The road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby will pass through Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on Saturday when the starting gate opens in the 2024 Rebel Stakes. Regularly one of the most important stops on the road to the Derby, the Rebel Stakes 2024 will award 50 points to the winner, virtually guaranteeing him a spot in the starting gate in the first leg of the Triple Crown in Louisville on May 4. Champagne Stakes winner Timberlake 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 13-horse Rebel Stakes field. Nine of the 13 horses are 15-1 or higher. The 2024 Rebel Stakes post time 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 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, Weir has handicapped the 2024 Rebel Stakes field, made his picks and constructed his bets.

One surprise: Weir's top pick is not Timberlake, even though he is the overwhelming 6-5 favorite! Another curveball: Weir is also high on the chances of Carbone, even though he's a 15-1 longshot! "I'll give him another chance at a nice price," Weir told SportsLine. Weir is including Carbone prominently in his 2024 Rebel Stakes bets.

Moreover, Weir is high on a double-digit longshot whose style could be a perfect fit for a win on Saturday! Also, 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. You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks before locking in any of your own.

Who wins the Rebel Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Weir constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine right now to get the top 2024 Rebel Stakes picks, all from a top racing insider and member of the Beyer figure-making team who's coming off a big score last weekend!