G. G. Ryder Makes Grade in San Francisco Mile
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G. G. Ryder overhauled stablemate pacesetter Summer Hit in the closing strides and won the $100,000 San Francisco Mile (gr. IIIT) April 25 at Golden Gate Fields.
The triumph was a first in a graded stakes for G. G. Ryder, who edged Summer Hit by a half length after drawing even with that rival inside the final sixteenth. Showing good energy for Ricardo Gonzalez as Summer Hit gamely battled back, G. G. Ryder just got past for the win in 1:37.87 on turf rated good.
Summer Hit finished as the race's runner-up for the third time in three years, including to last year's winner Pepper Crown, who was fourth this year in trying for the repeat.
With Gonzalez settling G. G. Ryder into a relaxed third early and Are You Kidding Me tracking from fourth, Summer Hit ticked off fractions of :24.73, :49.40, and 1:13.34 for six furlongs, with Tiz Dynamic pursuing from second never more than 1 1/2 lengths back.
Tiz Dynamic was a contender to midstretch but could not match the smart rally of the winner, who was eased off the rail to make his run. Are You Kidding Me uncoiled a belated bit and got past Tiz Dynamic to take third, 1 1/2 lengths back, in the eight-horse field. G. G. Ryder was the slight 3-1 favorite over Summer Hit and Are You Kidding Me.
G. G. Ryder won the Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate amid six wins last year and finished second, beaten a neck by Pepper Crown in an April 5 allowance race after winning his 4-year-old debut Jan. 1 and finishing eighth in the California Cup Turf Classic Jan. 24 before besting Pepper Crown in a Feb. 21 allowance.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer G. G. Ryder is 5-for-6 Golden Gate grass and has an overall 9-3-1 record from 18 career starts. Hollendorfer co-owns the colt with George Todaro. He also trains Summr Hit, whom he co-owns with John Carver..
G. G. Ryder, who was bred by Eagle Oak Ranch, is the first graded stakes winner for the A.P. Indy stallion Chhaya Dance. He is out of the winning Storm Boot mare Stormy Gigi, a half sister to grade II winner and 2011 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) runner-up Force Freeze.
G. G. Ryder paid $8.20, $3.60, and $3, Summer Hit returned $4.40 and $3, and Are You Kidding me paid $3.40 to show.
Tiz Dynamic was fifth, followed by 2-1 favorite Edge of Reality, Toruk Makto, and Polytechnicien to complete the order of finish.