A nine-horse field loaded with Kentucky Derby contenders will square off when the starting gate opens in the 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024 has attracted three of the top eight horses in future book wagering for the Kentucky Derby: Remsen Stakes winner Dornoch (+1225), Breeders Futurity winner Locked (+1500) and maiden winner Speak Easy (+2000). On Saturday, Dornoch is the 2-1 favorite in the 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes odds. Locked is 5-2 in the nine-horse 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes field.
Post time for the Fountain of Youth 2024 is 6:10 p.m. ET. With several accomplished horses 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 Fountain of Youth 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.
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 Fountain of Youth Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes predictions
One surprise: Weir's top pick is not Dornoch, even though he is the 2-1 favorite. Bred in Kentucky, Dornoch is coming out of a key race, the Remsen. The runner-up from that race, Sierra Leone, won the Risen Star Stakes two weeks ago, and the third-place finisher, Drum Roll Please, came right back to win the Jerome.
However, Dornoch is 0-for-2 in races in which he did not lead at the first call, and he may not get the lead in the Fountain of Youth. "On Saturday he will most likely have to battle speed horses to his inside, which could compromise his chances," Weir told SportsLine. Weir prefers another horse over Dornoch. You can see all of Weir's 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes picks
Moreover, Weir is high on a big double-digit longshot who "should get a real pace" on Saturday. Weir's top pick is a horse who will come with a "late run." Weir is including these horses in his 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Fountain of Youth Stakes 2024, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Fountain of Youth Stakes, all from the horse racing insider who has had multiple five-figure days at the track, and find out.
2024 Fountain of Youth Stakes odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Speak Easy | 9-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Le Dom Bro | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Victory Avenue | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Real Macho | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Dornoch | 2-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Merit | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Frankie's Empire | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Locked | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Dancing Groom | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
