Champ World Approval Takes His Win Streak Into 2018

Fresh off a win at the Eclipse awards, champion World Approval carried his win streak into 2018 with a determined score in the GIII Tampa Bay S. Away in good order, the 1-5 favorite was well back off dueling longshots Le Ken (Arg) (Easing Along) and Western Reserve (Indian Charlie) in third through an opening half-mile in :46.66. Closing the gap as three-quarters went up in 1:10.32, the 6-year-old gelding moved just in time to avoid getting caught up in an incident when Doctor Mounty (Street Sense) fell to the turf and Cheyenne's Colonel (Colonel John) fell over him. Drawing even with the leaders while running three wide turning for home, World Approval took control at the top of the stretch and immediately bounded clear. Forge would not let the Eclipse winner get away that easy and charged after him, making it a two-horse race to the wire. World Approval always had his rivals measure, however, and hit the line a half-length clear. It was four lengths back to third-place finisher Fire Away. Both Doctor Mounty and Cheyenne's Colonel got to their feet immediately following the spill and galloped across the finish line on their own accord. Jockey Manny Cruz, rider of Cheyenne's Colonel), was transported to a local hospital and Antonio Gallardo was evaluated in the jockeys room.

“I feel bad for the two horses that fell and those jockeys,” said winning trainer Mark Casse. “[World Approval] has been better than he was today, but hopefully this will set a nice foundation for him this year. He's a funny horse. He is not going to let you by.”

“He was coming off a long layoff and sometimes they need a race, but he's still a true champion and he put everybody away down the lane,” Hall of Famer John Velazquez said. “I think when we passed a mile it was getting a little long for him with the layoff and [the extra sixteenth] hit him right in the head a little bit.”

Winner of the 2015 GIII American Derby and GIII Saranac S. and the 2016 GI United Nations S., World Approval won the GII Dixie S. last term before finding his niche as a turf miler. A decisive winner of Saratoga's GI Fourstardave H., the Live Oak homebred captured the GI Woodbine Mile next out Sept. 16 and followed suit with a 1 1/4-length score in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, making him the overwhelming choice for champion turf male.

Pedigree Notes:

World Approval's blue hen dam Win Approval, profiled by Steve Sherack prior to his Breeders' Cup win, joined Hasili (Ire), Primal Force, Leslie's Lady and Sweet Life as producers of multiple Breeders' Cup winners. From 10 foals, the pensioned 25-year-old has produced nine starters, eight winners, four graded stakes winners and progeny earnings of $8,811,808. Her first Eclipse winner was Miesque's Approval, who was named champion grass horse after his victory in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Mile. She is also responsible for MGSW millionaire Revved Up and MGSW & MGISP millionaire Za Approval (Ghostzapper). A second-generation Live Oak homebred, two-time winner Win Approval was bought back for $38,000 as a weanling at the 1992 OBS Fall Mixed Sale.

Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
TAMPA BAY S.-GIII, $175,000, TAM, 2-10, 4yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.66, fm.
1–WORLD APPROVAL, 124, g, 6, by Northern Afleet
1st Dam: Win Approval, by With Approval
2nd Dam: Negotiator, by Hoist the Flag
3rd Dam: Geneva II, by Gulf-Weed
O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL); T-Mark E. Casse;
J-John R. Velazquez. $115,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Turf
Male-US, MGISW, 25-12-2-4, $3,052,363. *1/2 to Revved Up
(Sultry Song), MGSW & MGISP, $1,394,666; $1,548,653;
Miesque's Approval (Miesque's Son), Ch. Grass Horse-US,
GISW, $2,648,879; and Za Approval (Ghostzapper), MGSW,
$1,394,666. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Forge (GB), 117, h, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Heat Haze (GB), by Green
Desert. O-Juddmonte Farms, Inc.; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd
(GB); T-William I. Mott. $30,000.
3–Fire Away, 117, h, 6, War Front–Salute, by Unbridled.
O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $15,000.
Margins: HF, 4, HF. Odds: 0.20, 12.20, 8.30.
Also Ran: Tasit, Noble Thought, Le Ken (Arg), Western Reserve, Cheyenne's Colonel, Doctor Mounty. Scratched: Brass Compass.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.