MIAMI – With just three days left in the Gulfstream Park West meet, Edgard Zayas has all but sewn up the jockey title, holding a 44-31 advantage over Luca Panici heading into Friday’s card. The battle for second place also includes Tyler Gaffalione and Emisael Jaramillo, who are tied with 28 victories.

Antonio Sano will successfully defend his Gulfstream Park West training title. He holds a 19-14 lead over Todd Pletcher entering Friday’s races, with Pletcher having entered only two horses on closing weekend.

MIAMI – After tossing around the idea of sending Strike Charmer out to California for the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar on Dec. 4, trainer Mark Hennig decided to keep the Grade 2 winner closer to home and in a much softer spot, Saturday’s Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bobby Abu Dhabi, a 2-year-old son of Macho Uno who was a sharp debut winner against maidens last Saturday at Del Mar, will be considered for the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10.

“If not, he’ll run in an allowance race and we’ll go through his conditions,” trainer Peter Miller said.

“We’ve always thought a lot of him since we bought him.”

Bobby Abu Dhabi was purchased as a 2-year-old in training at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. sale in April for $335,000 by the Rockingham Ranch of Gary Hartunian.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Peter Miller claimed an old friend on Friday, bringing the popular 9-year-old gelding Nextdoorneighbor back to his barn for $12,500 after losing him for $8,000 in the horse’s prior start.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Om will run, but Obviously won’t, so there will be no rematch of the 1-2 finishers from the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap on Saturday at Del Mar.

Charles Town will run 23 stakes in 2017 – the same number as this year – but has pared $215,000 from its schedule.

The purse of the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, the West Virginia track’s signature race, will remain $1.25 million. The purse of the meet’s other graded race, the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks, has been trimmed from $350,000 to $300,000.

The Charles Town Classic card, on April 22, and Oaks Day, Sept. 23, will each offer an extra stakes this year.

Following the Thanksgiving Day card at Laurel Park, jockey Angel Cruz will head to Tampa Bay Downs for the winter.

Cruz, 21, grew up in West Virginia. He began his career at Charles Town but has ridden extensively in Maryland and New York. He was an Eclipse Award finalist for top apprentice rider in 2014.

Cruz will be represented at Tampa Bay Downs by Chris Pipito, his agent the past nine months.

Construction is set to begin on a Laurel Park backstretch building that will contain 85 new stalls, 40 offices, and 150 dormitory rooms, according to Sal Sinatra, president of the Maryland Jockey Club.

The new building, which will border Route 198, the main thoroughfare on the south side of Laurel Park, is budgeted at $6 million and is expected to be completed by July, according to Sinatra.

“The stalls are going to be made of mahogany and will be Amish built,” Sinatra said. “We’re glad to be able to offer our backstretch workers new dorms.”

Parx Racing-based trainer Richie Vega, who emigrated from his native Cuba to the United States in 1980, is one of a handful of Mid-Atlantic horsemen nearing milestone victories.

Vega, 54, will begin this weekend’s races at Parx with 999 career wins.

“My family always had horses, my uncle was a jockey,” Vega said. “My father, Anibal, worked with horses in Florida, and that’s how I got into it. I started as a hotwalker.”

Vega left Florida for Pennsylvania in 1984, the year Keystone Racetrack was renamed Philadelphia Park. He took out his trainer’s license in 1992.

Golden Gate will offer 12 stakes worth $1,025,000 during its winter-spring meet. Six of the races are for 3-year-olds or 3-year-old fillies, including the meet’s signature race, the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 18.

The other stakes for 3-year-olds are the $100,000 California Derby on Jan. 21; $50,000-added California Oaks for fillies on Feb. 11; $100,000 Campanile for fillies and $100,000 Silky Sullivan on April 30; and $75,000 Alcatraz on May 14.