All Systems Go for World Approval's Seasonal Debut

The mantle of stable star was just sitting there, waiting for some game soul to try and carry it forward.

With the retirement of two-time champion turf female Tepin last April came a void of massive proportions within the Casse Racing shedrow. After two seasons of having his team spoiled by the exploits of a runner who could put runners from across the globe in their place, trainer Mark Casse was hopeful—but not expectant—that such grand shoes would start being filled in swift order.

Though he had grade 1 success in his past performance lines, Live Oak Plantation's World Approval hadn't yet stamped himself as one who could fully wrest control of his division—that is, until his connections realized he might have been hanging out with the wrong crowd.

"I think he was a pleasant surprise. Going into (2017), we thought we had really top-notch racehorses—and he was certainly one of them—but I don't think anybody expected him to have the campaign he had," said Norman Casse, Mark Casse's son and head consultant. "He was always a very good horse. We just figured out exactly what it was he wanted to do, which is turn back to the mile. And the rest is history."

Three straight grade 1 wins, a Breeders' Cup trophy, and an Eclipse Award for champion turf male later, World Approval now bears the full weight of expectations that comes with breakout achievement. On Feb. 3, the homebred gelded son of Northern Afleet  signaled his readiness to keep answering the bell when he turned in an easy half-mile breeze over the turf at Palm Meadows Training Center, his final piece of work before his expected seasonal debut in the Feb. 10 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs.

In his fifth breeze since returning from a brief freshening following his championship-clinching triumph by 1 1/4 lengths in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), World Approval covered the four furlongs in :49 flat with Norman Casse catching him going the final three-eighths in :36. While the gray gelding has always been a total professional in his morning outings, Norman Casse said the barn's reigning champion has stepped up his game in recent weeks following some post-hiatus blahs.

"The first few weeks he was down here you could tell he wasn't really going about his business. He was focused on other things," the younger Casse said. "It was like that post-vacation hangover for him. But you can tell the last 2 or 3 weekends that he's worked that he's being a lot more energetic and on the bridle and looked really well. 

"He looked really awesome today, so it looks like it's all systems go for next week."

World Approval was a proven commodity over a route of ground, having won the 2016 United Nations Stakes (G1T) going 1 3/8 miles. Capable as he was stretching out, he still would often find himself getting reeled in late by such top-level horses, hence the decision in the second half of 2017 to try and see if shortening him up wouldn't extend his ability.

The results were resounding as World Approval rebounded from a fifth-place run in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes (G1T) in June to take the eight-furlong Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course last August. From there, he took down an international slate of challengers in both the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) the Breeders' Cup, feats that not only earned him divisional hardware but made him a finalist for 2017 Horse of the Year honors.

If his 6-year-old debut goes accordingly next weekend, World Approval could have another global challenge on his hands with a possible start in the $6 million Dubai Turf (G1T) at Meydan Racecourse March 31.

"Dubai is still on the radar, but let's go race-by-race and see where we end up," Norman Casse said.