Bob Baffert believes "the vibes are good" ahead of West Coast's bid for Dubai World Cup glory at Meydan on Saturday.
The four-year-old chased home the now-retired Gun Runner in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic and the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream back in January.
Baffert was on hand as West Coast breezed under Victor Espinoza on Tuesday morning and the trainer feels his charge is still improving.
He said: "West Coast is the best older horse on the stage, is getting better and I feel a mile and a quarter is his game.
"Everything has gone so smoothly with him and the vibes are good. He has a high cruising speed and is a brute of a horse.
"American Pharoah (Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner) was as sweet as a kitten with the best mind I've ever seen on a horse, but this guy has strengthened and will push you around in the paddock."
Baffert will be seeking a fourth World Cup win following the successes of Silver Charm (1998), Captain Steve (2001) and Arrogate (2017).
Arrogate was a hot favourite last year as he came from last to first to claim the Group One prize for Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms and Baffert admits he does not feel as much pressure this time around.
He said: "Arrogate was a Saudi Arabian-owned horse and I was bringing him into his own back yard. Watching him detached in the early stages, I was so mad I couldn't enjoy it, but when Gun Runner and him came down the straight, it was like the race of the ages."
Of West Coast's morning exercise, Baffert added: "Victor breezed him for me today. It helps when I come here that I know what to expect and what to deal with.
"You can't beat the experience although it was of course a challenge at first. We try to put him in the right spot and there is extreme pressure, but we have been through it so many times."
