G.G. Ryder enters Alcatraz in sharp form

Five signed up for Sunday’s $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on the Golden Gate Fields turf. G.G. Ryder looks like a strong favorite, having won two straight at a mile, one on Tapeta and one on grass.

Bought privately by leading trainer Jerry Hollendorfer this year, G.G. Ryder has four wins and a third in his five 2014 starts. Last out, he surrendered the lead to Argyle Cut in the stretch of an optional claimer on turf here but rallied to win by three-quarters of a length.

The others in the race are Pete’s Slew, Flagman, Latitudefortytwo, and Pazmeifucan. Only Flagman and Pete’s Slew have run in stakes.

Flagman, whose lone victory came over the turf here, ran fourth in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. Pete’s Slew ran fourth in the Golden Nugget and fifth in the Gold Rush on the main track here last year.

Pete’s Slew has won both of his starts this year, both in optional-claiming sprints on the Tapeta synthetic surface here. He will be making his turf debut Sunday.

Latitudefortytwo posted a front-running maiden win on the turf here April 13 in his second career start and his first start of 2014.

Pazmeifucan will be making his turf debut after graduating on the main track April 27, one day after his full brother, Pepper Crown, won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on the turf.

Trainer Tim McCanna said he’s running Pete’s Slew in this race more to see if he can handle the one-mile distance than turf. Pete’s Slew’s lone try at a mile resulted in a fifth in the Gold Rush, as he faded after dueling for the lead to the stretch.

“He was tired at that time, and we gave him some time off afterwards,” McCanna said. “He’s coming into this better.”

Trainer Alex Paszkeicz is expecting Pazmeifucan to take to the turf.

“I don’t look at it as a concern,” he said. “Horses are products of their environment, and the first two years of their lives, they’re running on grass. I don’t see any problem.”

The problem, though, could be pace. Latitudefortytwo, G.G. Ryder, and Pazmeifucan come off front-running route wins, and Pete’s Slew has sprint speed. Flagman runs from off the pace, and he closed from third in his maiden win on turf here last November.

McCanna has trained Pete’s Slew with getting him to relax in mind. He worked Pete’s Slew six furlongs in 1:14.40 last Sunday.

“We broke him off behind another horse in his last work, and he seemed comfortable,” McCanna said.