Trainer Brad Cox will attempt to win or the fourth time in five years when he sends out John Battaglia Memorial Stakes winner Encino in the 2024 Lexington Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Cox won the race in 2019 (with Owendale), 2022 (Tawny Port) and 2023 (First Mission). On Saturday, he will go for Lexington win No. 4 with Encino, who has two wins and one second in three career starts, but has never raced on dirt. He is a 5-1 longshot to win among the 2024 Lexington Stakes contenders. The Wine Steward is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Lexington Stakes odds. Hades is the 7-2 second choice, while Liberal Arts is 4-1 in the 10-horse 2024 Lexington Stakes field.
The 2024 Lexington Stakes post time is 5:48 p.m. ET. With several lightly raced 3-year-olds set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what Louisville, Ky.,-based racing guru Jody Demling has to say before making any 2024 Lexington Stakes picks.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has picked the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last six years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also nailed Flightline's win at the Breeders' Cup Classic in November of that year.
Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world. He has hit 10 of the last 15 Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but five times in the last 15 years. He's also called 10 of the last 19 Preakness Stakes winners, including nailing his Preakness winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta picks in 2023.
Now, he has handicapped the 2024 Lexington Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Lexington Stakes predictions
One surprise: Demling is not making The Wine Steward his top pick, even though he's the 5-2 favorite. Bred in New York, The Wine Steward was purchased for $340,000 last year. He already has earned more than $370,000 in his young career.
However, The Wine Steward enters the Lexington Stakes 2024 needing to knock off dust since he hasn't raced since Oct. 7. "He appears to be a super talented horse and a win on Saturday would not shock me, but I think this is a tough spot to return from a six-month layoff," Demling told SportsLine. Demling prefers two horses over The Wine Steward. You can see all of Demling's 2024 Lexington Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Lexington Stakes picks
Instead, Demling's top pick is a horse who "gets better every race." Demling also is high on a longshot who "has a shot to get into the winner's circle." Demling is including these horses in his exactas, trifectas and superfectas, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Lexington Stakes 2024, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Lexington Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Lexington Stakes, all from the expert who's nailed 10 Derby-Oaks doubles, and find out.
2024 Lexington Stakes odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secret Chat | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | The Wine Steward | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Dilger | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Footprint | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Hades | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | How's Ur Attitude | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Everdoit | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Encino | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Liberal Arts | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Lucky Jeremy | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
