2026 Manhattan Stakes picks, odds: Horse racing writer has best bets for Saturday's race

The Will Walden-trained Rhetorical will try to go back-to-back when he leaves the starting gate in the 2026 Manhattan Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Five weeks ago Rhetorical went wire-to-wire to win the Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby day undercard. For Saturday he has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Manhattan Stakes odds. Bright Picture (3-1), Deterministic (7-2), One Stripe (6-1) and Make Me King (8-1) round out the top five on the odds board among the nine Manhattan Stakes horses. Post time for the $1 million race is 6:11 p.m. ET. 

With several talented runners set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2026 Manhattan Stakes picks or horse racing predictions considering his track record.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

Menez excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And earlier this year he struck big on Fountain of Youth day, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.

Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Manhattan Stakes field and revealed his picks. We can tell you that Menez is not using Rhetorical at all, even though he is the 2-1 favorite. 

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who is "a class above." He also is high on a longshot who "had no chance" in his last race. Menez is including these horses in his 2026 Manhattan Stakes bets, and so should you!

So which horse wins the 2026 Manhattan Stakes? What longshot is a MUST-BACK? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Manhattan Stakes picks and bets, all from the expert who finished 115th out of 643 entries in last year's Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge!

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