HORSE RACING: DERBY BET: A PAIR BEATS THREE OF A KIND.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Next week's Kentucky Derby will be all about bucking tradition.

Several trainers will attempt to win the May 5 Derby having defied long-held ideas on what it takes to prepare top contenders for the race.

Street Sense is sure to be among the favorites, yet he is among four horses among this year's top contenders who have just two prep races.

Conventional wisdom calls for three preps.

"If we can't get there in twopreps, I don't think we'd have gotten there with three preps," said Street Sense trainer Carl Nafzger, noting his 2-year-old champion ran five times last year.

The last Derby winner with two preps as a 3-year-old was Sunny's Halo in 1983; before that it was Jet Pilot in 1947.

With the major prep races in the books, the candidates for this Derby are all but set. The maximum 20-horse field will be set Wednesday.

Also coming into this Derby off two preps are Louisiana Derby winner Circular Quay, Robert Lewis Stakes winner Great Hunter and Blue Grass winner Dominican.

Street Sense has a lot more going against him: No Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner has gone on to take the Derby (0-for-23) and the last 2-year-old champ to win was Spectacular Bid in 1979.

"Hopefully we can get rid of all those jinxes," said Nafzger.

Then there's the unwritten rule that says you can't win the Derby off a long layoff. Last year, Barbaro junked that notion when he became the first horse since Needles in 1956 to win after more than four weeks off.

Four of this week's top 10 are in the long-layoff category: Scat Daddy and Chelokee (5weeks); Hard Spun (6weeks), and Circular Quay (8 weeks).

Todd Pletcher, who trains Scat Daddy and Circular Quay, says many of his horses run better with more time between races. It's tough to argue with the nation's leading trainer, who plans on sending out a record-equaling five Derby starters.

There's also the unraced-as- a-2-year-old theory. Curlin, No. 4 this week behind the top three of Nobiz Like Shobiz, Scat Daddy and Street Sense, is 3 for 3 but did not run last year.

The last Derby winner unraced as a 2-year-old was Apollo in 1882, yet Curlin -- off his 101/2-length romp in the Arkansas Derby -- might end up as the favorite on Derby day. By the way, the last horse to win the Derby with three career stars was the filly Regret in 1915.

The only change in this week's top 10 was Hard Spun dropping two spots to No. 7.

Top-ranked Nobiz Like Shobiz will continue training for the Derby at Belmont Park, and plans call for the colt to be shipped to Louisville on May 2.

In weekend preps, 40-1 shot Slew's Tizzy won the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and Xchanger took the Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico.

Slew's Tizzy trainer Greg Fox indicated the Preakness on May 19 was more likely than the Derby. Mark Shuman, who trains Xchanger, was undecided but leaning against the Derby.

At Hollywood Park: Trainer Bill Currin shoots for a pair of victories in the $1.31-million Cal National Gold Rush card Sunday with Freesgood in the featured $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes and defending champion Memorette in the $150,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes.

Gold Rush VIII -- the first big event of the Hollywood Park meet that opened Wednesday and goes to July 15 -- consists of ten stakes races restricted to California-breds. First post is 12:30 p.m.

Starlet Stakes winner Romance Is Diane returns to Cushion Track for the $200,000 Melair Stakes for trainer Mike Mitchell, who capped the Santa Anita meet with On the Acorn's victory in Sunday's San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap.

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Street Sense, riden by Calvin Borel, is a top Kentucky Derby contender that has run just two prep races.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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