West Coast goes six furlongs in last major Pegasus prep

ARCADIA, Calif. – West Coast, the likely second choice to Gun Runner in the upcoming Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27, had his last major drill for that race Sunday morning at Santa Anita, where he went six furlongs from the gate in 1:12 under jockey Drayden Van Dyke.

West Coast is scheduled for one more – easier – work at Santa Anita before departing for Florida on Jan. 24, three days before the Pegasus, but this was his last serious work. He went in company, and Van Dyke slapped him twice right-handed crossing the wire to encourage him to go out farther.

“Good, nice,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert. “He needs to go in company. He’s sort of a lazy horse.”

Baffert won the inaugural World Cup last year with Arrogate and is scheduled to have two runners in this year’s race in West Coast and Collected. They were third and second, respectively, behind Gun Runner – the ante-post favorite for the Pegasus – in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar two months ago.

Baffert said Javier Castellano will ride West Coast in the Pegasus, and that Mike Smith retains the mount on Collected.