BALTIMORE - John Servis is counting on lucky No. 7 to produce another victory for unbeaten Smarty Jones.

Picking second Wednesday in the Preakness post-position draw, Servis selected the seventh spot for his Kentucky Derby winner. The calculated decision took into account the other 10 horses, yet was based primarily on plain, old superstition.

"We've had a lot of luck with 7 this year, and with that post open, there was no reason to change," Servis said. "He was 7 in the Southwest Stakes and 7 in the Rebel, and the Kentucky Derby was his seventh win in a row."

And so Smarty Jones will attempt to move one step closer to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 by bolting from the seventh gate in Saturday's race.

"I think we got a good post. We tried to get some speed inside us," Servis said. "We've also got a couple of real tough horses outside us, and they kind of have the same running style that we do. So it might set up a lot like the Derby, where we have some horses outside of us pushing us down to the inside."

Servis and the Smarty Jones contingent would like nothing more than a repeat of the Kentucky Derby, when the horse stayed in striking distance before finishing with a flourish to win by nearly three lengths.

A field of 11 3-year-olds was entered Wednesday, including Derby runner-up Lion Heart. The Cliff's Edge (fifth), Borrego (10th) and Song of the Sword (11th) are also back for another shot.

The newcomers are Derby Trial winner Sir Shackleton, Tesio Stakes winner Water Cannon, and Little Matth Man. Only two non-Derby starters have won the Preakness since 1983 - Deputed Testamony in '83 and Red Bullet in 2000.

Smarty Jones opened as the 8-5 morning-line favorite, with Lion Heart at 3-1 and Imperialism at 5-1.

Rock Hard Ten was 6-1; The Cliff's Edge and Eddington were both 8-1; Borrego 15-1; Sir Shackleton, Song of the Sword and Water Cannon were each 30-1; and Little Matth Man was 50-1.

While Smarty Jones has found success in the No. 7, The Cliff's Edge has derived little good fortune from another so-called lucky charm: horseshoes.

The dark brown colt lost both front shoes in the slop at the Derby, and now is in danger of missing the Preakness because of a sore right front foot. Trainer Nick Zito said he will decide today whether to run the horse in Saturday's race.

"Maybe everything related to the shoes has caught up to him," Zito said.

Unlucky for Zito, perhaps lucky for Eddington, which got the No. 9 post with the ninth pick.

"That's fine. I'd rather be out there than inside," trainer Mark Hennig said. "It's not a bad post. Sounds like we might be the 8 instead of the 9 anyway, and if that happens, that's where we would have selected, even if we had the first choice."

Lion Heart trainer Patrick Biancone chose the rail, a decision that had nothing to do with superstition and everything to do with the speed of his horse.

"I took it because we want to be on the inside," Biancone said. "I think everybody knows the closer to the rail, the better it is."

Which is why Water Cannon got stuck at No. 11 after picking last.

"If we had our choice, we'd go for No. 1. We didn't get that choice, so now we're on the other end," trainer Linda Albert said. "That's OK. We'll figure out a strategy."

Albert will be plotting to do the same thing as her peers - beat Smarty Jones.

"We're on a new track, a new surface, less horses, different competition," Biancone said. "It's a new match."