Eda, the even-money favorite, looked beaten halfway down the stretch at Los Alamitos on Saturday, but the Bob Baffert-trained filly found a second gear and scored a half-length victory in the $300,000 Grade I Starlet Stakes.

The victory was Baffert’s fifth consecutive in the Starlet, a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies, and gives him a shot at a fifth consecutive Starlet-Futurity double. Baffert, who had three horses in the Starlet, figures to be prominent again in the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 11.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Eda appeared to be on her way to victory at the head of the stretch when Tonito’s, a 19-1 longshot, put her head in front midway through the lane and it appeared she might be poised to pull off a surprise win.

But Eda, who’s won four of six and went into the race off a pair of stakes victories (Anoakia and Desi Arnaz), picked up the first-place check for $180,000 to pad her career earnings to $370,000.

“She relaxed nicely and we had a good position on the outside down the backstretch,” said Hernandez, who took over aboard the daughter of Munnings for Flavien Prat, who elected to ride Grace Adler, the second choice in the wagering at 2-1. “She responded when I asked her at the head of the stretch, and when they came to her on the inside and outside, she didn’t want to let them by. She was very game.”

It was Eda’s first try around two turns.

“She rated off well, and you never know how they’re going to do going long until you try,” said Baffert, who also had Grace Adler and 41-1 longshot Benedict Canyon in the race. “She relaxed well, but turning for home I wasn’t sure. Juan said she really dug in when she was challenged and didn’t want to lose.”

Baffert was disappointed in the effort by Grace Adler, who has turned in two dismal efforts after her victory in the Grade I Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 5. A rapid early pace in that race set up the Curlin filly for an 11 1/4-length victory.

“She got upset in the paddock and (Prat) told (assistant trainer) Jimmy (Barnes) she just had no interest in running,” he said.

Grace Adler finished last in the six-horse field, 33 lengths behind fifth-place finisher Benedict Canyon, who was in front by one length after a 23.65-second opening quarter until surrendering the lead to Eda, who first staved off the challenge from Tonito’s on the outside and then a closing bid on the inside by Cairo Memories (7-2), who edged Tonito’s by a neck for second.

The victory was Baffert’s record-tying eighth in the Starlet – five at Los Alamitos and three at Hollywood Park, which ran the inaugural running of the race in 1981. D. Wayne Lukas, another Hall of Famer and Baffert’s good friend, also won eight.

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“To me, Wayne Lukas has always been the bar in racing,” Baffert said. “He was the No. 1 guy when I was in quarter horse racing and he was the No. 1 guy when I switched over to thoroughbreds. It’s a very big accomplishment.”

He can thank Eda for helping him get there.

“(Eda) is getting better and better,” Baffert said. “Getting the Grade I for her is very important.”