LRL: Pay Billy rediscovers winning ways
2025 Tesio winner surges to allowance triumph
Press Release
February 27, 2026
At this time last year, RKTN Racing’s Pay Billy was about to embark on a journey that would lead him to victory in Laurel Park’s Private Terms Stakes and Federico Tesio Stakes.
Those wins stamped Pay Billy as the Mid-Atlantic region’s top 3-year-old and earned him a spot in the 2025 Preakness Stakes field. After finishing seventh against some of the best sophomores in the land, trainer Michael Gorham gave his charge the entire summer to rest.
That patience paid off in Friday’s featured seventh race at Laurel, a $56,000 allowance for 4-year-olds and up, run over a one-turn mile to a second-wire finish.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
“He’s mellowed out a lot,” Gorham said. “He’s a big colt, and he doesn’t really act like one. He does whatever you want him to do. Like, in the paddock, he’s all laid back.”
Pay Billy had to earn his winner’s circle photo on Friday with regular jockey Raul Mena. Favored Indy Charges On set fast fractions of 23.94 and 46.87 seconds while being hounded by Quick to Accuse. Meanwhile, Mena urged Pay Billy to stay within striking range of the pacesetters.
Indy Charges On parried each thrust from Quick to Accuse and opened up a two-length advantage after six furlongs in 1:11.11, but Mena wheeled Pay Billy out into the clear, and the classy bay unfurled his long stride.
Indy Charges On gave it a good try, but Pay Billy wore him down to prevail by a couple of lengths in 1:37.44 on the fast track.
“He broke pretty sharp today, and [Mena] kept him closer,” Gorham continued. “He had to ride him around the turn a little bit to keep him in pace, but he still finished strong once he straightened out.”
Quick to Accuse finished third, 1 ¾ lengths behind Indy Charges On. Hittheroadjak and Feeling Woozy followed. J D Factor scratched.
Pay Billy was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm. A $38,000 yearling purchase, the bay colt was purchased by RKTN for $60,000 as an April juvenile.
The 4-year-old colt is an improbable half-brother to stakes-winning sprinter Espionage, out of Grade 3-winning sprinter Harlington’s Rose, by Harlington. Pay Billy’s second and third dams were also stakes winners.
Pay Billy has improved incrementally since returning from his hiatus. He finished sixth, beaten only four lengths, in the $100,000 City of Laurel Stakes on November 22; ran third behind champion Maryland-bred Post Time in the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes on December 20; and rallied for second as a first-time Lasix user in a high-level allowance on February 5.
Since Pay Billy has run out of conditions, Gorham mentioned that another stakes start might be in the works.
Pay Billy has won five of 13 starts, earning $290.275.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
