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. 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
Empire City Race Track. Facing financial problems, David Sloan put Gold Heels up for sale and on the advice of
trainer,
Matthew Allen, he was purchased for $7,000 by the racing partnership of Fred C. McLewee and
Diamond Jim Brady.
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. On July 2 he won the
Long Island Handicap at Sheepshead Bay and then on July 25 won the richest race for three-year-olds at
Brighton Beach Race Course, the mile and one furlong
Seagate Stakes. He followed this up with a ten
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. On October 26, at
Morris Park Racecourse, Gold Heels showed he was not only capable at longer distances but a truly outstanding
stayer when he won the 2¼ mile
Woodlawn Vase in a track record time of 3:56.00.
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. 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. On June 28 Gold Heels won the 1 ½ mile Advance Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Race Track 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. 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 Odom slowed him to a canter due to an injury that ended his racing career. The
New York Times wrote on October 5, 1902 that Gold Heels was the "accepted champion of the year" and
Thoroughbred Heritage selected him as the retrospective
American Champion Older Male Horse for that year. ==Sale and stud career==