ls, which he himself held,
az Allentown. Pa. on September q, but
this triumph was shortlived, for on No
yemher q. at Oklahoma City. Dan
Patch lowered the worlds half-mile
track record to 2:0s fat. which mark
stands at the present time
Other worlds pacing records which
Dan Patch holds are as follows: Mile,
TO high wheel sulky. 2-04H. made at
Macon, Ga, on November 30, 1903, with
wind shield: haIf-mile. sc, made at
Memphis, Tenn. on October q. 1893
with wind shield; two miles, 4:17, made
at Macon, Ga. on November so, 1903,
with wind shield; one mile to wagon,
1:57l4, made at Memphis, Tenn, on Oc-
tober q, 1903, with wind shield.
Trials Against Time.
All the records which Dan Patch
holds were. of course. made in trials
against time. and in all of them the
stallion was driven by Myron McHenry,
except in the record breaking perform
aHce at Lexington last Saturday, when
Hersey was the driver.
Dan Patch Is a dark brown stallion by