Pay Billy, a 3-year-old colt trained by Michael Gorham, will have to overcome the outside post in the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes to earn his first stakes win Saturday at Laurel Park. Potential scratches to his inside may ease his trip. Two rivals who could ship in for the Private Terms are entered in other races this weekend. Butch Reid, trainer of Global Steve, said he plans to take his colt to Turfway Park for the Animal Kingdom Stakes. Christophe Clement, trainer of Superpower, has cross-entered his recent maiden winner in a softer allowance field on Sunday at Laurel. Because of the short run to the first turn in Laurel races at 1 1/16 miles, breaking from the outside post is difficult. With no changes, Pay Billy would be furthest outside in a field of eight runners, but scratches would significantly help him contend for his first stakes victory. Gorham considers him due. “Even in training, he’s getting better every day,” Gorham said. “He likes his job now, and every day, he gets more aggressive and wants to do more.” After vying for the lead on the backstretch in the Miracle Wood last time out, Pay Billy was still in command in the stretch when Barbadian Runner, a stakes-winning rival, made a driving move to pass him. Pay Billy rallied to regain the lead but came up short by a nose. Gorham believes Pay Billy’s blinkers prevented him from seeing Barbadian Runner until he was well past. He intends to try less restrictive blinkers this time. The horse’s running style should remain the same. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “I still think we’re going to have to be forwardly placed, let him get out of there and try to tuck in, get as good of a spot as we can,” Gorham said. If Pay Billy continues to run well in Maryland’s 3-year-old stakes program, the trainer said that he would readily enter him in the Federico Tesio next month. The winner of that race qualifies for a Grade 1 opportunity in the Preakness in May. Tony Eclipse, trained by Brittany Russell, was heavily favored in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid last time out but was completely bottled up on the rail in an unfortunate trip. Russell skipped the Miracle Wood to regroup, and with better luck, Tony Eclipse could be Pay Billy’s primary threat. “Everything’s been good and I’ve given him the time now,” Russell said. “I think he’s sitting on a good race.” With several runners likely going to the front, Sacred Thunder is a strong candidate to pick up the pieces from behind for trainer Gary Capuano. The colt has struggled to break through in stakes competition this year, but his closing style may be better suited to this distance. Beyond the Wire Onyx Ten will try to win her third straight stakes Saturday when she competes in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire at Laurel. Capuano said the outside post and added distance shouldn’t be an issue for his filly, who has made her own luck in recent starts. “She’s been doing great,” Capuano said. “We’re stretching her out to that one-turn mile, and hopefully she’ll like it. Some horses like it, some horses don’t, but I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it.” After a somewhat frustrating juvenile campaign, in which she ran well but won just once in eight starts, Onyx Ten immediately took the next step in 2025. Striking the local 3-year-old stakes trail in January, she recovered well from an uneasy start to win the Xtra Heat from an ideal stalking position. If the trip she found in her first start of the year was effective, then her positioning next time out was practically flawless. Taking on a slightly stronger field in the Wide Country on Feb. 22, jockey J.G. Torrealba kept her inside the entire way, sitting behind the leaders and moving between them in the stretch. She was clear at the wire, winning by a length. “She’s just matured and gotten better,” Capuano said. “Things have worked out. We’ve had some really nice trips the last two times, and hopefully that will continue.” Onyx Ten has made the most of her starts this year, but several rivals are sure to try and snap her string of good fortune Saturday. Safe Trust, runner-up behind Onyx Ten in the Wide Country, notched her fourth in-the-money finish in stakes competition last time out. Central Casting will make her stakes debut for Jamie Ness, who has been racing her at Aqueduct since becoming her trainer in January. She romped in an allowance last time out and could be forwardly placed on the rail. Burner Account is trying to start a stakes-winning streak of her own, as the filly stunned a field at Parx Racing in wire-to-wire fashion earlier this month, taking the Main Line at 27-1 odds. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.