West Coast is the star shining brightest in Baffert's barn

Bob Baffert has a stable of talent that would envy even the most gaudy rap star’s garage.

In that collection of fine thoroughbred transportation, one name now sticks out as the Lamborghini among Cadillacs.

That well-oiled machine is no longer Arrogate.

In the ‘What have you done for me lately sport,’ the king of Dubai, the sultan of Saratoga has fallen off the map of greatness in two disappointing runs, notably an off-the-board fourth place finish in the G1 San Diego Handicap, leaving horse racing fans wondering who’s the next Baffert star to stand court?

Heavy became the crown for Arrogate.

Welcome to the throne, West Coast.

Baffert expressed joy and jubilation for his three-year-old colt Saturday at Parx Racing shortly after the son of Flatter smoked the likes of Irap and Irish War Cry to the tune of a six-length victory in the G1 Pennsylvania Derby Saturday, just a month removed from his other G1 win in the Travers.

“His Travers performance was pretty impressive, and now this performance.  He’s just a dominant horse,” said Baffert of his precocious six-time winner in eight career races.  “I know he’s late, but he’s late like Arrogate, and look how he came through last year.  He’s getting to that level right now where he is a superior three-year-old.”

Just like West Coast, the then three-year-old Arrogate busted on the scene at Saratoga, blistering the track record in the Travers, running the 1 mile and 1/4 run at 1:59.36, winning by 13 1/2 length.  West Coast ran the race a year later at a final time of 2:01.19.

In 2015, Baffert sent Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh to the graveyard of champions, only to be upset by Keen Ice.

“I’m fortunate with the horses I’ve had here,” said a poised Baffert.  “I had American Pharaoh, and then it was like, what’s next?  Arrogate comes around for me next.  I’m really lucky that I have some clientele that really steps up to the plate for me.”

While American Pharaoh needs no validation as the pinnacle of success in Baffert’s illustrious history with winning equines, there is still an open case of present-day supremacy for the late budding now four-year-old Arrogate, who went from a world-beating mythical legend to an uninspired Sunday afternoon jogger in a span of two months.

Most recently coming off a half-length loss to stablemate Collected in the TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar, the son of Unbridled’s Song, who worked out a week ago at Santa Anita to the tune of 1:02.35 in 5 furlongs, has been eyeing a shot at a second win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, though Baffert seems to be ambivalent about the colt’s return to the biggest race of the year, one where he knocked off Eclipse Horse of the Year award winner California Chrome.

“We’re not even sure Arrogate’s running yet,” the Hall of Fame trainer said.  “He’s going to really have to turn it around.”

Whether you fall in the camp that believes Arrogate’s recent string of setbacks comes from a discomfort with Del Mar’s new track surface, or more of an injury-related view, one thing has become unequivocal: West Coast has moved in as the next emperor of the Baffert stable, and he’s not losing rank anytime soon.

It is quite possible that West Coast even takes a bite out of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, either against Arrogate, or in his stead.

“We’ll get (West Coast) back to Santa Anita and see how he’s training and how everything goes,” Baffert said when asked about a potential Classic appearance for his lifetime earner of $1,543,800.  “It’s a long way off, so we’ll think about it.  I don’t want to say no or yes.”

When you look at the current paradigm West Coast has fallen into, it is easy to see why his future can be compared to that of Arrogate, who won seven races in a row between a stretch of his maiden run at Santa Anita to his implausible worst-to-first finish in the Dubai World Cup.  The late-bloomer West Coast is currently on a four-race win streak.

Baffert talked about taking his time to develop West Coast like he did Arrogate.

“He was just a big horse that I took my time with,” said Baffert of West Coast.  “When you have that kind of clientele that lets you develop a horse, like you own him yourself, that’s the thing to do.  I’m really fortunate to have an owner like (Gary West).”

“Obviously, with both we took our time,” the trainer continued. “Sometimes that is the approach you have to take to get the best kind of results.  When it comes to West Coast, this is a horse that can be dominant.  He’s a horse I’m really fortunate to have.  Both are horses where it doesn’t get much better.”

Whether it is a trip to the Dirt Mile, or the Breeders’ Cup Classic itself, West Coast is a multi-faceted, six-cylinder engine that will fire at a maximum efficiency in San Diego come November.