The top two favorites in the Kentucky Derby will square off when Fierceness and Sierra Leone leave the starting gate in the 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. Two months ago, Fierceness was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, but faded badly and finished 15th. Sierra Leone was the second choice and rallied strongly to finish second by a nose. On Saturday, Sierra Leone is the 1-1 favorite in the 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes odds, while Fierceness is the 9-5 second choice. Post time for the $500,000 race is 5:43 p.m. ET. The latest 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 80s.

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 Jim Dandy Stakes picks or horse racing predictions. Join SportsLine here to get his full Jim Dandy Stakes 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 Jim Dandy Stakes 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. And last month he nailed Trikari to win the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes.

Now, Menez has looked at the 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes, made his picks and formulated his bets. Join SportsLine here to see them.

We can tell you that Menez is completely fading Sierra Leone, even though he is the 1-1 favorite! "I can't bet any even-money favorite who is his own worst enemy with all of his quirks and antics," Menez told SportsLine. Sierra Leone does not appear in any of Menez's wagers.

Instead, Menez's pick is a longshot who "has a ton of upside." He is including this horse in his wagers, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horse it is before making any 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes picks of your own!

So what longshot wins the 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get the top 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes picks and bets, all from the expert who gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby!