Pay Billy to return to City of Laurel
Press release- November 26, 2025
Pay Billy, winner of the Private Terms Stakes and Federico Tesio Stakes earlier this year, is back in 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 in 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 12:00 PM ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” bets, each with a low takeout percentage of 12%.
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The City of Laurel Stakes will be Pay Billy’s first start since finishing seventh of nine in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 17. Pay Billy earned an automatic place in that race thanks to his victory in the Federico Tesio.
“He was kicked out [in recent months]”, trainer Michael Gorham told reporters on November 15. “He’s matured a little bit and he’s doing pretty well.”
Owned by RKTN Racing, Pay Billy earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure in the nine-furlong Tesio.
“He broke his first going three-quarters,” Gorham said of cutting back to a sprint. “I think we’ll have to use him a little early to get position, but I think he can handle it. I’ve got another horse there that I want to run too. Chipotle has speed, so he should be able to guarantee a pretty good pace. Maybe that’s good for Billy.”
The Preakness was Gorham’s first starter in a Triple Crown race.
“It was a good experience,” he said. “We did everything we could to run a tough race. I think everyone, all the owners and everyone in the stable, was excited to run in it. I think it was good. The result didn’t turn out the way 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 mentioned.
Eric Rizer’s homebred Slam Notion is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line of Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa.
Trained by Robbie Bailes, Slam Notion has won his last three dirt races, including the limited Star De Naskra Stakes at Colonial on July 12 and Laurel’s Fair Hill Training Center Maryland Million Sprint on October 11.
“The last three [dirt] The races have been incredible,” Bailes said after the Maryland Million. “He just found another gear. He does something he didn’t do before. He used to still try if he wasn’t right at the front or right next to it, but he wasn’t that type of horse. Now it seems you can put it anywhere you want it.”
CITY OF LAUREL STAKES ENTRIES
| PostPosition | Horse | Chances | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | Light forever | 15-1 | Sanchez MJ | Precious Guadalupe | Silver Trail Stables LLC |
| 2 | Spotafreeone | 6-1 | Bocachica A | Runco Jeff C | John M. Link |
| 3 | Top blood | 30-1 | Rodriguez WA | Corrales José | Pramote Changsila |
| 4 | Otter mischief | 7-2 | Hernández A | Precious Guadalupe | Silver Trail Stables LLC |
| 5 | Bold diversion | 10-1 | Lyapustina T | Joanne’s song | Joannee |
| 6 | Pay Billy | 10-1 | We fold | Gorham Michael E | RKTN Racing LLC |
| 7 | Pascaline | 12-1 | Carrasco VR | Delacour Arnaud | West Point Thoroughbreds, Jimmy Kahig LL |
| 8 | Slam concept | 5-2 | Toledo J | Bailes W Robert | Eric A. Rizer |
| 9 | Chipotle | 12-1 | We fold | Gorham Michael E | Racing on your left |
| 10 | Sakton | 8-1 | Russel S | Russel Brittany T | The Elkstone Group LLC |
| 11 | Dream builder | 30-1 | Haddock D | Precious Guadalupe | Silver Trail Stables LLC |
| 12 | Zero Blitz | 20-1 | Lyapustina T | Joanne’s song | Joannee |
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