Eda has easy time in winning Anoakia Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. - Eda performed as expected in Sunday’s $79,000 Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs at Santa Anita, cruising to an easy win by 2 1/4 lengths as a heavy favorite.
The performance gave Eda her first stakes win in her fourth start after mixed results at the Del Mar summer meeting.
Eda was second by a head in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 6, running a fine race in her stakes debut after racing near the front from the start. In the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 5, Eda fought for the early lead and faded to finish fifth of eight as the 6-5 favorite.
The difference on Sunday was a move jockey Flavien Prat made on the backstretch of the Anoakia, positioning Eda on the outside of pacesetter Shes Bout a Mover. In the Debutante, Eda raced on the inside throughout before fading from contention.
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“Flavien did a good job getting her out,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She couldn’t do that at Del Mar. There was too much traffic.”
Eda ($2.40) was timed in 1:10.41, finishing clear of 5-1 Lady T, a maiden after two starts. The Baffert-trained Benedict Canyon finished third at 8-1, beaten 12 1/2 lengths. Shes Bout a Mover faded to finish fourth, with Cadillac Margarita last in the small field.
Prat, the leading rider at the current autumn meeting, swept the two minor stakes over the weekend at Santa Anita. He rode Eda for the first time in the Anoakia.
Eda earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.
Shes Bout a Mover, a winner in her debut at Los Alamitos on Sept. 17, ran the opening quarter-mile in 21.90 seconds. On the backstretch, Prat moved Eda off the inside and into a two-wide stalking position. Prat described Shes Bout a Mover as “quicker than me” early.
“I was able to get her in the clear," Prat said of Eda. “She picked it up at the quarter-pole.”
Owned by Baoma Corp., Eda was purchased for $550,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale in April. Eda has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $130,000.