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Eda, the even-money favorite, looked beaten halfway down the agelong astatine Los Alamitos connected Saturday, but the Bob Baffert-trained filly recovered a 2nd cogwheel and scored a half-length triumph successful the $300,000 Grade I Starlet Stakes.
The triumph was Baffert’s 5th consecutive successful the Starlet, a 1 1/16-mile contention for 2-year-old fillies, and gives him a changeable astatine a 5th consecutive Starlet-Futurity double. Baffert, who had 3 horses successful the Starlet, figures to beryllium salient again successful the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity connected Dec. 11.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Eda appeared to beryllium connected her mode to triumph astatine the caput of the agelong erstwhile Tonito’s, a 19-1 longshot, enactment her caput successful beforehand midway done the lane and it appeared she mightiness beryllium poised to propulsion disconnected a astonishment win.
But Eda, who’s won 4 of six and went into the contention disconnected a brace of stakes victories (Anoakia and Desi Arnaz), picked up the first-place cheque for $180,000 to pad her vocation net to $370,000.
“She relaxed nicely and we had a bully presumption connected the extracurricular down the backstretch,” said Hernandez, who took implicit aboard the girl of Munnings for Flavien Prat, who elected to thrust Grace Adler, the 2nd prime successful the wagering astatine 2-1. “She responded erstwhile I asked her astatine the caput of the stretch, and erstwhile they came to her connected the wrong and outside, she didn’t privation to fto them by. She was precise game.”
It was Eda’s archetypal effort astir 2 turns.
“She rated disconnected well, and you ne'er cognize however they’re going to bash going agelong until you try,” said Baffert, who besides had Grace Adler and 41-1 longshot Benedict Canyon successful the race. “She relaxed well, but turning for location I wasn’t sure. Juan said she truly dug successful erstwhile she was challenged and didn’t privation to lose.”
Baffert was disappointed successful the effort by Grace Adler, who has turned successful 2 dismal efforts aft her triumph successful the Grade I Del Mar Debutante connected Sept. 5. A accelerated aboriginal gait successful that contention acceptable up the Curlin filly for an 11 1/4-length victory.
“She got upset successful the paddock and (Prat) told (assistant trainer) Jimmy (Barnes) she conscionable had nary involvement successful running,” helium said.
Grace Adler finished past successful the six-horse field, 33 lengths down fifth-place finisher Benedict Canyon, who was successful beforehand by 1 magnitude aft a 23.65-second opening 4th until surrendering the pb to Eda, who archetypal staved disconnected the situation from Tonito’s connected the extracurricular and past a closing bid connected the wrong by Cairo Memories (7-2), who edged Tonito’s by a cervix for second.
The triumph was Baffert’s record-tying eighth successful the Starlet – 5 astatine Los Alamitos and 3 astatine Hollywood Park, which ran the inaugural moving of the contention successful 1981. D. Wayne Lukas, different Hall of Famer and Baffert’s bully friend, besides won eight.
“To me, Wayne Lukas has ever been the barroom successful racing,” Baffert said. “He was the No. 1 feline erstwhile I was successful 4th equine racing and helium was the No. 1 feline erstwhile I switched implicit to thoroughbreds. It’s a precise large accomplishment.”
He tin convey Eda for helping him get there.
“(Eda) is getting amended and better,” Baffert said. “Getting the Grade I for her is precise important.”
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