West Coast cruises in Pennsylvania Derby
From the start, jockey Mike Smith had West Coast set to cruise control as he guided the newest star of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s bevy of barn burning runners home an easy winner in the G1 $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Saturday.
Stalking the inside runner Outplay through the first three quarters of a mile, by the time they reached the far turn it was time for Smith to let West Coast run. And run he did on his way to an uncontested win in a final time of 1:49 and change for the 1 1/8 mile distance.
The win puts him squarely in contention for the Breeders’ Cup Classic where he’s likely to face more seasoned runners from the past couple of seasons. But he’s nearly a shoo-in for top 3 year old Eclipse award honors.
Ridden by Mike Smith for the Gary and Mary West stable, the son of Flatter may be without his regular rider if Baffert decides to send stablemate Arrogate out for the Classic distance. But after the race Baffert said he wasn’t even sure Arrogate would be running.
After losing the San Diego Handicap and Pacific Classic at Del Mar in his last two starts, it’s understandable that Baffert is unsure where Mike Smith will land come Classic day. And that’s good news for West Coast fans.
