Two WinStar Farm bred horses earned stakes conquests on both coasts this past weekend when RTKN Racing’s Pay Billy punched his Preakness ticket in the Federico Tesio S. at Laurel Park and Kretz Racing’s Cabo Spirit won the American S. (G3) at Santa Anita.
On Saturday, the highly-consistent Pay Billy earned his second straight stakes win in the Federico Tesio S., where he earned an automatic entry into the $2 million Preakness S. (G1) on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. The sophomore son of Improbable saw some added distance in the 1 ⅛-mile Federico Tesio, which came one month following a sharp win in the 1 1/16-mile Miracle Wood at Laurel. Now a four-time winner of eight lifetime starts, Pay Billy brags lifetime earnings of $234,475 for trainer Michael Gorham.
Pay Billy was bought for $60,000 from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment at last year’s OBS Spring Sale. He is out of the graded stakes-winning Harlington mare Harlington’s Rose, who also produced dual stakes-winner Espionage.
Cabo Spirit, a 6-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile, notched his fourth career graded triumph in the one-mile American S., which came on the heels of a close third in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. Trained by George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit’s prior accolades include wins in the California Crown John Henry Turf Classic S. (G2) going 1 ¼ miles at the Arcadia oval, as well as a pair of graded wins during his sophomore season in the La Jolla S. (G3) at Del Mar and the Twilight Derby (G2) at Santa Anita. Through a career of 33-6-3-7, Cabo Spirit has banked earnings in excess of $1.13 million.
Cabo Spirit was a $575,000 purchase from the 2021 OBS Spring Sale, where he was consigned by Eddie Woods. He is out of the Shamardal mare Fancy Day whose graded stakes-winning dam Tizdubai is a full-sister to Hall of Famer and pensioned WinStar stallion Tiznow.
