The world's best dirt horses will square off when the starting gate opens in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar, north of San Diego. The $7 million Classic is the world's fifth-richest race and the richest in North America. For Saturday, European superstar City of Troy is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic odds. Travers Stakes winner Fierceness has the second-lowest odds at 3-1 among the 14 Breeders' Cup Classic horses. Post time for the Grade 1 race is 5:41 p.m. ET.

With several accomplished horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any Breeders' Cup Classic picks or horse racing predictions. Join SportsLine here to get his full Breeders' Cup Classic picks.

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, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. Join SportsLine right here to see his 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks.

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. In May, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In June he nailed Trikari to win the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes, and last month he hit the exacta in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes.

Now, Menez has looked at the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic, made his picks and formulated his bets. Join SportsLine here to see them.

We can tell you that Menez is completely fading City of Troy, even though he is the 5-2 favorite. "There is no way to know how he will handle the dirt or the kickback he could take from this inside post, and [trainer Aidan] O'Brien's history is littered with turf horses who have attempted dirt and failed," Menez told SportsLine. Menez is not using City of Troy in any of his wagers. Another surprise: He's high on Arthur's Ride, who is trained by the legendary Bill Mott. "I trust Mott pointing a horse to the Breeders' Cup. The Hall of Fame trainer has won 15 Breeders' Cup races, including three last year."

Moreover, Menez's top pick is a horse who "should be able to save ground." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "ready to roll." He is including these horses in his wagers, and so should you. You absolutely need to see which horses they are before making any 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks of your own.

So what horse wins the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic? What double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get the top 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic picks and bets, all from the expert who gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby!