The road to the Kentucky Derby resumes on Saturday when the starting gate opens in the 2025 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The Lecomte Stakes 2025, which will be contested over 1 1/16 miles, will award 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner. It also serves as a stepping stone for the Fair Grounds' two other major Kentucky Derby prep races: the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 15 and the Louisiana Derby on Mar. 22. The Wayne Catalano-trained Built is the 3-1 favorite in the 2025 Lecomte Stakes odds. Disco Time (9-2), Magnitude (6-1) and Admiral Dennis (8-1) round out the four top choices among the 14 2025 Lecomte Stakes horses. Post time for the $250,000 race is 6:30 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, who crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday, has to say before making any Lecomte 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, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.

In May of last year, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. And in November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 score! Anyone who followed his lead could have been WAY UP!

For Saturday, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Lecomte Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his tickets.

We can tell you that Menez's top pick is not Built, even though he's the top favorite at 3-1. "In [winning] the Gun Runner he was able to set a soft early pace from the rail, a scenario that he won't be able to duplicate in the Lecomte from this wide post and with tons of speed to his inside," Menez told SportsLine. Menez is using Built only sparingly in his wagers.

Moreover, Menez's top pick is a horse who is "set up to fire his best." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "dangerous at a price." Menez is including these horses in his 2025 Lecomte Stakes bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2025 Lecomte Stakes picks of your own.

So which horse wins the 2025 Lecomte Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a MUST-BACK? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get the top 2025 Lecomte Stakes picks and bets, all from the expert who gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby and crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for $5,303!