Gold Heels

{{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Gold Heels | image = [[File:Gold Heels and Otto Wonderly.jpg|200px]] | caption = Gold Heels with jockey [[Otto Wonderly]] at 1902 [[Suburban Handicap]]. | sire = [[The Bard (American horse)|The Bard]] | grandsire = [[Longfellow (horse)|Longfellow]] | dam = Heel-and-Toe | damsire = [[Glenelg (horse)|Glenelg]] | sex = [[Stallion (horse)|Stallion]] | foaled = 1898 | country = United States | colour = [[Bay (horse)|Bay]] | breeder = [[Alexander Cassatt]] | owner = 1) [[William C. Whitney]] 2) David Sloan (at 2) 3) Fred C. McLewee & [[Diamond Jim Brady]] (fall 1900) | trainer = [[Matthew M. Allen]] | record = 41: 16-?-? | earnings = [[United States dollar|US$]]47,620 | race = Chappaqua Handicap (1900) [[Spindrift Stakes]] (1901) [[Long Island Handicap]] (1901) [[Seagate Stakes]] (1901) Monarch Stakes (1901) [[Oriental Handicap]] (1901) [[Woodlawn Vase|Morris Park Woodlawn Vase]] (1901) [[Suburban Handicap]] (1902) [[Advance Stakes]] (1902) [[Brighton Handicap]] (1902) [[Brighton Cup]] (1902) | awards = [[American Champion Older Male Horse]] (1902) | honours = | updated= }} '''Gold Heels''' (foaled 1898) was an American [[Thoroughbred]] Champion [[Horse racing|racehorse]] who, in a two-year period, set one new stakes record and four track records, including a [[world record]].

==Background==

Gold Heels was bred by [[Alexander Cassatt]] at his Chesterbrook Farm in [[Berwyn, Pennsylvania]]. He was sired by Cassatt's outstanding runner, [[The Bard (American horse)|The Bard]], a son of [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|U.S. Racing Hall of Fame]] inductee, [[Longfellow (horse)|Longfellow]]. Gold Heels was out of the very good race mare Heel-and-Toe. A daughter of four-time [[Leading sire in North America]], [[Glenelg (horse)|Glenelg]], the durable Heel-and-Toe made 107 career starts winning 21 times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Glenelg.html |title=Glenelg |publisher=Tbheritage.com |date= |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref>

==Racing career==

===1900: Two-Year-Old season===

Gold Heels was purchased by [[William C. Whitney]] but after racing him a short time at age two, the colt was deemed to have limited potential and in June 1900 was sold for $1,500 to trainer David Sloan, a cousin of future Hall of Fame jockey [[Tod Sloan (jockey)|Tod Sloan]]. David Sloan raced the colt during the remainder of 1900 in mainly lower class races, finishing the year with five wins from twenty-four starts including the Chappaqua Handicap at [[Yonkers Raceway|Empire City Race Track]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/11/04/archives/dead-heat-in-last-race-empire-citys-meeting-ended-with-a.html |title=Gold Heels Beat Chuctanunda in the Chappaqua. - Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=2011-08-26 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> Facing financial problems, David Sloan put Gold Heels up for sale and on the advice of [[Horse trainer|trainer]], [[Matthew M. Allen|Matthew Allen]], he was purchased for $7,000 by the racing partnership of Fred C. McLewee and [[Diamond Jim Brady]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/07/06/archives/gold-heels-victory-beat-worlds-record-brighton-handicap-won-in.html |title=GOLD HEELS' VICTORY BEAT WORLD'S RECORD - Front Page - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date= 1902-07-06|accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref>

===1901: Three-Year-Old season===

In 1901, under the conditioning of Matthew Allen, three-year-old Gold Heels won seven of his twelve starts while setting three track records. On June 27 he won the [[Spindrift Stakes]] in which he set a new [[Sheepshead Bay Race Track]] record for one mile and one furlong on dirt.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1901/06/28/archives/gold-heelss-new-record-mclewees-colt-beat-best-time-for-track-in.html |title= Gold Heels's New Record McLewee's Colt Beat Best Time for Track in Spindrift |publisher=[[New York Times]], page 8 |date=1901-06-28 |accessdate=2021-06-02}}</ref> On July 2 he won the [[Long Island Handicap]] at Sheepshead Bay <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/07/03/archives/gold-heels-was-winner-poor-start-for-brigadier-gave-him-a.html |title=Gold Heels Was Winner - Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=2011-08-26 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> and then on July 25 won the richest race for three-year-olds at [[Brighton Beach Race Course]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1898/12/18/105966854.pdf |title=Gossip of the Horsemen - View Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date= 1898-12-18|accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> the mile and one furlong [[Seagate Stakes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/07/26/archives/old-dolando-was-winner-veteran-campaigner-at-odds-on-took-a-purse-a.html |title=Gold Heels Beat Bonnibert - Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=2011-08-26 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> He followed this up with a ten [[Length (horse racing)|length]] victory on September 25, 1901 in the one mile and one furlong Monarch Stakes at [[Gravesend Race Track]]. In winning the October 5 Oriental Handicap at Gravesend he set a new track record time for a mile and a quarter on dirt.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/10/06/archives/gold-heelss-new-record-colt-reduced-mile-and-a-quarter-mark-at.html |title=Gold Heels's New Record - Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=2011-08-26 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> On October 26, at [[Morris Park Racecourse]], Gold Heels showed he was not only capable at longer distances but a truly outstanding [[stayer (horse)|stayer]] when he won the 2¼ mile [[Woodlawn Vase]] in a track record time of 3:56.00.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/10/27/archives/gold-heelss-long-rage-threeyearolds-were-first-second-and-third-in.html |title=Gold Heel's Long Race - Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=2011-08-26 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref>

