Baffert and Smith eye big money in Parx double-header

Preview: USA, Saturday 10.45pm BST

Parx: Pennsylvania Derby (Grade 1) 1m1f | dirt | 3yo

Not for the first time, and doubtless not for the last, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith are the men in pole position for the big-money Saturday races at Parx where they team up with a couple of heavy favourites in a pair of $1 million contests.

With an impressive victory in the Travers Stakes, West Coast catapulted himself to the top of the muddled US three-year-old class. Now he must do what no other member of the Classic crop has managed in 2017: repeat the dose in another major race, in this case the $1million Pennsylvania Derby, newly upgraded to the top level this year after a series of high-quality renewals.

West Coast is by far the shortest-priced three-year-old in ante-post betting for the Breeders' Cup Classic, where Baffert is responsible for the next three names in bookmakers' lists after the favourite Gun Runner.

As well as West Coast, who made all to beat all the major players from the Triple Crown in the Travers, Baffert has world champion Arrogate and his Pacific Classic conqueror Collected in the Classic.

West Coast enters Pennsylvania's signature contest with a record of five from seven this year. Now he contends with another double-figure field, with rivals headed by Irap (Doug O'Neill/Mario Gutierrez), who was more than five lengths behind him in third place in the Travers.

Irap won the Blue Grass Stakes in the spring before flopping the Kentucky Derby. He has added a couple of minor Grade 3 Derbys to his CV since then and must clearly rate as one of the main players in the division.

Former British-based jockey Fergal Lynch gets a high-profile ride on Belmont Stakes runner-up Irish War Cry (Graham Motion), while Timeline (Chad Brown/Javier Castellano) was beaten for the first time in five career starts when favourite for Haskell on his most recent outing.

Punters should take note that race conditions mean the favourite concedes a couple of pounds to his main opponents, and a not insignificant 7lb to the majority of the others

Also on Saturday

Parx: Cotillion Stakes (Grade 1) 1m½f | dirt | 3yo fillies (9.55pm BST)

Kentucky Oaks winner Abel Tasman (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith) must overcome a seriously tricky draw in gate 11 in a 12-runner field in this $1m contest.

With only a short run to the first turn over this trip at Parx, double-figure post positions have an unenviable record but she is the clear form choice as she bids to complete a Grade 1 four-timer against old rival Salty (Mark Casse/Tyler Gaffalione), who is drawn 12, and Alabama Stakes runner-up It Tiz Well (Jerry Hollendorfer/Drayden van Dyke).

>>Preakness Stakes winner Cloud Computing will miss the remainder of the season due to an ankle chip but is expected to return next season as a four-year-old.

>>Green Mask, a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, suffered a career-ending injury this week when fracturing a near-fore sesamoid during a workout.