World Approval too good in Fourstardave H. (G1)

Live Oak Plantation’s venerable turf star World Approval scored the second Grade 1 win of his remarkable career in Saturday’s $500,000 Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga on a rain-soaked turf course.

The skies opened up about an hour before the one-mile contest, rendering the turf course “yielding” by post time.

World Approval, who has a pair of graded wins over softer turf courses, took to Saratoga’s like the classy veteran that he is. Third on the outside through the first six furlongs, the gray 5-year-old rolled to the lead near the top of the stretch and kicked home impressively, confidently holding off Time Test (GB) by 2 ¼-lengths.

“He likes a target,” trainer Mark Casse said. “That was one of the reasons we cut him back to a mile, because we thought if we could win the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) or have a shot anywhere, it would be a mile (race). When you run him farther, he doesn’t get a target. Shorter, there’s more speed, and he got a target and it looked like he loved it.”

Casse trains World Approval for his owner/breeder. World Approval has now won $1,443,763, five graded stakes, and seven stakes overall. The 5-year-old is out of Win Approval, who is also the dam of millionaires Za Approval, Miesque’s Approval and Revved Up.

World Approval too good in Fourstardave H. (G1)