No Fault horse for the course

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Trainer Christine Janks sent out her 1,500th career winner last Saturday, when Mighty Rule won a turf sprint allowance race, and many of Janks's victories have come at Arlington Park, her major meet of the season. But on Wednesday, when she sends out Fifteen Rounds in the featured seventh race, Janks runs into a horse that may be just as fond of Arlington as she is.

No Fault, based in Chicago with the local Paul McGee string, has won 3 of 21 career starts, two of which have come at Arlington. Not just at Arlington, but on the Arlington turf. And not just on the Arlington turf, but in Arlington turf sprints.

No Fault, who briefly became a claimer in 2006, won an entry-level turf-sprint allowance here last August, won a second-level turf-sprint allowance on June 3, and in his most recent start, on July 26, came within a nose of winning a third-level turf-sprint allowance. No Fault was beaten that day by the good Illinois-bred Last Gran Standing, and looks like a strong contender to notch his third score over the Arlington grass late Wednesday afternoon.

Fifteen Rounds, for his part, has gone 1 for 2 on the Arlington turf, but is seeking any kind of victory at this point. Now a 7-year-old, and not quite the horse he was at 5 and 6, Fifteen Rounds is winless from six 2007 starts, but not for lack of trying on Janks's part. She has entered Fifteen Rounds in overnight stakes, high-end claimers, on dirt, on Polytrack, in sprints, and at a one-turn mile. Fifteen Rounds hasn't run poorly, but the closest he got to a breakthrough was a closing third behind the upset winner Celluloid Hero on June 16.

That also happens to have been the most recent appearance for Prosico, who worked a half-mile last week for trainer Dale Bennett in a blazing 45 seconds flat. Prosico, a winner in 4 of 10 starts, has raced on turf only once, and the two-turn, one-mile trip of that race probably was beyond his scope. At five furlongs, Prosico can let it rip from the start, and should be more effective with that style.

Smoke Smoke Smoke, meanwhile, hasn't won since July 2005, and was away from the races for more than a year following that race. Smoke Smoke Smoke had tough luck late last year and during the first half of 2007, racking up four seconds, a third, and a fourth. Wednesday, he starts under the feature's $62,500 claiming option, and the class drop could prove significant.