Dr. Patches (USA)
May 8, 1974 – July 30, 2002
Dr. Fager (USA) x Expectancy (USA), by Intentionally (USA)
Family 16-a
May 8, 1974 – July 30, 2002
Dr. Fager (USA) x Expectancy (USA), by Intentionally (USA)
Family 16-a
Dr. Patches won only three stakes races in his life, and two of those three stakes wins were around two turns. That would seem a strange resume for a horse that was voted a champion sprinter in a major racing nation, and in fact, Dr. Patches won that title almost because Eclipse Award voters really did not know what else to do with him. He was in fact an outstandingly versatile performer, and though his upset of the great Seattle Slew in the 1978 Paterson Handicap owed much to both Slew being a shade short of his best form and a 14-pound weight concession made by the 1977 American Horse of the Year, Dr. Patches turned in enough in the way of eye-catching races in winning allowances and in losing efforts in sprint stakes that he could not be ignored when the time came for handing out year-end awards. While he won no more stakes events after his 4-year-old season, he earned several good stakes placings and continued to pad his bankroll before his retirement in 1982.
Race record
47 starts, 17 wins, 14 seconds, 3 thirds, US$737,612
1978:
1979:
1980:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American co-champion sprinter (1978)
Assessments
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American older males of 1978, 13 pounds below divisional champion Seattle Slew.
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1979, 10 pounds below divisional champion Star de Naskra.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American older males of 1980, 19 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Spectacular Bid.
As an individual
A chestnut gelding who stood nearly 17 hands, Dr. Patches owed his unsexed status to the fact that he had very bad knees as a youngster; he did not race at 2 due to his knees and other physical issues. He had a good shoulder and short cannons but did not have the best of feet. He enjoyed being scratched on his rump. According to photographer Barbara Livingston, Dr. Patches liked nibbling on shoelaces and shoes and seemed to prefer men to women.
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Dr. Patches was bred by Tartan Farms and raced under the banner of Tartan Stable. Initially trained by John Nerud. Dr. Patches transferred to D. Wayne Lukas in mid-1978. After three races, Dr. Patches then went back to John Nerud's barn and was taken over by John Nerud's son Jan Nerud in 1979. Jan Nerud remained Dr. Patches' trainer during the rest of the gelding's career. Dr. Patches was most frequently ridden during his championship season by Angel Cordero Jr. Dr. Patches spent most of his retirement at Tartan Farms, and when Mockingbird Farm bought 700 acres of the old Tartan property in 1994, Dr. Patches remained in his old barn and paddock. He was euthanized on July 30, 2002, due to the infirmities of old age and was buried in the old Tartan/Mockingbird Farm horse cemetery on land that became part of Winding Oaks Farm.
Pedigree notes
Dr. Patches is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to Exponential, second dam of South African Group 3 winner Patache and third dam of 2006 S. A. Classic Stakes (SAF-G1) winner Hunting Tower, South African Group 2 winner Mochachino, and South African Group 3 winner Mocha Java. He is also a half brother to 1985 Arlington Handicap (USA-G1) winner Who’s for Dinner (by Native Charger) and to 1976 Bed o’ Roses Handicap (USA-G3) winner Imminence (by Native Charger). The siblings are out of Expectancy, a daughter of Tartan Farms foundation mare Cequillo.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: August 17, 2022
Race record
47 starts, 17 wins, 14 seconds, 3 thirds, US$737,612
1978:
- Won Vosburgh Handicap (USA-G2, 7FD, Belmont)
- Won Paterson Handicap (USA, 9FD, MED)
- Won Meadowlands Cup (USA, 10FD, The Meadowlands; new track record 2:01-3/5)
- 2nd Celanese Cup Handicap (USA, 7FD, Belmont)
- Also equaled the Belmont track record of 1:33-3/5 for 8FD
1979:
- 2nd Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1, 8FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Vosburgh Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Belmont)
1980:
- 2nd Meadowlands Cup Handicap (USA-G2, 10FD, The Meadowlands)
- 2nd Whitney Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Stuyvesant Handicap (USA-G3, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Tom Fool Stakes (USA, 7FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Forego Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American co-champion sprinter (1978)
Assessments
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American older males of 1978, 13 pounds below divisional champion Seattle Slew.
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1979, 10 pounds below divisional champion Star de Naskra.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American older males of 1980, 19 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Spectacular Bid.
As an individual
A chestnut gelding who stood nearly 17 hands, Dr. Patches owed his unsexed status to the fact that he had very bad knees as a youngster; he did not race at 2 due to his knees and other physical issues. He had a good shoulder and short cannons but did not have the best of feet. He enjoyed being scratched on his rump. According to photographer Barbara Livingston, Dr. Patches liked nibbling on shoelaces and shoes and seemed to prefer men to women.
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Dr. Patches was bred by Tartan Farms and raced under the banner of Tartan Stable. Initially trained by John Nerud. Dr. Patches transferred to D. Wayne Lukas in mid-1978. After three races, Dr. Patches then went back to John Nerud's barn and was taken over by John Nerud's son Jan Nerud in 1979. Jan Nerud remained Dr. Patches' trainer during the rest of the gelding's career. Dr. Patches was most frequently ridden during his championship season by Angel Cordero Jr. Dr. Patches spent most of his retirement at Tartan Farms, and when Mockingbird Farm bought 700 acres of the old Tartan property in 1994, Dr. Patches remained in his old barn and paddock. He was euthanized on July 30, 2002, due to the infirmities of old age and was buried in the old Tartan/Mockingbird Farm horse cemetery on land that became part of Winding Oaks Farm.
Pedigree notes
Dr. Patches is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to Exponential, second dam of South African Group 3 winner Patache and third dam of 2006 S. A. Classic Stakes (SAF-G1) winner Hunting Tower, South African Group 2 winner Mochachino, and South African Group 3 winner Mocha Java. He is also a half brother to 1985 Arlington Handicap (USA-G1) winner Who’s for Dinner (by Native Charger) and to 1976 Bed o’ Roses Handicap (USA-G3) winner Imminence (by Native Charger). The siblings are out of Expectancy, a daughter of Tartan Farms foundation mare Cequillo.
Books and media
- A brief documentary of Dr. Patches’ defeat of Seattle Slew in the 1978 Paterson Handicap can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E0CDGR6WPM.
- Dr. Patches is one of the older Thoroughbreds profiled in photographs and essays in Barbara Livingston’s Old Friends: Visits With My Favorite Thoroughbreds (2002, The Blood-Horse).
Fun facts
- Dr. Patches’ upset of Seattle Slew in the 1978 Paterson Handicap was the first stakes win of his career.
- Although Dr. Patches shared 1978 American championship honors in the sprint division with J. O. Tobin, he was not even weighted on the 1978 Daily Racing Form Free Handicap for American sprinters (which J, O. Tobin topped with 132 pounds).
- Dr. Patches' Eclipse Award tie with J. O. Tobin for honors in the sprint division, coupled with the tie between Candy Eclair and It's in the Air in the 2-year-old filly division, led to a revamp of Eclipse Award voting to prevent future ties for divisional championships.
- Dr. Patches was the last equine resident of the old Tartan Farms property and was the last Tartan horse to be buried in the old Tartan horse cemetery. His longtime caretaker was Bryan Howlett, who had been the general manager for Tartan Farms.
Last updated: August 17, 2022