Greek Sun wins Oak Tree Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. - Maybe Greek Sun should be based only in California. After all, the 3-year-old colt is unbeaten in four starts at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita, with his two losses occurring this summer at Arlington Park and Belmont Park.

The latest success came in Sunday's $150,000 at Santa Anita. Greek Sun rallied from eighth on the backstretch to score by three-quarters of a length over Laura's Lucky Boy. Hendrix, sent off at 56-1, finished third in the field of nine.

Greek Sun ($4.80) finished 1 1-8 miles on turf in 1:48.08. Jockey Edgar Prado gave Greek Sun a few cracks of the whip in early stretch, but later said the colt just needed to straighten out before showing his best.

"He doesn't accelerate on the turns," Prado said. "I waited for him to switch leads. Then, he ran so fast."

Laura's Lucky Boy, who tracked pacesetter Whilly through fractions of 23.88 and 48.53 seconds, led by a half-length in the stretch but could not hold off Greek Sun. Laura's Lucky Boy finished a length in front of Hendrix.

Greek Sun has won 4 of 6 starts and $342,652 for owner Peter Angelos and trainer Bobby Frankel. Greek Sun won the Hill Rise Stakes last December and Grade 3 Cinema Breeders' Cup Stakes in June.

Greek Sun later finished second in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park and last of eight in the Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park last month on a yielding turf course that Prado said he did not like.