Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America

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Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 154 ratings · 33 reviews

A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- an...more A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades.America loved Dan Patch, who, though kind and gentle, seemed to understand that he was a superstar: he acknowledged applause from the grandstands with a nod or two of his majestic head and stopped as if to pose when he saw a camera. He became the first celebrity sports endorser; his name appeared on breakfast cereals, washing machines, cigars, razors, and sleds. At a time when the highest-paid baseball player, Ty Cobb, was making $12,000 a year, Dan Patch was earning over a million dollars.

But even then horse racing attracted hustlers, cheats, and touts. Drivers and owners bet heavily on races, which were often fixed; horses were drugged with whiskey or cocaine, or switched off with "ringers." Although Dan never lost a race, some of his races were rigged so that large sums of money could change hands. Dan's original owner was intimidated into selling him, and America's favorite horse spent the second half of his career touring the country in a plush private railroad car and putting on speed shows for crowds that sometimes exceeded 100,000 people. But the automobile cooled America's romance with the horse, and by the time he died in 1916, Dan was all but forgotten. His last owner, a Minnesota entrepreneur gone bankrupt, buried him in an unmarked grave. His achievements have faded, but throughout the years, a faithful few kept alive the legend of Dan Patch, and in "Crazy Good," Charles Leerhsen travels through their world to bring back to life this fascinating story of triumph and treachery in small-town America and big-city racetracks.(less)

Hardcover, 355 pages

Published May 20th 2008 by Simon & Schuster

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Dec 30, 2012 Sandy Miller rated it 3 of 5 stars

As someone who had heard of Dan Patch (at least I knew he was a famous harness horse before I read the book), I was looking forward to being able to fill in the gaps and find out the rest of this great horse's story. Sadly, this book, while presenting a factual, and at times entertaining, version of events, fell short in the heart department for me. Yes, I now know more about the people, places and events, but I never felt like I was inside the hearts and minds of the characters involved. I appr...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cuy-co-pub-lib, finished

Charles Leerhsen, Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, America's Most Famous Racehorse (Simon and Schuster, 2008)

There have been a select few times in this country when millions more people than usual knew the name of a horse. Modern examples abound: Barbaro, Cigar, Ruffian, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, a dozen others. Dan Patch, on the other hand, was a national superstar in a much more difficult time. Television hadn't been invented yet, radio was still an expensive proposition for the avera...more Charles Leerhsen, Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, America's Most Famous Racehorse (Simon and Schuster, 2008)

There have been a select few times in this country when millions more people than usual knew the name of a horse. Modern examples abound: Barbaro, Cigar, Ruffian, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, a dozen others. Dan Patch, on the other hand, was a national superstar in a much more difficult time. Television hadn't been invented yet, radio was still an expensive proposition for the average joe, and let's face it: while harness racing was a whole lot more popular at the turn of the twentieth century than it was at the turn of the twenty-first, it was still a relatively obscure sport practiced mainly at county fairs. If you've ever attended the harness racing at a county fair, and you know a few things about reading a racing program, you've probably noted that about half the horses you see aren't actually professional racers; they're local workhorses who have a little extra speed. I can't swear to it, but I'm willing to place a few two-dollar win tickets on the same thing being true a century ago, perhaps even to a greater extent. So it was with Dan Patch, who started his illustrious career pulling a wagon. Would that he had ended it that same way, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Sports Illustrated writer Leerhsen used to be a bigwig at Us (before it became the US Weekly we're familiar with today), which makes sense if you look at the way this book is written. Sure, he covers the sports angle. You can't write a book about a racehorse without covering the sports angle (or, anyway, god help you if you try). But he's as, if not more, interested in Dan Patch As Social Phenomenon—the second half of Patch's career, and his subsequent retirement, when he was owned by a corrupt, desperate business magnate who was doing his darnedest to turn the horse into a brand, an equine supermodel back in the days before such things existed. And I will certainly give Leerhsen that I didn't think I'd give two hoots about that part of the story, but I was just as absorbed by that as I was by his descriptions of Patch's races (not as good as Hillenbrand's in Seabiscuit, better than Mitchell's in Three Strides Before the Wire). That's saying something for a hardcore racing geek. And part of the reason for its rating is this. The other part is because there simply aren't enough books (and especially not GOOD books) on harness racing out there. This didn't inject the new life (however temporary it may have been) into harness racing that I was hoping it would when it came out, but there's still hope for that, isn't there? ****
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Apr 06, 2013 Rusty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

This is the story of a lame colt who could not even stand to nurse. When he finally struggles to his feet, this gentle fellow grows and grows and grows. Better, yet, he can run like the wind. There may yet be a future for the colt who was almost euthanized at birth. Born to a mother of dubious lineage, he has a savage champion father. What will his future hold?

