Sum of Success towers over statebred rivals again in Express Tour
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Bobby Dibona said he spent more than he planned when he purchased Sum of Success for $165,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales April sale of 2-year-olds in training. Looking back, the trainer would almost certainly be willing to pay a great deal more.
In two career starts at Gulfstream Park, including the $100,000 In Summation last month, the juvenile is unbeaten and untested against Florida-bred rivals, winning by a combined 19 lengths. He will again be an inescapable favorite in the $150,000 Express Tour Stakes on Saturday.
“I was in love with the horse from Day One,” Dibona said. “I always thought he was a little on the special side because of his speed and his mind. He’s verified what I was thinking.”
Before Sum of Success rocketed home to win the In Summation by 11 1/2 lengths with an 87 Beyer Speed Figure, Dibona said the colt had the raw ability to make it to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but he cannot ignore the money right in front of him.
“We’re successful where we are right now and have plenty of time,” Dibona said. “They offered me to go to the [Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga], but I just wanted to stay where I’m at.”
As Dibona noted, Sum of Success towers over his five Florida-bred rivals on Saturday. The only other horse who has faced winners, American Roadster, finished 14 lengths behind the heavy favorite last time out.
If Sum of Success takes care of business in the seven-furlong Express Tour, he will likely stay home for the $250,000 Three Rules at a mile next month.
Dibona, a Boston native who has risen up the ranks in Florida over two decades, said he still thinks of himself as an outsider making his way in a tough game. The work to get a horse like Sum of Success began a long time ago.
“I grew up in New England,” Dibona said. “I came up buying horses for $1,000 and sticking them in the ice for two hours. I didn’t come from Kentucky. I came from Boston, so my background is so different. It’s just great to get a chance to be around some better horses now.”
Three Ring
Liberty Rings, a juvenile filly trained by Nicholas Palmer, will go for her third Florida-bred stakes victory in the $150,000 Three Ring on Saturday.
The statebred juvenile stakes series at Gulfstream was made for fillies like Liberty Rings, who struggled to find spots early in her career. After pulling off a 7-1 surprise in the $125,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies on turf in May, Palmer had to ship her to Churchill Downs for the $225,000 Debutante, where she never challenged.
Back home at Gulfstream last month, the filly ran in statebred company for the first time and sailed home to win the $100,000 Scandalous Act by three lengths. That victory will make her the likely favorite in the seven-furlong Three Ring.
Liberty Rings is the only horse in the field of six juvenile fillies with multiple victories and is also the only one to win a stakes. Mon Coquette and Boots finished behind her in the Scandalous Act last time and will return.
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