2022 Risen Star Stakes prediction, odds, lineup: Horse racing picks, best bets from expert who nailed Pegasus

Bob Weir revealed his Rise Star Stakes 2022 bets and top contenders for Saturday's event at Fair Grounds Race Course

By CBS Sports Staff

Feb 19, 2022 at 9:32 am ET • 2 min read

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The road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby heats up this weekend when the starting gate opens in the 2022 Risen Star Stakes on Saturday at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The Risen Star is the first of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series races and awards 85 Derby qualification points to the top four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 basis, virtually guaranteeing the winner a spot in the Kentucky Derby 2022 starting gate. The Kenny McPeek-trained Smile Happy is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the 2022 Risen Star Stakes odds. Pappacap and Epicenter are both getting 4-1 odds in the 10-horse 2022 Risen Star Stakes field, while Slow Down Andy and Zandon are next at 9-2.

Post time for the Risen Star Stakes 2022 is 6:58 p.m. ET. With very little separating the top five horses on Saturday, you'll want to see what racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker Bob Weir has to say before making any Risen Star Stakes picks.

A Saratoga Springs-based racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker, Weir has studied the sequence and constructed his wagers in his analysis below. A two-time qualifier for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, Weir has produced multiple five-figure days at the track over the years, including a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar in 2014.

Last year, he was on fire. He hit the exacta in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, Tampa Bay Derby and Peter Pan Stakes, the trifecta in the Risen Star Stakes, Blue Grass Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby and the superfecta in the Belmont Stakes. Those were just some of his scores in 2021.

And three weeks ago, he nailed the trifecta in the Pegasus World Cup.

Now, he has handicapped the 2022 Risen Star Stakes field, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can only see them here.

Top 2022 Risen Star Stakes predictions

One surprise: Weir is mostly fading Epicenter, even though he is one of the top favorites at 4-1. Trained by North America's winningest trainer, Steve Asmussen, Epicenter has two wins and one second in four career starts. He is coming off a runner-up finish in the Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 22.

In that race, Epicenter set the pace before tiring late. On Saturday, he must run an extra half furlong. "Epicenter has Steve Asmussen in his corner, but it's hard to have confidence in him after he was run down late in the Lecomte," Weir told SportsLine. Weir prefers four horses over Epicenter.

How to make 2022 Risen Star Stakes picks, bets

Weir's top pick is a horse who is a "versatile runner." He also is high on a double-digit long shot who's making a major change on Saturday. Weir is including these horses in his 2022 Risen Star Stakes bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.

So what horse wins the Risen Star Stakes 2022? What double-digit long shot is a must-back? And how has Weir constructed his wagers? Check out the latest Risen Star Stakes odds 2022 below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Risen Star Stakes, all from the expert who just nailed the Pegasus World Cup trifecta.