Fair odds: Ellis Park Derby long shot could blow up Pick 5

The all-stakes Pick 5 on Sunday at Ellis Park features something for everyone with varying distances, ages and surfaces among the added-money quintet. We're zeroing in on the Ellis Park Derby, a one-mile main track affair for three-year-olds.

It's the middle leg of that all-stakes Pick 5 as well as a part of the all-stakes Pick 4 and a trio of all-stakes Pick 3 sequences, meaning it's the first, second and third legs of three different Pick 3 wagers.

I mention all this because I am excited about a horse in here who would spice the sequence as well as vertical wagers within the Ellis Park Derby itself.

I doubt many people will be rushing to bet Sinister Smile off a 6th-place finish by 9 3/4 lengths at 27.02 in an allowance won by fellow entrant Big Boat, but he really had no shot in that race breaking from post 10 of 11 and ending up wide into the turn. That was a bold move that flattened out, but now we're back out to a mile and with the inside draw this Practical Joke colt might be more forward and get the right trip to upset this group.

And while I prefer Sinister Smile at a likely huge number, Big Boat did beat him last time and I won't dismiss the winner of the race I like at 10-1 morning line either.

Both Admiral Dennis and Big Truzz make sense at short prices. I would be willing to use them in a key with Sinister Smile in the exotics.

Horse Racing Nation coverage of the Ellis Park summer meet is made possible in part through a sponsorship by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.