Lured by purse money and the opportunity for more rides, a British couple from across the pond have made their way to the Turfway Park jock's room. Tyler Heard, 20, and Grace McEntee, 22, both natives of the United Kingdom, have moved their tack to northern Kentucky for the winter racing season.
McEntee, who will be represented by agent Jose Santos Jr., made her North American debut Jan. 5 at Turfway for her uncle, trainer Paul McEntee. She finished fifth aboard Baytown Lovely in the $125,000 Gowell Stakes, and rode three horses for trainer John Ortiz Sunday through Thursday.
"It was definitely a bit of a different experience," McEntee said. "In the UK we don't get ponied to the post, so that was my first time getting properly ponied. It was a good experience. Both horses ran well both Saturday and Sunday, all the connections were happy, and that's what you kind of aim for—to keep everybody happy, and that (the horses) run well and keep progressing."
WATCH: Grace McEntee Joins Turfway Jockey Colony
McEntee began riding races in 2019 at an amateur level but soon took out her apprentice license under the guidance of her father, Newmarket-based trainer Phil McEntee. One of the few female riders in the UK, McEntee still holds a 3-pound claim, or weight allowance, since she has ridden only 74 winners. In order to lose the claim and become a professional overseas, she needs to secure 95 wins.
"Riding over here I don't have that claim, so I'd like to get to 95 winners hopefully in the next six, eight months depending on how it gets going over here," McEntee said. "If it gets going well, hopefully I can do that, and if not next year I'll try to ride my claim out over in the UK. I just want to try to ride as many winners as I can and make as many connections as I can."
McEntee's boyfriend, Heard, has been working horses over at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington but is yet to make his riding debut at Turfway Park. Riding pony races since the age of 9, Heard made his way to esteemed jockey turned trainer Richard Hughes' yard in Lambourn when he was 16, and took out his apprenticeship for Hughes the following year.
WATCH: UK Jockey Tyler Heard to Ride at Turfway
Fledgling jockey agent Kyle Hampton will take Heard's book during his tenure in the U.S.
"Grace had Jose Santos and Kyle was working under him for a couple of years," Heard said. "Kyle was really enthusiastic about speaking with me. He's only 20 as well. I'm his first jockey and I just thought, 'All right, I'm not going to turn someone down like Kyle who wants to get their career got off the ground as well and do well for himself.'
"He's worked with Jose, he knows what he's doing. He's as enthusiastic as anyone could be and wants to work hard. I just wanted someone who was just as hungry as me."
Heard is excited about honing his skills in a different part of the world, especially with the lack of flat racing in the UK during the cold winter months.
"Everything was attractive over here, from the prize money to the rides, to the lifestyle," Heard said.