The colt that became a horse has been named Dan Patch. And, he is harness racing, pulling a cart called a sulky which is specially design...more

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Nov 10, 2010 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'd actually begun reading this book a year ago and had put it aside for one reason or another. When I started again I kept reading.

Dan Patch was an amazing harness racing pacer from the early 1900's. A horse who was born with some leg problems and wasn't thought to be worth much because of that, then became a phenom of the times. His early days spent racing and winning with his first and second owners. The third owner, sadly, used Dan Patch for commercial gains. Dan lived a comfortable life, h...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Paula added it

Having heard of the legendary pacer Dan Patch many times, I never really knew much about the horse's life. This book sheds some light on his career, from birth to death, illustrating the tremendous influence he had on harness racing. As it is a recent publication, the book is written based on research and some of Leerhsen's personal "tid bits" of info., so it lacks much of the personal knowledge that would be communicated had he actually known the horse. Still, the book gives the reader a good i...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horse-books

One of the most clever and witty sports biographies I've ever read, CRAZY GOOD isn't just a harness racing book, or even just a horse book—it's a fascinating look at the Ragtime era and every class of person who inhabited those fast-paced years, from Midwestern farmers to big city con men.

I'm staggered by the amount of research that went into this book and the casual way in which the author shares it. Leerhsen interjects his own dry commentary into the text, making a lot of material very fun in...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Chances are you don't care much about harness racing, but the author of "Crazy Good," makes a worthy effort to change that.

Charles Leerhsen openly admits there is a gap between what interests today's readers and his story of a horse most people have never heard of -- Dan Patch.

The author could have chosen any number of more commercial topics and not written a book that wound up at the 99 cents store where the highway scribe's wife found it.

Instead, Leerhsen opted to write about something that...more

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May 17, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals-and-children

A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the...more A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be surpassed for decades.America loved Dan Patch, who, though kind and gentle, seemed to understand that he was a superstar: he acknowledged applause from the grandstands with a nod or two of his majestic head and stopped as if to pose when he saw a camera. He became the first celebrity sports endorser; his name appeared on breakfast cereals, washing machines, cigars, razors, and sleds. At a time when the highest-paid baseball player, Ty Cobb, was making $12,000 a year, Dan Patch was earning over a million dollars.

But even then horse racing attracted hustlers, cheats, and touts. Drivers and owners bet heavily on races, which were often fixed; horses were drugged with whiskey or cocaine, or switched off with "ringers." Although Dan never lost a race, some of his races were rigged so that large sums of money could change hands. Dan's original owner was intimidated into selling him, and America's favorite horse spent the second half of his career touring the country in a plush private railroad car and putting on speed shows for crowds that sometimes exceeded 100,000 people. But the automobile cooled America's romance with the horse, and by the time he died in 1916, Dan was all but forgotten. His last owner, a Minnesota entrepreneur gone bankrupt, buried him in an unmarked grave. His achievements have faded, but throughout the years, a faithful few kept alive the legend of Dan Patch, and in "Crazy Good," Charles Leerhsen travels through their world to bring back to life this fascinating story of triumph and treachery in small-town America and big-city racetracks.(less)

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Jul 21, 2008 Ernie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Story of Dan Patch. It is the beginning of the pacing horse sport. They had been around for a while but pacing was a vulgar American Sport. Dan Patch did a lot to popularize it. The story is intriguing from several standpoints. First, the time of the story, the early 1900s, coincides with the rise of the automobile and many people are predicting the demise of the horse. There is clearly less interest in development of fast trotters and pacers when auto can do the job. Second, Dan Patch was clear...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horses-nonfic

This book was well-written and well-researched. Unfortunately, the subject failed to click with me. I didn't like the people around Dan Patch after his first owner. Reading about them wasn't interesting or fun, it was just annoying.

And in the end, I wasn't all that impressed by Dan Patch, either. He didn't really race all that much, he mostly did time trials. And those time trials were publicity stunts, and were mostly a farce, since the owner and driver tended to cheat by using shields and othe...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Jim Lindgren rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very good account of the race horse Dan Patch, who was born in Oxford, IN before the turn of the 20th century. He was the best pacer in American for a number of years, and drew tens of thousands of fans to see him try to break his record times.

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Sep 18, 2011 Dana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pretty good story about a horse that was famous throughout the country early in the century. Learned some about harness racing. Wouldn't read again, though.

