Janks's run jeopardized

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It has been a few years - literally - since a trainer other than Christine Janks has won an older-male Illinois-bred sprint stakes in Chicago. Between High Expectations and Mighty Rule, Janks has ruled the division - but her grip could be loosening. High Expectations has won the White Oak Handicap twice, but Janks believes he is not as effective on Polytrack as on dirt. And while Mighty Rule will try on Saturday to win his second consecutive White Oak, he was claimed from Janks for $50,000 last month.

Moreover, the White Oak has tough new shooters. Amazing Results exits the Grade 3 Hanshin and has held his own with open stakes types. His stablemate Shrewd Operator has wicked early speed, and puts his 3-for-3 Arlington Polytrack mark on the line while making his first start in 13 months. The 3-for-3 mark is nothing to Wildeydsouthernboy, who has won all five of his Arlington Polytrack starts.

The White Oak, which goes as race 6, probably is the deepest of six $100,000 Illinois-bred stakes on Arlington's Prairie State Festival card. The stakes begin in race 4, are interrupted for an $18,000 claimer in race 7, then pick back up and run through race 10.

Trainer Chris Block will be a busy man, with 10 horses entered in the stakes. Block trains both Amazing Results (who is cross-entered in the Black Tie Affair, but is more likely for the six-furlong White Oak) and Shrewd Operator, horses with contrasting styles. Six furlongs is on the short end for Amazing Results, though he once won a 5 1/2-furlong turf stakes. Amazing Results raced seventh behind a tepid 24-second opening quarter-mile in the May 23 Hanshin, rallying mildly for fourth.

Shrewd Operator never has been headed on Arlington's main track, winning his three races here by about 20 lengths combined, but hasn't raced since May 2008.

"I've gotten quite a bit of work into him, but I'm anticipating he could get a little late," said Block.

Wildeydsouthernboy won the overnight stakes prep for the White Oak by almost three lengths, and has a powerful late kick. He was sixth as the favorite in his only other stakes start, but that came on a sloppy dirt track at Hawthorne.