Sum of Success Stays Perfect with FHBPA Express Tour Win

R Island Jewel Sparkles in $150,000 FHBPA Three Ring
Divin Propos Determined Winner of $65,000 Mambo Meister

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – K. Johnston Racing, Michael and Jules Iavarone and Hopeless Stables’ talented juvenile Sum of Success kept his perfect record intact with another dominant performance Saturday at Gulfstream Park, easily dispatching four overmatched rivals for a 5 ¼-length victory in the $150,000 FHBPA Express Tour.

The Express Tour for Florida-bred 2-year-olds was the last of three stakes on opening weekend of the fall Sunshine Meet, preceded by the $150,000 FHBPA Three Ring for 2-year-old fillies, also sprinting seven furlongs, and $65,000 Mambo Meister overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up on the grass.

With regular rider Jonathan Ocasio up for trainer Bobby Dibona, Sum of Success ($2.40) cruised over a fast main track in 1:24.61 while under wraps for his second straight stakes victory following the $100,000 FHBPA In Summation Aug. 8. His three wins have come by 24 ¼ combined lengths.

“This one might be the best I ever trained,” Dibona said. “Picture perfect. What can I say? He’s run three races and he’s won by [open lengths] and never been asked to do anything yet.”

Sent off the top choice for a third straight race, this time at 1-5, Sum of Success broke alertly and again found himself in control early, going the opening quarter-mile in 22.52 seconds under a tight Ocasio hold. Holy Warrior, a towering gray colt making his second career start, was alone in keeping the favorite honest with American Roadster and Stick Talk well back battling for third.

Holy Warrior was hard-used to keep up with the leader through a half-mile in 44.82 seconds when a slight shake of the reins caused Sum of Success to further open up on his rivals, and they galloped alone down the lane as Ocasio wrapped up on the son of Grade 1 winner Win Win Win before they reached the eighth pole.

“[I haven’t asked] for everything, just 75-80 percent. I think he can do more than what he’s doing right now. He still has a lot to learn. He can go mile, go seven, six, five, 5 ½ [furlongs]. He can do everything good,” Ocasio said. “It feels great. I know I have a good horse with me and I just have to ride him straight and he’ll do everything else.”

For his part, Dibona keeps the instructions simple to Ocasio, aboard for Sum of Success’ 7 ½-length five-furlong debut triumph July 20 and an 11 ½-length score in the six-furlong In Summation.

“You know what I tell him? Good luck,” Dibona said. “He knows the horse. He rode him like a gem.”

Godfidence, off at 23-1, made a late run to be second over Holy Warrior, with Stick Talk and American Roadster completing the order of finish. Mister Morgs was scratched.

Bred by Oakleaf Farm in Ocala, Fla, and purchased for $165,000 as a 2-year-old in training in April, Sum of Success will be pointed next to Gulfstream’s $250,000 Three Rules for Florida-bred 2-year-olds going a two-turn mile Oct. 3. Dibona bypassed an offer to run in Saturday’s Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga to stay home.

“He’s doing everything I’m asking. I’m happy the route that I chose. We’re just going to stay a little patient and take everything as it comes along,” he said. “He’s a good boy. If you’re a horse person and you’re out looking for horses and scouting, you know how hard it is to come up with a horse. We’ve been at this a long time and come a long way. We’re very excited.”

In 2000 Express Tour became the fourth horse to sweep the Florida Stallion Series for Florida-bred 2-year-olds – the Dr. Fager, Affirmed and In Reality – before being purchased privately by Godolphin as a Triple Crown hopeful. He won the 2001 UAE Derby (G3) and was eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), capturing the Jerome (G2) two starts later for his final victory. He was retired with five wins and nearly $1.8 million in purse earnings from 15 starts.

R Island Jewel Sparkles in $150,000 FHBPA Three Ring

Averill Racing’s R Island Jewel, beaten a neck in her only prior start, emerged from a three-way battle up front with the lead on the far turn and extended her advantage once straightened for home to graduate with a popular 6 ¼-length triumph in the $150,000 FHBPA Three Ring.

R One Way, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner R Disaster out of the Gottcha Gold mare Making Havoc, got up to be second and complete the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained exacta. Ridden by Rasheed Hughes, R One Way ($2.80) covered seven furlongs over a fast main track in 1:26.

Stakes-placed Mon Coquette, breaking from the rail, R Island Jewel and Arindel homebred Boots, in the clear three wide, raced down the backstretch together through a quarter-mile in 22.74 seconds with R One Way sitting a trip in fourth. The half went in 46.04 when R Island Jewel took command and opened up on the competition down the lane.

Mon Coquette was a distant third, with Boots fourth. Liberty Rings, a stakes winner on turf and dirt that was the 8-5 program favorite, and maiden winner Blinkster were scratched.

Bred in Florida by Midge Koontz, R Island Jewel fetched $90,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March. She was stretching out off her Aug. 16 debut, a five-furlong maiden special weight against state-breds where she pressed the pace throughout and came up just short.

Bred by Ocala Stud Farm and trained by Calder Hall of Famer Eddie Plesa Jr., Three Ring won the Susan’s Girl and My Dear Girl divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes in 1998 before running third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). At 3 she won Gulfstream’s Davona Dale (G2) and Bonnie Miss (G2) – now the Gulfstream Park Oaks – before finishing 19th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and winning the Acorn (G1) in her final start.

Divin Propos Determined Winner of $65,000 Mambo Meister

Divin Propos, owned and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., barged through a narrow opening between Private Thoughts and Indecisiveness in deep stretch and edged clear to a half-length decision in the $65,000 Mambo Meister overnight handicap.

It was the second stakes win of the day for Joseph and jockey Rasheed Hughes, who also teamed up with R Island Jewel in the $150,000 FHBPA Three Ring for Florida-bred 2-year-old fillies.

“God is good,” Hughes said. “All credit to Saffie and his team. I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”

Divin Propos ($11.40) rated in fifth along the rail, leading only Grade 2 dirt winner Steal Sunshine, as multiple stakes winner Tank and stakes-placed 2-1 favorite Indecisiveness pressed each other through splits of 22.74 and 46.04 seconds for a half-mile.

Divin Propos had moved up to third entering the stretch but lacked room, and had a hole in front of him close for a moment between the two front-runners before it opened again and Hughes sent the Grade 3-placed 6-year-old French-bred gelding through for his first stakes win and first overall since August 2024.

“I got a good break and was able to sit in behind some decent fractions and save a lot of ground,” Hughes said. “I tipped out, and the space was there. I kept my horse’s momentum and as soon as the hole opened up, I had enough horse that he just went through there. He’s an old pro, he knows what he’s doing.”

Private Thoughts nosed out Indecisiveness for second, followed by Steal Sunshine, Tank and Iron Hand. Defending champion Prevent and Fiveeyesonskystars were scratched.

Mambo Meister raced for much of his career in South Florida with trainer Phil Gleaves, winning nine stakes including the 2009 Spend a Buck Handicap (G3) and 2010 Miami Mile (G3) and Memorial Day (G3) handicaps. Retired after running in Gulfstream’s 2012 Mac Diarmida (G2), he finished with 11 wins from 43 starts and $703,725 in purse earnings.