The paralyzed jockey Michael Martinez will have an expedited oral hearing before the United States Customs and Immigration service director, Robin Barrett, on Monday, said Golden Gate Fields track physician Dr. David Seftel. Seftel has been assisting Martinez in the jockey’s effort to acquire a travel visa so that he can travel to Zurich, Switzerland, and undergo an experimental stem-cell treatment. The hearing is part of the process of granting Martinez permanent residency in the United States so he will be allowed return to the U.S. from Switzerland.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Before walking the plank against Blind Luck and Switch in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap on June 18 at Hollywood Park, a jumbled cast of second-tier fillies and mares runs Saturday in the Vanity prep, the Grade 2 Milady Handicap.

The heartless description of St Trinians as second-tier comes on the heels of a futile winter at Santa Anita. Though she gave Zenyatta a scare last June when second in the Vanity, two poor dirt races by St. Trinians begs the question – is she still that good?

BALTIMORE – Had his connections wanted to push the envelope, Astrology could have run in this year’s Kentucky Derby. He had sufficient graded stakes earnings, was a stakes winner over the Churchill Downs main track, and ran creditably in his one and only race of his 3-year-old season.

Unlike in prior years here at Pimlico – or at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks and Derby Days – superfectas are available in 10-cent increments on all races, including the Preakness.

Dime supers are part of an extensive Saturday wagering menu that also includes rolling doubles, rolling pick threes, two pick fours, two super high fives, and a pick five, as well as pool guarantees of $250,000 on the first pick four (races 5-8) and $1 million on the pick four ending with the Preakness (races 9-12).

One of the more noticeable differences from the Derby to Preakness is this: Longshots have a far worse chance, at least historically, to win at Pimlico. Whereas big-priced winners have almost become the norm in the Derby – in the last dozen years, bombers such as Charismatic (31-1), Giacomo (50-1), Mine That Bird (50-1), and Animal Kingdom (20-1) have prevailed – the Preakness is about as formful a race as possible.

BALTIMORE – Like every trainer with a horse in the 136th Preakness, Nick Zito and Chris Grove would dearly love to win Saturday at Pimlico with Dialed In and Norman Asbjornson, respectively. But in case they don’t, they can root for each other.

Zito and Grove have formed a bond centered on Grove’s 12-year-old son, Noah, who was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2004 and underwent a life-saving, through-the-knee amputation. Although Zito has known about Noah’s condition for quite some time, they met for the first time at the Wednesday post-position draw in the Pimlico infield.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The aptly named Queen’splatekitten will prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate in the $150,000 Marine Stakes Saturday at Woodbine. The 1 1/16-mile event has lured five other 3-year-olds, including Oh Canada and the Belmont-based Walker’s Landing.

Queen’splatekitten graduated here in December on the Polytrack for trainer Brian Lynch. He was subsequently sold to Mill House, and has been trained this year by Todd Pletcher, who won last year’s Marine with Exhi.

BALTIMORE – Nick Zito’s pockets were overflowing with all manner of paperwork Wednesday morning as if he was putting together a legal brief in the case of The People v. Dialed In.

Not to be outdone by, Louisiana Downs, its instate neighbor to the north, Evangeline Downs has a very bettable Friday program of its own. Two allowances anchor a competitive 10-race card that gets started with a first race post time of 5:40 p.m. Central.

BALTIMORE – Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom was assigned post 11 as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Preakness Stakes at the post-position draw for the 136th running of the second jewel of the Triple Crown on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

A full field of 14 3-year-olds was entered for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, which will be televised on NBC Sports, with post time set for 6:18 p.m. Eastern.