Baytown’s Fate: How Paul McEntee Has Built A Career Around Anything But Luck
Paul McEntee and Justin’s Baytown at Baytown’s Legacy Farm. Photo By: Rachel Bissonette.
Luck (n): success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
Fate (n): the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.
BAYTOWN’S LEGACY
The shamrock, emblematic of Ireland, representing faith, hope and love – the Holy trinity – is not to be confused with the four-leaf clover, which symbolizes luck.
Paul McEntee, a native of Ireland, pays homage to his roots with a shamrock logo on his McEntee Racing saddle pads and blinkers, and his shamrock-green racing silks. He pays homage to his family’s legacy through his sales approach, training methodology, the naming of his horses and his farm, Baytown’s Legacy Farm.
Paul’s father, Philip, or “Phil”, as he was called, was Champion Jockey in Ireland in 1966; once he retired from race riding, he trained horses in England and Ireland until he passed in 1998. “My dad was brilliant at taking people’s cast offs and problem children and relaxing them and getting the best out of them,” remembers Paul.
Hopeful to follow in his father’s footsteps, Paul would begin a short-lived career as a steeplechase jockey at 17 until the age of 19, when he quickly realized his 6’4” height would be prohibitive when making weight. He then completed the National Stud Course in England at the age of 20. Upon graduation, he would move to America to begin working for trainer Christophe Clement as a hot walker and groom, working his way up to foreman and eventually assistant trainer over the course of three years; he returned to England when his father received a cancer diagnosis
Torontotoro and Jack Gilligan work at Keeneland. Photo By: Rachel Bissonette
Paul’s brothers, Philip and Mark – twins – also wanted to try their hands at riding races. When they were 15, their dad bought a horse named Baytown Coke for the aspiring jockeys to ride in races. After their father died, Phil hung up his tack and took over his trainer’s license. He began to use the name “Baytown” in each of the names of the horses he would buy. “My brother Phil is equally gifted [as my father was at selecting horses to purchase]; [he] goes to horses-in-training sales every year, buys horses from bigger outfits, seeing something others don’t and getting great results,” says Paul.
Paul returned to America in 2004 and went out on his own as a trainer in 2011. Here, he has continued the tradition of using “Baytown” in his horses’ names to honor his father’s legacy in their family’s fifth-generation of horsemen. He has developed an operation that is largely centered around training and racing two-year-olds. “I’ve always loved two-year-olds because they start with you as babies—You mold them, form a bond with them, they trust you, and, if handled correctly, will do everything for you.”
Paul’s other brothers, Mark and Carl, are also actively involved in racing. Mark, also a former assistant to trainer Christophe Clement, is the farm manager for Mia Comet Farm in Georgetown, KY; Carl owns and runs Ballysax Bloodstock in Midway, KY. The McEntee legacy is steeped in love for racing and the love for their family heritage.
BAYTOWN JIMBO
Paul McEntee and Baytown Jimbo at Keeneland.Photo By: Rachel Bissonette
Just like his father and brother Phil, Paul has developed a knack for finding diamonds in the rough at sales; To date, there has arguably been no diamond more valuable to Paul and Baytown’s Legacy farm than Baytown Jimbo.
Baytown Jimbo did not attain his reserve at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale; in fact, no one bid on him.
After the sale, Jimbo returned to his consignor, Greenfield Farm, which Paul previously managed. Greenfield’s owner and operator, Bruce Gibbs, contacted Paul to let him know Jimbo was available to privately purchase. It was fate when when Paul went to inspect him at the farm and Jimbo walked directly up to him in the paddock. Paul bought him on the spot for $1,200.
Paul and Cheryl McEntee. Photo Courtesy of Paul McEntee.
Jimbo’s two-year-old debut and subsequent starts weren’t overly auspicious, finishing on the board just once in his first four starts in maiden allowance company. Paul, however, had faith in Jimbo’s ability and entered him in another maiden allowance contest at competitive Kentucky Downs, which offered a $78,000 purse to the winner. In fact, Paul had such faith in Jimbo that he placed sizable win, exacta and trifecta wagers on him at 24-1 odds.
Jimbo won.
With his earnings as owner and trainer and his winnings at the window, Paul was able to cancel the lease on his apartment and, instead, put a down payment on Baytown’s Legacy Farm, where he now resides and trains all of his yearlings, provides for any needed lay-ups and serves as a forever home for Paul’s retired horses. One of these retirees is Baytown Lindy, whom Paul named for his mother. A winner of six races for McEntee Racing, she is currently in foal to Quarter Horse stallion Jess Be Valiant.
Jimbo was claimed from Paul in a race in 2020 during his three-year-old season. Paul closely followed his career and, once he finished poorly in a low-level claiming race in the summer of 2021, he approached his then-owner and trainer, Troy Newton, to ask if he could buy him back and retire him; he sold him back to Paul for $1.00.
Paul then gifted Jimbo to his wife, Cheryl, whom he credits largely for his growing success. They share him as a pony horse - Paul uses him during the Keeneland meets and Cheryl assumes ponying duties when Paul travels to race horses.
Jimbo’s transition to his new role as Paul’s stable pony was a natural one, according to Paul. Jimbo’s favorite aspect of his job in the mornings has proven to be his interaction with people. He’s quickly become a fan-favorite and one of the Keeneland tour guides’ favorite horses to introduce new racing fans to in the mornings.
