World Approval to Bypass Dubai, Aim for U.S. Races
World Approval 2017 champion turf male, will not head to Dubai to compete in Gr.1 Dubai Turf (Dubai World Cup card) but will stay in the U.S. and be pointed to grade 1 stakes going a mile, trainer Mark Casse.
"I always was kind of worried about the distance," the trainer said. "We said all along that since he went to a mile, he's a much better horse. I thought his race the other day (grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes) was good but it made me question how far he wants to go."
The Tampa Bay Stakes is contested at 1 1/16 miles and the Dubai Turf at Meydan is an 1,800-meter race (about 1 1/8 miles).
"You're asking a lot of things (of him to go to Dubai)—we're going a long ways, we're going to run a mile-and-an-eighth, and ask him to beat the best horses in the world. We'll take on the best horses in the world going a mile, but just not a mile-and-an-eighth."
Casse said the Live Oak Plantation homebred came out of his seasonal bow in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Stakes in good order. Under John Velazquez at Tampa Bay Downs, World Approval stalked the pace from third before launching his move and holding off Forge in the stretch to win by a half-length.
By Ritesh Jamkhedkar - ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com