===1902: Four-Year-Old season=== At age four in 1902, Gold Heels won four of his five starts, setting a stakes record and a [[world record]]. With jockey [[Otto Wonderly]] aboard, Gold Heels won the June 14 [[Suburban Handicap]] at Sheepshead Bay Race Track.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1902/06/15/102432856.pdf |title=GOLD HEELS WON SUBURBAN HANDICAP - View Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=1902-06-15 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> Not only did he win what was then America's most prestigious race, he broke the stakes record on an off track while carrying top weight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vkouAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tX4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5872,5854071&dq=suburban+handicap&hl=en|title=The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search}}</ref> On June 28 Gold Heels won the 1 ½ mile Advance Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Race Track <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/06/29/archives/irish-lads-great-trial-whitney-and-duryeas-new-purchase-won-20000.html |title=IRISH LAD'S GREAT TRIAL - Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date= 1902-06-29|accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> and was top-weighted again when he won the July 5 [[Brighton Handicap]] at Brighton Beach Race Course in a [[world record]] time of 2:03.80 for a mile and a quarter on dirt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KCIuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xn4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6822,574713&dq=gold+heels+brighton+cap&hl=en|title = The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search}}</ref> For the July 26 [[Brighton Cup]], Gold Heels was again given highweight but still earned the win in the 2¼ mile endurance test. Even though he still won by twenty lengths, near the finish jockey [[George M. Odom|George Odom]] slowed him to a canter due to an injury that ended his racing career. <ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/408628861.html?dids=408628861:408628861&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+27%2C+1902&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=GOLD+HEELS+IS+A+CRIPPLE.&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716212517/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/408628861.html?dids=408628861:408628861&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+27,+1902&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=GOLD+HEELS+IS+A+CRIPPLE.&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |title=Gold Heels Is A Cripple |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=1902-07-27 |accessdate=2011-09-03 |first=T J |last=Gallagher}}</ref>

The ''[[New York Times]]'' wrote on October 5, 1902 that Gold Heels was the "accepted champion of the year" <ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1902/10/05/117982159.pdf |title=CHAMPION RAGE HORSES SOLD. - View Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=1902-10-05 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> and ''[[Thoroughbred Heritage]]'' selected him as the retrospective [[American Champion Older Male Horse]] for that year.

==Sale and stud career== The September 20, 1902, issue of the ''[[Chicago Tribune|Chicago Daily Tribune]]'' announced that the racing partnership of McLewee and Daly was to be dissolved <ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/408701411.html?dids=408701411:408701411&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+20%2C+1902&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=GOLD+HEELS+TO+BE+SOLD.&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604182945/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/408701411.html?dids=408701411:408701411&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+20,+1902&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=GOLD+HEELS+TO+BE+SOLD.&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |title=Gold Heels To Be Sold |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=1902-09-20 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref> and on October 4, 1902 Gold Heels was sold at a dispersal auction. Expected to bring $15,000, jockey [[Winfield O'Connor]] bought him for only $6,500 <ref name="nytimes1"/> then quickly resold the horse to [[St. Louis, Missouri]] breeder, E. J. Arnold.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1902/10/11/101290338.pdf |title=TROTTING AT LEXINGTON. - View Article - NYTimes.com |work=New York Times |date=1902-10-11 |accessdate=2011-09-03}}</ref>

At [[stud (animal)|stud]], Gold Heels met with little success although Covadonga (b. 1908) became one of the first American-bred horses to be imported to [[Puerto Rico]] where he raced with considerable success. Gold heels was sold in December 1912 to the U.S. [[Quartermaster Corps (United States Army)|Cavalry Remount Service]] for use as a sire for military horses.<ref>''[[Washington Post]].'' "Uncle Sam's horses." December 30, 1912. Page 6.</ref>

==References== {{reflist}} * [http://www.pedigreequery.com/gold+heels Gold Heels' pedigree and partial racing stats]

[[Category:1898 racehorse births]] [[Category:Racehorses bred in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Racehorses trained in the United States]] [[Category:Horse racing track record setters]] [[Category:American Champion racehorses]] [[Category:Thoroughbred family 23]]