Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will try to win the Rebel Stakes for the fifth time when he sends out three horses in the 2024 Rebel Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. North America's all-time winningest trainer, Asmussen has won the Rebel with Snuck In (2000), Windward Passage ('02), Curlin ('07) and Long Range Toddy ('19). On Saturday, he will go for No. 5 with three longshots: Dimatic (8-1), Carbone (15-1) and Lagynos (20-1). Champagne Stakes winner Timberlake, who is trained by Brad Cox, is the 6-5 favorite in the 2024 Rebel Stakes odds. Southwest Stakes runner-up Just Steel is the 7-2 second choice in the 2024 Rebel Stakes field. Nine of the 13 2024 Rebel Stakes horses are 15-1 or higher.
Post time for the Rebel is 6:23 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 Rebel 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. Last Sunday, Weir hit the late Pick 4 at Gulfstream Park for $382.
Now, he has handicapped the 2024 Rebel Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Rebel Stakes predictions
One surprise: Weir's top pick is not Timberlake, even though he is the 6-5 favorite. A $350,000 purchase two years ago, Timberlake will be making his first start as a three-year-old and already has earned more than $475,000 in his brief, five-race career. He is best known for winning the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes in October.
However, the Kentucky Derby trail is littered with horses who peaked as two-year-olds only to be beaten as heavy favorites in their first start at three. "Has this horse moved forward as a three-year-old or have the others caught up to him?" Weir told SportsLine. Weir prefers another horse over Timberlake.
Another curveball: Weir is high on the chances of Carbone, even though he's a 15-1 longshot. A 3-year-old son of 2019 Eclipse champion sprinter Mitole, Carbone began his career with two straight blowout victories, winning by a combined 12 lengths. But in his last race, he ran on a muddy track in the Southwest Stakes and faded to seventh.
Weir is giving Carbone a pass for that effort because of the track conditions, hoping he'll return to his fast-dirt form on Saturday. "I'll give him another chance at a nice price," Weir told SportsLine. Weir is including Carbone prominently in his wagers. You can see all of Weir's 2024 Rebel Stakes bets here.
How to make 2024 Rebel Stakes picks
Moreover, Weir is high on a double-digit longshot whose style could be the perfect fit for a win on Saturday. Weir's top pick is a horse who is "eligible to surprise." Weir is including these horses in his 2024 Rebel Stakes bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Rebel Stakes 2024, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Rebel Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Rebel Stakes, all from the horse racing insider who's coming off a big score last weekend, and find out.
2024 Rebel Stakes odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Carbone | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Northern Flame | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Common Defense | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Tejon Pass | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Magic Grant | 50-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Dimatic | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Timberlake | 6-5 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Next Level | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Lagynos | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Mena | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Just Steel | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 12 | Woodcourt | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 13 | Time for Truth | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
