ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The 21-year-old jockey Harry Hernandez had just gotten to Finger Lakes, where he was ready to settle in for another summer of riding. Two mounts into his meet, he got a call from jockey Jose Ortiz that totally changed his plans.

“He told me that my agent here at Arlington, Ben Allen, had a lot of business and was a good agent, and he needed a rider, if I wanted to try it out,” said Hernandez.

Hernandez didn’t think twice. He hightailed it out to Arlington, and Allen already has put him on four winners after five racing days at this meet.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Tabulator took his West Coast tour last fall. Now, he is ready to check out New York.

The Tabulator aced his 3-year-old debut, winning the $50,000 Golden Circle Stakes on May 3 at Prairie Meadows by more than six lengths, and he will be given a sterner test June 9 at Belmont Park in the Woody Stephens Stakes on the Belmont Stakes card.

“The Woody Stephens seems like a good spot,” said Larry Rivelli, who trains The Tabulator for Carolyn Wilson. “Hopefully, that race, then the Indiana Derby.”

BALTIMORE – If you liked the weather for the Kentucky Derby, you’ll love it for the Preakness. The forecast for the rest of the week here at Pimlico, according to The Weather Channel, is for daily rain or showers, the chances ranging from a low of 90 percent on Thursday and Saturday to 100 percent on Friday. It’s a mud, mud, mud, mud world.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Greyvitos, a two-time stakes winner who finished 13th in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 5, will be rested for the remainder of the spring, trainer Adam Kitchingman said on Wednesday.

Greyvitos emerged from the Pat Day Mile with minor injury to a hind leg when he made contact with another runner, Kitchingman said.

“We’ll back off on him right now,” Kitchingman said. “We’ll give him some time. He was pretty banged up.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Geovanni Franco, the second-leading rider at the Santa Anita spring-summer meeting, has been suspended four racing days, from Friday through May 24, for his role in a disqualification in the eighth race on May 10.

Franco, 27, was cited for his ride on South Boot Shirley who finished third but was demoted to seventh after Franco crossed to the inside without clearance going into the first turn of the one-mile turf race for California-bred maiden fillies and mares.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Sunset has won two stakes for California-breds this year, but she will not start Saturday in the $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares. Trainer Jeff Bonde said on Wednesday that Miss Sunset will be pointed for the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes, a $100,000 race for fillies and mares at six furlongs on May 27.

BALTIMORE – As expected on a huge day, Pimlico will be offering a wide range of wagering options Friday on the 14-race card.

Foremost is the start of the Black-Eyed Susan-Preakness double, a two-day wager linking the biggest races here Friday and Saturday. Last year, when Actress and Cloud Computing were the respective winners, the double lured $793,718 in handle and resulted in a $368.80 payoff for $2.

BALTIMORE – Aside from Lone Sailor exiting the Kentucky Derby in great shape, Tom Amoss felt compelled to try the Preakness with him for another reason: the slow closing times in the Derby.

“It seems like nobody is talking about it,” said Amoss.

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BALTIMORE – Despite the prospect of more than five inches of rain here this week, Maryland Jockey Club officials are confident that the 13 turf races scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Pimlico will stay on grass.

Leo Hernandez, the Pimlico turf-course superintendent, said he walked the course on Wednesday after two to 2 1/2 inches of rain fell overnight and was pleased with its condition.

“It’s still firm,” Hernandez said. “I keep the grass up high. We’re looking good so far.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher reported Tuesday that the undefeated and untested Army Mule was going to get some time off and would miss an intended start in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 9. Army Mule, owned by Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable, has been training in South Florida at Palm Beach Downs since his 6 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Carter on April 7.