Greek Sun Doesn’t Miss a Beat in Return

Early in his career, Greek Sun has already done something owner Peter Angelos’ baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, has had trouble accomplishing in recent years.

Specifically, winning three times in a row.

Making his first start since he won the Hill Rise at Santa Anita on Dec. 29, Greek Sun, a 3-year-old son of Danzig, remained perfect when he beat favored Laura’s Lucky Boy in the $153,450 Cinema Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Sidelined after having surgery to remove a bone chip from one of his knees, Greek Sun used a strong finish to win by two lengths in 1:48.40 for the 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The 5-2 second choice in the Grade III, Greek Sun, who had broken his maiden in his first start at Hollywood Park on Nov. 15, was ridden by Alex Solis, who has a meet-high 10 stakes victories.

“It came out well,” said Humberto Ascanio, the assistant to trainer Bobby Frankel, who is spending most of his time in New York these days. “He ran well. He’s healthy right now and I hope he stays like this.

“He’s a nice horse to be around. He’s got a good attitude and he’s easy to train.”

Owned by Ernie Moody, who also campaigns Preakness runner-up Rock Hard Ten, Laura’s Lucky Boy was the 3-5 choice on the strength of three consecutive victories on the grass, including a four-length romp in last month’s Will Rogers.

Surprisingly pressured by Unrivalled, who had done all of his running previously from well off the pace, Laura’s Lucky Boy was unable to match strides late with the winner.

This change in strategy prompted some criticism from Jason Orman, Laura’s Lucky Boy’s trainer, of Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Unrivalled for the first time on Saturday. At the finish, Unrivalled checked in sixth, ahead of only stablemate Blofeld.

“It was another one of those cases of someone else riding somebody else’s horse,” Orman said. “I don’t know what [Desormeaux] was doing, but that’s horse racing, I guess.

“The whole way he looms on him. Our horse tried to take back, then Kent takes back. Our horse went and he went. He wasn’t worried about his horse, he was just worried about ours. I don’t know if it made any difference, but it certainly did not help.”

Desormeaux moved to challenge Laura’s Lucky Boy after the first quarter of a mile had been run in a slow 24.32 seconds.

“We crawled around the first turn and I had no intention of making a donation to Mike Smith,” Desormeaux said, referring to the jockey on the favorite. “I told him when he pays my bills, I’ll make a donation.”

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No better than fourth in her three previous attempts in Grade I races, Stellar Jayne got the job done Saturday, winning the $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park. The Mother Goose is the first race in New York’s Triple Tiara for 3-year-old fillies.

The longest shot in the field of six at nearly 30-1, the gray daughter of Wild Rush prevailed by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:48.13 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Trained by Wayne Lukas for Spendthrift Farm, Stellar Jayne was ridden by Robby Albarado as she won for the fifth time in 13 starts.

Ashado, the 9-10 favorite who was making her first start since winning the Kentucky Oaks on April 30, was second.

Peter Hutton, Lukas’ assistant, said Stellar Jayne could return in the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, the second race in the Triple Tiara, on July 24.

Earlier, Gold Joy, the longest shot in the field of four at 14-1, rallied from last to win the $104,900 Tremont Stakes.