The 2024 Risen Star Stakes will take place on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The Risen Star has produced a top-three finisher in the Kentucky Derby the last five years. In all, seven horses who raced in the Risen Star have gone on to finish in the top three of the Kentucky Derby the last five years. This year, Lecomte Stakes winner Track Phantom is the 7-2 favorite in the 2024 Risen Star Stakes odds. Remsen Stakes runner-up Sierra Leone is the 4-1 second choice in the 12-horse 2024 Risen Star Stakes field. Four other 2024 Risen Star Stakes horses are 8-1 or shorter.
Post time for the 1⅛-mile Risen Star is 7:17 p.m. ET. With several accomplished horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what Saratoga Springs-based racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker Bob Weir has to say before making any 2024 Risen Star Stakes picks.
A member of the Beyer Speed Figure-making team since 2017, Weir is a two-time qualifier for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. He has produced multiple five-figure days at the track over the years, including a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar in 2014.
In April of last year, he hit a Pick 4 at Gulfstream Park for $641, the exacta in the Florida Derby, a Pick 5 at Keeneland and the exacta in the Lexington Stakes. He smashed the trifecta in the Belmont Stakes for $532.96, and later in June he crushed the Pick 4 at Belmont for $555. Those were just some of his scores from 2023.
For Saturday, he has handicapped the 2024 Risen Star Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Risen Star Stakes predictions
One surprise: Weir is fading Sierra Leone, even though he is one of the top favorites at 4-1. A $2.3 million purchase two years ago, Sierra Leone is a late-runner who is dependent on a fast pace and a clean trip. But there's no guarantee that he will get either on Saturday.
In addition, he has not raced since Dec. 2 and will be racing with blinkers for the first time. "I have mixed feelings about him returning off the layoff with the new equipment," Weir told SportsLine. Weir prefers three horses over Sierra Leone.
However, Weir is high on the chances of Real Men Violin, even though he's an 8-1 longshot. Trained by Ken McPeek, Real Men Violin has one win, four seconds and one third in six career starts. He is coming off a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.
Two starts ago, Real Men Violin beat Track Phantom, who's the 7-2 favorite on Saturday. "This one can hit the board," Weir told SportsLine. Weir is using Real Men Violin in his trifecta wagers. You can see all of Weir's 2024 Risen Star Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Risen Star Stakes picks
Moreover, Weir is high on a dark-horse who "has every right to take the next step." Weir also is high on a double-digit longshot who has shown he likes a "fast dirt surface." Weir is including these horses in his 2024 Risen Star Stakes bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Risen Star Stakes 2024, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Risen Star Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Risen Star Stakes, all from the expert who's had multiple five-digit days at the track, and find out.
2024 Risen Star Stakes odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Tizzy Indy | 50-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Awesome Ruta | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Honor Marie | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Sierra Leone | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Moonlight | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Real Men Violin | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Hall of Fame | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Catching Freedom | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Cardinale | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Resilience | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Track Phantom | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 12 | Bee Dancer | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