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May 13, 2011 Frank Shedd rated it 5 of 5 stars

i really liked this book
i didn't know much about Dan Patch
but he raced a few times at Readville race track
and i am from there ( Readville Ma.)
i prefer throughbreds but this is a fine book

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Mar 30, 2010 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice snapshot of American life pre-automobile. It was also interesting to read some of the history of Oxford, Indiana and the surrounding towns.

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Aug 01, 2008 Jean rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you liked the Seabiscuit book, you'll also like this book. If you're not a horse nut like I am, you might not know that Dan Patch was the most famous pacing horse in the U.S at the turn of the century. He's even in the lyrics of the "pool" song of the Music Man.)
His world record mile of 1:55 has now been beaten in modern times (it's 1:49), but like all records, Dan made his with a heavy, clunky sulky; not the new ultralights that they have now.
Like the Seabiscuit book, it is an entertaining...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Vita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-non-fiction

Similar to Laura Hilldebrand's Seabuscuit, Leerhsen's tale of Dan Patch is about a horse who loved to run. Few folks are familiar with trotter/pacer racing but a hundred years ago it was more popular than thoroughbred racing. Leerhsen’s story includes the social history of the Ragtime era, small Midwestern farmers, big city con men, and rise of the trotters and pacers popularity into the racing world. Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America is truly an inspiring...more

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Feb 23, 2010 Mom rated it 1 of 5 stars

Emily, you probably won't want to read this book...it's about the most famious HORSE in America!

I had to force myself to finish this book. Since it was non-fiction, it was rife with details of world-record breaking time trials and events, that I got utterly bored with. It should have been written as a fictional story, based upon a factual horse, to make it more interesting. That's just one reason I detest non-fiction. The account of Dan Patch's birth and malformed back leg, which they had to acc...more

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Sep 04, 2009 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biography, non-fiction

The men and the horses of the American trotting track just as America was on the cusp of modern mechanization. In love with speed and the image of American perfection the Standardbred horse was a condensation of the American goals bridging the known past with the new exciting fast paced future.
Bred on an unknown mare in an out of the way rural setting it was chance that this horse became the foremost pacer in his day setting speed records and thrilling middle America on the state fair circuit th...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Denise rated it 1 of 5 stars

skip it

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Jul 10, 2010 Lora Johnson rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had a hard time getting into this book. Made it about halfway and felt like the whole story was already discussed. Would be good for someone who is really interested in the history of horse racing.

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Jan 06, 2012 Anne added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 04, 2008 Paulette marked it as stopped-reading

This book is about Dan Patch. The review in the Star Trib a few weeks ago indicated that it was interesting, accurate. My deceased cousin, Dorothy, had lots of Dan Patch memorabilia. I thought I'd see what this famous horse was about.

I read this for a while but it wasn't as interesting to me as I'd expected. I put it aside to read other books.

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Jul 18, 2008 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The author works for Sports Illustrated now, and has a life-long connection to the racetrack. He has done a fantastic job of research on the rise and demise of Dan Patch, the "faster pacer in the world." So that's why they are the Indiana Pacers! Gotta have this one to add to your collection of good bios of the big-time horses!

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May 14, 2013 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys a well-written nonfiction book

Shelves: 921s-biographies, 900s-memoir, 900s-history

My father's interest in Dan Patch (that he shared with his horse-crazy daughter 50 years ago) was not unfounded. This is a smartly written, intimate and touching memoir of a very special horse that regularly drew a crowd of 100,000 people--more than any rock star, politician, or sports hero today--in pre-automobile America.

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Jun 18, 2008 Ashley Monahan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: the developement of modern advertizing and the growth of the horrid car industry.

Recommended to Ashley by: Someone who knew I cared about Dan.

It's not Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit, it just doesn't have that turn of foot. But it's a damn good read and it almost makes it. Dan Patch should not be forgotten and I welcome this effort to keep that from happening. The author spent a lot of time researching his subject, and it shows.

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Aug 15, 2012 Elisa M rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am just not a nonfiction reader! The book was well written, and interesting enough, but I found that I didn't really need all the detail that the author went into. I read about the first third of the book, and then went on line for more information, and that satisfied me.

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Jul 20, 2012 Patty rated it 2 of 5 stars

meh. I wanted to like it -- would have liked more about the horse, who seemed to have some loveable human traits, but all the details about the time trials (this race at 2:01, this race at 1:59, another race at 2:02, on and on and on)was boring.

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Sep 12, 2011 Rihana rated it 4 of 5 stars

THis is an amazing book must read this everyone

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Nov 17, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Fairly interesting story about a horse from the early 1900's that I've never heard of (that was kind of the point of the story). However, "Seabiscuit" is much better written.

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Sep 29, 2009 Goatville9 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

crazy fun story about a horse - more popular than babe ruth in their time - who should never have been a champion.

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