LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Carl Nafzger is back in a familiar, successful spot at the Kentucky Derby.

The trainer has Street Sense leaving from the No. 7 post, the same position Unbridled was in when Nafzger won the 1990 Derby. There is one difference: Unlike Unbridled, Street Sense could be the favorite by post time.

"I was hoping to be 20-1 like Unbridled," Nafzger said. "I don't care what the morning line is. I'd just like to be No. 1 to the wire."

Street Sense, last year's 2-year-old champion, barely missed being the favorite by a whisker. Undefeated and unchallenged Curlin was made a slight 7-2 choice Wednesday over 4-1 Street Sense.

There were no hard feelings for Nafzger. Street Sense was sensational in his final Derby drills, and the favorable single-digit post position could make a difference for a horse with only two prep races.

Still, no Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner in 23 years has gone on to win the Derby; no 2-year-old champion has won since Spectacular Bid in 1979. Those stats don't deter Nafzger.

"He's been training really good," he said. "We're ready to run. We don't have any excuses. We drew a nice post position and we've got a good selection. We've just got to go out there and see if we can win."

If Nafzger and jockey Calvin Borel are counting on an old winning number to bring them some luck this year, Curlin has a digit on his side, too: No. 2. The imposing chestnut colt gets the nod from that post for Saturday's race, starting in the same spot Affirmed did on his way to winning the Triple Crown in 1978 — the last horse to do so.

Curlin will be ridden by Robby Albarado in a full field of 20 3-year-olds going 1Z\v miles.

"We don't know how good this horse is, but he's just been dominating," Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia said.

Curlin, though, faces his own obstacles. Like Street Sense, Curlin is relatively inexperienced with only three career races. Curlin didn't compete as a 2-year-old and it's been 125 years since Apollo won after sitting out his 2-year-old season.

Only the filly Regret in 1915 has won the Derby with less experience than Curlin.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will try to end his 0-for-14 skid in the Derby with a record-tying five entries: Any Given Saturday, Circular Quay, Cowtown Cat, Sam P. and Scat Daddy.

"It's a very difficult race to win," he said. "We feel like we got our horses prepared well. Now we need some of the other things to go right."

Circular Quay was made the 8-1 co-third choice, along with Nobiz Like Shobiz, trained by Barclay Tagg, who won in 2003 with Funny Cide. Circular Quay, coming off an eight-week layoff, will start in the No. 16 post.

<B>By The Associated Press</B>Field for Saturday's 133rd Kentucky Derby, with post position, horse's name, jockey's name and odds:1. Sedgefield Leparoux 50-12. Curlin Albarado 7-23. Zanjero Bridgmohan 30-14. Storm in May Leyva 30-15. Imawildandcrazyguy Guidry 50-16. Cowtown Cat Jara 20-17. Street Sense Borel 4-18. Hard Spun Pino 15-19. Liquidity Flores 30-110. Teuflesberg Elliott 30-111. Bwana Bull Castellano 50-112. Nobiz Like Shobiz Velasquez 8-113. Sam P. Dominguez 20-114. Scat Daddy Prado 10-115. Tiago Smith 15-116. Circular Quay Velazquez 8-117. Stormello Desormeaux 30-118. Any Given Saturday Gomez 12-119. Dominican Bejarano 20-120. Great Hunter Nakatani 15-1<B>Trainers (by post position)</B>1, Darrin Miller. 2, Steve Asmussen. 3, Steven Asmussen. 4, Bill Kaplan. 5, Bill Kaplan. 6, Todd Pletcher. 7, Carl Nafzger. 8, Larry Jones. 9, Doug O'Neill. 10, Jamie Sanders. 11, Jerry Hollendorfer. 12, Barclay Tagg. 13, Todd Pletcher. 14, Todd Pletcher. 15, John Shirreffs. 16, Todd Pletcher. 17, William Currin. 18, Todd Pletcher. 19, Darrin Miller. 20, Doug O'Neill.Owners (by post position)1, Silverton Hill. 2, Jess Jackson, Padua Stable, George Bolton & Midnight Cry Stable. 3, Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC. 4, Teresa & David Palmer. 5, Lewis Pell & Michael Eigner. 6, WinStar Farm. 7, James B. Tafel LLC. 8, Fox Hill Farms Inc. 9, J. Paul Reddam. 10, Gary Logsdon, Donnie Kelly & Jamie Sanders. 11, Mark DeDomenico, Mark Jelladian, & Dan and Jerry Todaro. 12, Elizabeth Valando. 13, Starlight Stable & Donald Lucarelli. 14, James Scatuorchio & Michael Tabor. 15, Mr. & Mrs. Jerome S. Moss. 16, Michael & Doreen Tabor. 17, Bill Currin. 18, WinStar Farm, Maverick Racing & Padua Stable. 19, Silverton Hill Farm. 20, J. Paul Reddam.<B>Weights</B>126 pounds. Distance: 1Z\v miles. Purse: $2,210,000 if 20 start. First place: $1,450,000. Second place: $400,000. Third place: $200,000. Fourth place: $100,000. Fifth place: $60,000. Post time: 6:04 p.m