Win Approval, a Live Oak Stud foundation mare and the 2017 Broodmare of the Year, was euthanized July 19 due to the infirmities of old age, the farm announced July 20. She was 29 years old.
The Live Oak homebred was a daughter of Canadian Horse of the Year With Approval, who entered stud at Live Oak in 1991 and stood at the farm near Ocala, Fla., for six seasons. She was out of the grade 1-placed and stakes-producing Hoist the Flag mare Negotiator.
Win Approval, a modest winner at the track, became extraordinarily successful as a broodmare. She is the dam of eight winners from 10 foals, including four graded stakes winners and two champions—World Approval, 2017's champion turf male, and Miesque's Approval, champion grass horse in 2006. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association honored her as Broodmare of the Year for 2017, when World Approval won three consecutive grade 1 stakes. In addition to her national honor, Win Approval was also named the Florida Broodmare of the Year by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association in 2006, 2016, and 2017. All told, her runners amassed earnings of $8,936,808.
"She will be missed, but never forgotten," said Live Oak owner Charlotte Weber.
Florida-bred World Approval, a son of Northern Afleet born in 2012, was Win Approval's final foal. The gray or roan gelding captured five stakes races for trainer Mark Casse in his championship season, including the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar. He also won that year's EG Vodka Turf Classic Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, the Longines Dixie Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course, the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course, and the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1) at Woodbine en route to career earnings of $3,062,363.
In addition to his national championship, World Approval was also named the 2017 Florida-bred Horse of the Year by the FTBOA, as well as champion older male, turf horse, and male sprinter that season. In 2016, he was the Florida-bred champion older male and turf horse.
Miesque's Approval, by Miesque's Son, won 12 of 41 career starts, including the 2006 NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs. In his championship year of 2006, the Sunshine State product also captured the Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2T) at Churchill Downs, the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, the Red Bank Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park, and the Sunshine Millions Cloverleaf Farms Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In winning the Red Bank at Monmouth, Miseque's Approval set a course record for eight furlongs, getting the distance in 1:33.36 for trainer Martin Wolfson. All told, Miesque's Approval banked $2,648,879 for his career.
Win Approval's additional graded stakes winners also shared an affinity for the turf. Revved Up , a 1998 Florida-bred son of Sultry Song, banked $1,548,653. Conditioned by Christophe Clement, the gray gelding won the 2005 Niagara Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2T) at Woodbine, as well as the 2005 Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse, and the 2006 Sycamore Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland. In taking down top prize in the 2003 Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park, Revved Up established a course record for 1 1/2 miles, stopping the clock in 2:26.46.
Kentucky-bred Za Approval, a 2008 son of Ghostzapper first trained by Clement and then Casse, enjoyed his best season in 2013, taking that year's Knickerbocker Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park, the Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park, and the Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park on his way to career earnings of nearly $1.4 million. Not to be outdone by his successful siblings, Za Approval also set a course record, running one mile on the turf at Keeneland in 1:35.89 in dominating an allowance field in 2015.
