One horse will win a Grade 1 race on dirt for the first time in his career when the starting gate opens in the 2024 Stephen Foster Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The $1 million Stephen Foster has attracted a field of nine horses, but none has won a Grade 1 race on dirt. (However, longshot Classic Causeway won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on turf two years ago.) The Brad Cox-trained First Mission has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Stephen Foster Stakes odds.
The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Skippylongstocking is the 5-2 second choice in the odds among the Stephen Foster Stakes horses. Disarm (6-1), Kingsbarns (6-1) and Dreamlike (10-1) round out the top five choices on the odds board. 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 is fading 6-5 morning-line favorite First Mission. A Godolphin homebred, First Mission rarely runs a poor race. He has finished outside of the top two only once in eight career starts, a ninth-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup earlier this year.
However First Mission drew inside the other main speed horse, Skippylongstocking, and figures to be pressed by that rival all the way around the track. "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
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyrenees | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | First Mission | 6-5 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Happy American | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Disarm | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Dreamlike | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Classic Causeway | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Kingsbarns | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Steal Sunshine | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Skippylongstocking | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
