Born in Ohio in 1957, Pat grew up around horses on his father's farms in Ohio and Texas . Throughout his school years, he hung around stables picking up valuable skills and information, and eventually started working for his uncle who was a Thoroughbred trainer. Pat became a trainer in 1978, and has trained 182 winners in 984 starts.

After settling down and starting a family, he founded a facility in Ocala , Florida , to break and train yearlings, as well as a successful pinhooking business. Pat continues to apply his years of Thoroughbred experience for Karakorum by breaking and training the partnership's yearlings, which he helps to select.