The first- and second-place finishers from last year's Remsen Stakes will square off once again when Sierra Leone and Dornoch collide in the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. In the Remsen four months ago, Dornoch entered the stretch with the lead, relinquished the lead to Sierra Leone and looked hopelessly beaten, but rallied to nip Sierra Leone by a nose. Both horses have since won their only starts since and have emerged as leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby. On Saturday, Sierra Leone is the 2-1 favorite in the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes odds. Dornoch is the 3-1 second choice in the 11-horse 2024 Blue Grass Stakes field, while Gotham Stakes runner-up Just a Touch is 7-2.
Post time for the $1 million race is 5:52 p.m. ET. With several lightly raced 3-year-olds 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 Blue Grass 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 and an $18,000 Pick 5 at Tampa Bay Downs earlier this week.
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 a Pick 4 at Belmont for $555. Those were just some of his scores from 2023.
Now, he has handicapped the 2024 Blue Grass Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Blue Grass Stakes predictions
One surprise: Weir's top pick is not Sierra Leone, even though he is the 2-1 favorite. Trained by two-time Blue Grass Stakes-winning trainer Chad Brown, Sierra Leone has fired in each of his three career starts, winning twice. His only defeat came in that narrow loss to Dornoch in the Remsen.
But the late-running Sierra Leone has never run a Beyer Speed Figure better than a 91, which is no better than the top Beyers of multiple horses in this field. "Late runners with average figures are hard to trust," Weir told SportsLine. Weir prefers another horse over Sierra Leone. You can see all of Weir's 2024 Blue Grass Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Blue Grass Stakes picks
Moreover, Weir's top pick is a longshot who "could be poised for his breakout performance." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who "could be sent early." Weir is including these horses in his 2024 Blue Grass Stakes bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Blue Grass Stakes 2024, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Blue Grass Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Blue Grass Stakes, all from the horse racing insider who has had multiple five-figure days at the track and just hit an $18,000 payday, and find out.
2024 Blue Grass Stakes odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Top Conor | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Be You | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Seize the Grey | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Dornoch | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Good Money | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Just a Touch | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Lat Long | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Epic Ride | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Mugatu | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Sierra Leone | 2-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Encino | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
