Crazy Good

The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America
by Charles Leerhsen

This well researched book tells the story of Dan Patch who, one hundred years ago, was a sports star and a cultural icon before the days of the automobile. Born in 1896 at a time when harness racing was the top sport in America Dan, a pacer, would set world record, become the first celebrity endorser who spent half his career touring the country in his private train car he even had his own completely enclosed training track. When baseballs highest paid player, Ty Cobb, was earning 12,000 a year Dan was earning over a million dollars. Though horse racing attracted hustlers and cheats and many races were fixed, horses drugged or replaced with ringers, Dan Patch never lost a race. But with the coming of the automobile Americas romance with the horse cooled and Dan Patch died all but forgotten. This book brings back to life the fascinating legend of Dan Patch and is an interesting look at turn of the century America.

Hard cover book with dust jacket, both in excellent condition, illustrated with black and white photos, copyright 2008, 355 pages