Pay Billy to return in City of Laurel
Press Release
November 26, 2025
Pay Billy, the winner of the Private Terms Stakes and Federico Tesio Stakes earlier this year, returns to action on Saturday in the City of Laurel Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.
The City of Laurel is one of two $100,000 stakes on the nine-race program. The co-featured event is the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The first post time is 12 p.m. ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate.
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The City of Laurel Stakes will be Pay Billy’s first start since he finished seventh of nine in the second jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 17. Pay Billy earned an automatic berth into that race by virtue of his victory in the Federico Tesio.
“He was turned out [in recent months],” trainer Michael Gorham told reporters on Nov. 15. “He grew up a little, and he’s doing pretty good.”
Owned by RKTN Racing, Pay Billy earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure in the nine-furlong Tesio.
“He broke his maiden going three-quarters,” Gorham said about cutting back to a sprint. “I think we’ll have to use him a little early and get position, but I think he’ll be able to handle it. I do have another horse in there that I plan on running, too. Chipotle has speed, so he should guarantee a pretty good pace. Maybe it sets up for Billy.”
The Preakness was Gorham’s first starter in a Triple Crown race.
“It was a good experience,” he said. “We were taking a big shot to run in a tough race. I think everyone, all the owners and everyone in the barn, were excited to run in it. I think it was good. The result didn’t turn out like we wanted, but he came out of the race fine.”
Pay Billy is 10-1 on the morning line, and regular pilot Raul Mena is named.
Eric Rizer’s homebred, Slam Notion, is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line set by Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa.
Trained by Robbie Bailes, Slam Notion has won his last three dirt races, including the restricted Star De Naskra Stakes at Colonial on July 12 and Laurel’s Fair Hill Training Center Maryland Million Sprint on Oct. 11.
“The last three [dirt] races have been unbelievable,” Bailes said after the Maryland Million. “He’s just been finding another gear. He’s doing something that he didn’t use to do. Before, if he wasn’t right on the front end or laying right off of it, he’d still try, but he wasn’t this type of horse. Now, it looks like you can put him anywhere you want to put him.”
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CITY OF LAUREL STAKES ENTRIES
| PostPosition | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | Light Forever | 15-1 | Sanchez M J | Preciado Guadalupe | Silver Trail Stables LLC |
| 2 | Spotafreeone | 6-1 | Bocachica A | Runco Jeff C | John M. Link |
| 3 | Top Blood | 30-1 | Rodriguez W A | Corrales Jose | Pramote Changsila |
| 4 | Otter Mischief | 7-2 | Hernandez A | Preciado Guadalupe | Silver Trail Stables LLC |
| 5 | Bold Diversion | 10-1 | Lyapustina T | Shankle Joanne | Joanne Shankle |
| 6 | Pay Billy | 10-1 | Mena R E | Gorham Michael E | RKTN Racing LLC |
| 7 | Pascaline | 12-1 | Carrasco V R | Delacour Arnaud | West Point Thoroughbreds, Jimmy Kahig LL |
| 8 | Slam Notion | 5-2 | Toledo J | Bailes W Robert | Eric A. Rizer |
| 9 | Chipotle | 12-1 | Mena R E | Gorham Michael E | On Your Left Racing |
| 10 | Saxton | 8-1 | Russell S | Russell Brittany T | The Elkstone Group LLC |
| 11 | Dreambuilder | 30-1 | Haddock D | Preciado Guadalupe | Silver Trail Stables LLC |
| 12 | Zero Blitz | 20-1 | Lyapustina T | Shankle Joanne | Joanne Shankle |
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