Live Oak Stud's Win Approval, dam of two champions, euthanized at 29

Blue hen Win Approval, a foundation mare for Live Oak Stud who produced two Eclipse Award champions to run in Charlotte Weber’s red and white colors, was euthanized July 19 due to the infirmities of old age. She was 29.

“She will be missed, but never forgotten,” Weber said in a press release.

Florida-bred Win Approval, by Canadian Horse of the Year With Approval and out of Live Oak’s graded stakes-placed homebred Negotiator, was foaled in 1992. She won twice from 16 starts while trained by Pat Kelly, winning a maiden and allowance race at Monmouth Park.

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As a broodmare, Win Approval produced 10 foals for Live Oak; nine made it to the races, and eight were winners, with her progeny amassing earnings of $8,936,808. Her career was bolstered by four graded stakes-winning millionaires, including her two Eclipse champions – Miesque’s Approval and World Approval.

Win Approval got off to a fast start, as her first foal was Revved Up (foaled 1998, by Sultry Song), a three-time graded stakes-winning millionaire. He was swiftly followed by her first champion, Miesque’s Approval (1999, Miesque’s Son). He won five graded stakes, including a four-length, $50.60 upset score in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs that secured his Eclipse Award championship as outstanding turf male. His other highlights included a score in the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes in course-record time at Monmouth Park. He banked more than $2.6 million.

After producing the winners Winabull (2001, Hesabull), Magnificentaproval (2002, Distant View), Siteofawinner (2003, Distant View), and Winning Doe (2006, Running Stag) and the unraced Highest Approval (2007, High Fly), Win Approval broke through with another three-time graded stakes-winning millionaire in Za Approval (2008, Ghostzapper). The course record-setter for a mile at Keeneland, Za Approval finished second to two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan in both the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

After the placed runner Victorious Won (2010, More Than Ready), Win Approval’s final foal was the $3 million earner World Approval (2012, Northern Afleet). The gelding was already the winner of three graded stakes, including the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth in 2016, when he stormed into the 2017 season to win 4 of 5 outings and secure a divisional Eclipse. That run included victories in the Grade 2 Dixie, Grade 1 Fourstardave, Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, and the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar.

With World Approval winning an Eclipse Award, Win Approval was honored as the 2017 Broodmare of the Year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. She also was named the Florida broodmare of the year by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association in 2006, 2016, and 2017.