BAYTOWN BEAR
If Baytown Jimbo left a void in Paul’s heart when he was claimed, Baytown Bear left a black hole.
Like Jimbo, Baytown Bear did not retain his reserve price during the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Seeing another diamond in the rough, Paul privately purchased him for $1,000. He broke his maiden at two, making a mark for himself as then-freshman sire Upstart’s first winner.
At three, Bear would go on to win three more races before “a grievous mistake [was made] on my part,” according to Paul, when he entered him into a claiming race for the first time since he had owned him — He was claimed.
For three agonizing weeks, Paul waited for Bear to be entered into his next race, where he hoped he could claim him back. He refused to put another horse in Bear’s vacated stall until he did. In Bear’s next start, Paul was able to claim him back for $25,000.
That was Bear’s final start in a claiming race.
Paul’s love for Bear is no secret to his followers on social media. A fan club for Bear has formed, with members wearing Baytown Bear t-shirts. Paul even had a personalized license plate put on his car to honor his “heart horse” that reads, “1BEAR”.
Bear has rewarded Paul’s love and faith in his abilities with an allowance win and four stakes placings at four different tracks so far in his 2022 campaign.
Baytown Bear and McEntee Racing’s exercise rider Demetrice Boyd in the Keeneland paddock prior to the 2022 Stoll Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2). Photo By: Tom Ferry
BAYTOWN RESOLUTE
Paul admittedly cries tears with each of Baytown Bear’s starts, but that’s not the only horse he trains who has brought him – and others – tears of joy.
Paul McEntee escorts Resolute Racing Alliance’s Baytown Lovely and jockey Jack Gilligan to the Keeneland walking ring during the 2022 Fall Meet. Photo By: Tom Ferry
Baytown Frosty was yet another inexpensive yearling purchase out of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2020; Paul bought the colt for only $4,500. In just his second lifetime start, he broke his maiden at Keeneland. Fatefully, he beat a horse in that race owned by Resolute Racing Alliance, LLC.
Impressed with Frosty’s victory, Joe Trawitzki and his wife, Alyssa, owners of Resolute Racing Alliance, approached Paul after the race wanting to buy a share of Frosty. The Trawitzki’s already had a strong love for racing, and especially Keeneland, having been married in the Keeneland sales pavilion.
The partnership between Paul and the Trawitzki’s quickly blossomed, with Joe and Alyssa partnering on another two-year-old in training with Paul named Baytown Warrior. Warrior gave the partnership their first win and first stakes placing.
Paul would go on to buy seven yearlings between the Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton sales for the Trawitzkis that year. “He had faith in me and wanted to try buying a few more expensive yearlings,” remembers Paul.
Sadly, Joe would pass away from stage four cancer before he could see any of these yearlings make their first starts.
Fittingly, Baytown Lovely, the first horse Resolute Racing Alliance bought with Paul at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was their first starter at the 2022 Keeneland Spring Meet after Joe died. Lovely was another bargain purchase for just $3,000 – the least expensive yearling to go through the ring the entire sale. Alyssa, her mom and their close friends were in attendance for Lovely’s race that day. Prior to her race, they spread some of Joe’s ashes in the paddock.
Resolute Racing Alliance’s Jeremy’s Jet breaks his maiden at Saratoga Race Course with jockey Dylan Davis. Photo By: NYRA/Coglianese Photos
Dismissed at odds of 20-1 and breaking poorly in the 4 ½ -furlong sprint, Lovely looked well beaten as she turned for home in last place. In the final lengths of the stretch, that would quickly change.
Paul attributes the outcome of that race to his faith in a force much bigger than luck. “It was what dreams were made of. Filly broke last, [was] last turning for home, [and was] still 10 lengths off of the lead at the sixteenth pole. But, as if Joe was carrying her, the filly sprouted wings,” Paul recalls. Lovely won by a neck. “We were all crying afterwards.”
Their partnership has gone on to produce more winners from their 2021 yearling purchases, including Jeremy’s Jet, named by Joe in memory of his brother who had passed in 2020. The most expensive yearling they purchased in 2021 for $20,000, the colt broke his maiden at Saratoga in a maiden allowance race by 8 ¼ lengths.
JUSTIN’S BAYTOWN
Paul and Resolute Racing Alliance teamed up again at this year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale to purchase seven horses. Of these, Paul picked a colt by Preservationist to name in honor of a racing fan he met while running Baytown Warrior at Belmont Park in 2021 named Justin Ciampa. The two have since formed a friendship on social media.
Having learned that Justin is autistic, Paul wanted to do something special for him.
Paul McEntee and Justin Ciampa meet at Belmont Park. Photo Courtesy of Paul McEntee.
“Earlier this year we were talking and I told him I would name a two-year-old after him and try to use this to bring awareness to autism,” explained Paul. “After purchasing him, I messaged him and sent him pictures stating this was going to be his namesake. He was so happy afterwards.”
In addition to naming the colt after Justin, Paul is also giving him a complimentary 25% stake in his ownership, donating that share of the purse monies won by Justin’s Baytown to autism awareness. Should Justin’s Baytown ever be sold, Paul will donate 25% of those proceeds to the cause as well.
BAYTOWN’S FUTURE