Man o' War Stakes
In the early part of 1988, Pay the Butler raced three times in France, winning a handicap race at Longchamp Racecourse on April 4 and was then sent to the United States to be trained by Robert J. Frankel. On his first appearance for his new trainer Pay the Butler contested the Grade II Red Smith Handicap over ten furlongs at Belmont Park on May 28 and won by a neck from Equalize. He continued to run well in the United States, finishing second in both the Bowling Green Handicap and the Man o' War Stakes before running unplaced in the Canadian International Stakes on October 16.