INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Jockey Julie Krone was instructed by the trainer to be patient with Sweet Return. The 3-year-old had other ideas.

"Ron (McAnally) told me to save him, but he didn't say where. So my horse got a flyer leaving the gate," Krone said after riding 17-1 shot Sweet Return to a front-running victory in Sunday's $600,000 Hollywood Derby.

"He kept pulling away and waiting. He took this huge breath around the turn and flicked his ears back. I said, 'Oh, man, do I have some horse.' "

Sweet Return started and finished strongly, outlasting stablemate Fairly Ransom by a half-length to give McAnally a 1-2 finish.

"I told Julie the main thing was to try to get him to relax," McAnally said. "She did what she felt was right, and she was right."

Kicken Kris finished another half-length behind in third in the turf race for 3-year-olds.

As her backers in the Hollywood Park crowd chanted "Julie! Julie!" Krone beamed and waved as she went to the winners' circle.

Sigint was a late scratch, leaving 13 contending for the $360,000 winner's purse.

All carried 122 pounds, and Sweet Return was timed in 2:04.27 on the grass.

Sweet Return, winning for just the third time in 14 career starts, paid $35.40, $11.80 and $5.40. Fairly Ransom, the recent Del Mar Derby winner ridden by Alex Solis, paid $5.40 and $3.80. Kicken Kris, the 3-1 favorite ridden by Javier Castellano, paid $3.40.

Virginia Derby champion Silver Tree was fourth.

In the Hollywood Park co-feature, Heat Haze came from last in the 14-horse field to win the $500,000 Matriarch Stakes.

Heat Haze -- like Sweet Return an English-bred horse -- was ridden by John Velazquez and finished a neck in front of Musical Chimes.

Dedication was a nose back in third in the turf event for fillies and mares 3 and older.

"We had a perfect trip," Velazquez said. "We had to come from last, but I just wanted to wait and bide my time to find room. At the quarter pole, I got in a little tight and I didn't know which way to go.

"I saw another horse that was moving well (Musical Chimes), so I followed that one and it worked out perfectly. Once she got through, she really punched out hard."

The victory by Heat Haze, a disappointing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf last month, gave trainer Bobby Frankel his fifth Matriarch win.

Heat Haze carried 123 pounds and was clocked in 1:34.43 for the mile.

The winner paid $10.60, $6 and $3.80. Musical Chimes, ridden by Edgar Prado, returned $6.40 and $4.40. Dedication, ridden by Corey Nakatani, paid $10.20.

French-bred Etoile Montante, the 2-1 favorite, was close to the lead coming into the stretch but faded to finish eleventh.

"Turning for home, I had a spot to get out, but instead of going forward, she ducked back in over the leader's heels," said Jerry Bailey, who was on Etoile Montante. "Up until that point, I thought she had an excellent chance to win."

Defending champion Dress To Thrill was twelfth.

A 4-year-old filly, Heat Haze has won seven of 14 starts and earned $1.8 million. She has won four of eight races since arriving in the United States last December, but was winless in her last two starts coming into the Matriarch.

Frankel's earlier Matriarch wins came with Starine in 2001, Happyanunoit in 1999, Ryafan in 1997, and Wandesta in 1996. Charlie Whittingham saddled the Matriarch winner seven times.