After Za Approval was retired from racing this week and came home to Live Oak Plantation, owner Charlotte Weber said, "Za Approval is yet another extraordinary member of a family that has been especially gratifying to Live Oak." Quite an understatement!

   The 8-year-old multiple graded stakes-winning gelding performed admirably for six years, posting a record of 9-9-4 in 34 starts while earning $1,394,66, and he's one of 10 foals produced by the sensational With Approval mare Win Approval.Among his exploits, Za Approval finished second to Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. `  

    Based on her record, there was no way anybody could forecast the incredible success Win Approval would enjoy in the breeding shed - she went 2-4-1 in 16 starts and earned just $57,210. But she struck gold in her first attempt, producing Revved Up, a gelded son of Live Oak's own millionaire stallion, Sultry Song. Revved Up, born in 1998, rolled up an awesome record of 20-9-1 in 43 starts, earned $1,548,653, and is also enjoying the casual life at Live Oak at the age of 18.

    Of Win Approval's 10 foals, only one, the 2007 product Highest Approval, didn't make it to the races. Of the nine who did race, only Victorious Won (2010) didn't make it to the winner's circle. She went 0-1-0 in four starts and earned $12,647.

    Win Approval's second foal, Miesque's Approval, born in 1999, was her biggest money-winner. The son of Miesque's Son put $2,648,879 into the Live Oak bank account on a record of 12-10-5 in 41 starts and provided inhabitants of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s Director's Room with one of its funnier moments in January of 2006. After he won the Sunshine Millions Turf at odds of 48-1 and paid $99.60, Charlotte Weber made a quick trip to the cashier's window, came back to the room with a fat wad of bills in her hand and proclaimed to all within earshot, "Good, now I have money to buy dinner tonight!"

    Miesque's Approval went on that year to win the Gr. II Maker's Mark, the Gr. II Firecracker Breeders' Cup Handicap and the Gr. III Red Bank, then capped it off with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile, earning $1.9 million for the year. The only millionaire son of Win Approval who isn't a gelding, Miesque's Approval now stands in South Africa.

    Win Approval's last foal is World Approval, now four, who has posted a record of 6-2-3 in 16 starts and is getting better with every race. After winning the Gr. I United Nations at Monmouth Park last month, he's earned $863,450, and barring injury, will soon join his half-brothers in the millionaire category.

    Win Approval's other winners are Winabull (46 starts, 14-6-4, $145,852), Siteofawinner (60 starts, 7-8-6, $59,880), Magnificent Approval (9 starts, 1-1-0, $43,626) and Winning Doe (8 starts, 1-0-0, $20,242).

    All told, Win Approval's runners have made 261 starts, with 80 victories, a winning percentage of 30.6. They also have 45 seconds and 23 thirds, for a total of 148 times in the money, a percentage of 56.7. The group has combined for earnings of $6,737,895. And World Approval still has plenty of time to boost all those numbers.     

    

     

     

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