Stephen Foster Stakes 2024 predictions, picks, horses, odds, time: Best bets from proven racing expert

An automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic in November will be on the line when the starting gate opens in the 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The $1 million Stephen Foster is one of the more storied races in the country for older horses and has served as one of the stops for horses on the road to the Breeders' Cup. This year the race has attracted an accomplished field of nine horses, led by Grade 2 winner First Mission. The Brad Cox trainee is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Stephen Foster Stakes odds. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Skippylongstocking is the 5-2 second choice on the odds board among the Stephen Foster Stakes horses. Disarm (6-1), Kingsbarns (6-1) and Dreamlike (10-1) round out the top five in the odds.

Post time is 6:03 p.m. ET. With an accomplished field set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any Stephen Foster Stakes picks or horse racing predictions .

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win. He also hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.

In a span of seven races last year for SportsLine, he cashed the winner of the Lecomte Stakes, the exacta in the Southwest Stakes, the winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, the winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes, and the trifecta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes. He also nailed National Treasure's win in the Preakness. And last month, he gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby.

For Saturday, Menez has handicapped the 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes field, made his picks and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them .

Top 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes predictions

One surprise: Menez's top pick is not First Mission, even though he is the morning-line favorite, at 6-5. A 4-year-old son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, First Mission has five wins and two seconds in eight career starts. He is coming off a victory in the Alysheba Stakes on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

But Menez questions the quality of the fields that First Mission beat in his last two starts. "At those odds, he just doesn't offer value," Menez told SportsLine. Menez prefers another horse over First Mission. You can see all of Menez's 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes bets here .

How to make 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes picks

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who "could take a big step forward." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is in "career-best form." He is including these horses in his wagers, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back at SportsLine .

So who wins Stephen Foster Stakes 2024? What double-digit longshot has a big chance to run well, and how has Menez constructed his wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks for the Stephen Foster Stakes, all from the expert who gave out Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby , and find out.

2024 Stephen Foster Stakes odds, contenders, post positions