Champion World Approval makes successful seasonal debut at Tampa

World Approval, Live Oak’s reigning champion turf horse in North America, made a triumphant return in his 6-year-old debut on Feb. 10th, winning the $175,000 Tampa Bay S. (G3) in his first race since being honored as a 2017 Eclipse Award winner [WATCH RACE].

Trained by Mark Casse, the classy gray has proven to be versatile at many distances on turf during his highly-accomplished career, but his turn back to a flat mile a year ago made him world class. On Saturday, he began the season racing a sixteenth of a mile further, stopping the timer in 1:40.66 over a firm course under jockey John Velazquez for his fourth straight victory. The win streak dates back to his impressive Fourstardave H. (G1) score last summer at Saratoga in his first ever start at the mile distance on grass.

The Live Oak homebred earned a 103 Beyer at Tampa, marking the eighth time he’s run a 103 or higher Beyer number. The win also made World Approval a triple millionaire, as he moved his career earnings to $3,052,363 with his twelfth win from 25 starts. He’s now a 10-time stakes winner and 8-time Graded winner, to go along with 4 Grade 1 wins to date.

By Northern Afleet, World Approval out of the Live Oak blue hen mare Win Approval, the dam of 4 Graded stakes-winning millionaires – all of which have raced in the iconic red polka dot silks over the past dozen years. He joined Miesque’s Approval (2006) as Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winners and Eclipse champions for Live Oak out of Win Approval.

World Approval could be pointed to Keeneland’s Maker’s 46 Mile S. (G1) in April, where he would return to the mile distance he has mastered.