World Approval gamely battled to a neck victory in the $100,000 American Derby (G3) Saturday at Arlington Park to give the 3-year-old Northern Afleet colt his first graded stakes win and second black-type victory overall.

World Approval is Northern Afleet’s 29th graded stakes winner and one of his 69 career stakes winners.

The Live Oak Plantation homebred was close to the pace from the outset of the nine furlong grass contest. With little speed in the race, World Approval was second by a length to Nun the Less after a half-mile in a languid :52.46. The pacesetter hung tough in the stretch, but World Approval edged ahead with a furlong to run, then held off Crittenden to get the distance in 1:52.92 on a “good” course (VIDEO).

“There was no pace, so we employed a different strategy,” trainer Mark Casse said. “Hopefully there’s a little more pace next time so he can come with a later run. He got it done and we plan on being back on Aug. 15 (for the Grade 1, $450,000 Secretariat S.). Good horses win when they have to make changes to get it done.”

The gray or roan colt upped his earnings to $174,050 and record to 3-0-2 in seven starts. He captured Tampa Bay Downs’ Sophomore Turf S. some three months ago and also ran third in Churchill Downs’ American Turf S. (G2) on Derby Day.
World Approval is out of Live Oak’s stellar broodmare Win Approval, who has already produced three millionaires: champion Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Miesque’s Approval and multiple graded stakes winner Za Approval and Revved Up.