BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Though given an opportunity to take his talents on the road, K. Johnston Racing, Michael and Jules Iavarone and Hopeless Stables’ undefeated Sum of Success will stay home and attempt to keep his perfect record intact in the $150,000 FHBPA Express Tour Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The Express Tour is for Florida-bred 2-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs on the main track.
Bred by Liz and Norman Wilson of Ocala, Florida in the name of their Oakleaf Farm, Sum of Success is a bay son of Ocala Stud stallion Win Win Win out of All Summed Up, by In Summation.
Despite not being nominated, Sum of Success was courted to run in the seven-furlong Spendthrift Farm Hopeful (Grade 1) to be run Sunday at Saratoga Race Course but trainer Bobby Dibona said he hasn’t been tempted to deviate from his game plan.
Pending Saturday, Dibona is eyeing the $250,000 FHBPA Three Rules for Florida-bred 2-year-olds going a one-turn mile October 3 at Gulfstream.
“I’ve got [this race] and [the Three Rules], and the timing’s good. I’d like to wrap up the season with those two races and I don’t know if I’d run him again [this year],” Dibona said. “We’re going to save the bigger stuff for down the road.”
Sum of Success has yet to face open company, romping by 19 combined lengths in a five-furlong maiden special weight on July 20 and in the $100,000 FHBPA In Summation going six furlongs on August 10. Winning the latter by 11 ½ lengths, Sum of Success produced an 87 Beyer Speed Figure—the highest of any juvenile at Gulfstream and tied for the fifth-fastest in the country this year.
“He’s a classy, smart-minded, fast horse. He’s got all the makings. You know how things go, you’ve got to pay attention and stay on top of things. But he’s a fun horse. He enjoys what he’s doing,” Dibona said. “I just don’t want to burn him up. I don’t need to.”
As good as Sum of Success has been on the dirt thus far, Dibona believes his rising star could be equal to the task on turf.
“He can be a little soft-footed at times. That’s why I think this may be a turf horse. But right now he’s doing so well,” he said. “My plan has been the two Florida-bred races and maybe call it a 2-year-old season. If I did anything, it might give me a chance to test that turf [theory] one time in a race that won’t mean that much to me and then call it quits [for the year].”
Sum of Success has earned $98,400 in his two victories. Dibona selected him out of Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree consignment at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training, paying $165,000.
Regular rider Jonathan Ocasio gets the return call on Sum of Success from post three in a field of six. They are rated the 1-2 morning line favorite.
“We’re ready to go,” Dibona said. “He came out of the last race good. He’s a good boy. He’s growing and maturing and doing everything the right way right now. We certainly haven’t gotten to the bottom of him yet.”
Also coming into the Express Tour off wins are Godfidence and Stick Talk.
Bred, owned and trained by Mary Lightner, Godfidence ran third behind subsequent Proud Man-winner Watson in his debut on June 13 at Gulfstream. He then came back to graduate in restricted company sprinting six furlongs on July 24 at Colonial Downs.
Godfidence is by Chance It out of the Graeme Hall mare Crumb and sports earnings of $60,200 from his two starts.
Godfidence will be ridden from post one by Rajiv Maragh and they are 12-1 on the morning line.
Bell Racing’s Stick Talk exits a popular and determined half-length maiden special weight victory against fellow Florida-breds sprinting five-and-a-half furlongs on August 9 at Gulfstream. Prior to that, also at Gulfstream, he ran second twice facing open company going four-and-a-half furlongs on June 6 and six furlongs on July 11.
“The horse is doing really good. He breezed [Monday] morning in [:49.30] in company and did it really comfortably,” trainer Carlos David said. “In a perfect world, I would have rather knocked out the conditions, but I have to jump from winning a maiden to a stake, which is fine. It is what it is. We’re going to try to win it.”
Stick Talk has shown versatility in his two races, coming from far back in debut and racing close to the pace in each of the last two starts, both as the favorite, though David will concede that role to Sum of Success.
“[Sum of Success is] the horse to beat. Hopefully we get a good post on the outside. It’s going to be [Stick Talk’s] first race against winners so I guess we’ll see what he’s made of,” he said. “At least it’s a Florida-bred stake, so it’s a little more restricted than running in an open stake. We’ll see how it goes.”
Stick Talk is by Girvin out of Spiel, by Speightstown and was bred in Florida by Victoriam Farm Spiel ’24. He has banked $73,800 from three races.
Bell Racing bought Stick Talk for $60,000 out of the Ocala Stud consignment at the OBS Spring Sale.
Samy Camacho will guide Stick Talk from post four and they are 7-2 in the program.
Others set to line up are Mister Morgs with J.G. Torrealba up, jockey Diego Herrera teams with Holy Warrior and Leonel Reyes will take the reins on American Roadster.
Return to the September 4 issue of Wire to Wire
