McEntee Racing's Baytown Bear ran away with a maiden special weight victory by 9 3/4 lengths July 7 at Indiana Grand, rewarding his sire Upstart with the first winner from the stallion's freshman crop.
Baytown Bear, trained by Paul McEntee, earned his first victory in his fourth start Monday. The gray or roan gelding ridden by Isaiah Wiseman battled a head apart from Onenightstandards in the one-mile event. He led for the first quarter-mile before his rival took command and floated him out into the seven path entering the lane. Onenightstandards then ducked to the far outside in front of Baytown Bear coming down the stretch, leaving Baytown Bear the opportunity to gallop home with the win.
Baytown Bear continued on to complete the mile on a fast track in 1:43.54. It was his first race outside Churchill Downs and past 5 1/2 furlongs. The win increased his earnings to $25,490.
Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Baytown Bear is the second foal out of the Istan mare And You Can, a half sister to Kentucky Oaks (G1) victress Believe You Can.
Upstart, who stands at Jones' Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky., is a multiple graded stakes winner who placed in six grade 1 events. The son of Flatter and the Touch Gold mare Party Silks was a debut winner at 2 at Saratoga Race Course before taking the Funny Cide Stakes. He also won stakes at 3 and 4, opening his seasons, respectively, with victories in the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (G2) and Razorback Handicap (G3). The dark bay earned top placings in the Champagne, Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Besilu Stables Florida Derby, William Hill Haskell Invitational, Mohegan Sun Metroplitan Handicap, and Whitney Stakes—all grade 1.
Ralph Evans campaigned Upstart, who was bred in New York by Mrs. Gerald Nielsen, in partnership with WinStar Farm. He purchased the ridgling for $130,000 from the Summerfield consignment to the 2013 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale.
Trained by the late Rick Violette, Upstart retired in 2016 with a 4-3-4 record in 15 starts and $1,732,780 in earnings.
He stands for $10,000 at Airdrie.