Real Escape String - can't get it to work

[rockonxox]

I am having issues with apostrophe's when using a form to insert/update/edit information in my database. My original code works unless an apostrophe is used:

<?php
$con=mysqli_connect("CONNECTIONINFORMATION");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno())
  {
  echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
  }

$result=mysql_query("INSERT INTO $table wf_FirstName1,wf_LastName3) VALUES ('".mysql_real_escape_string($wf_FirstName1)."', '".mysql_real_escape_string($wf_LastName3)."')";

$sql="INSERT INTO nominatedsires (ecuid,sirename,yob,color,breed,owner,approved)
VALUES ('$_POST[ecuid]','$_POST[sirename]','$_POST[yob]','$_POST[color]','$_POST[breed]','$_POST[owner]','no')";

if (!mysqli_query($con,$sql))
  {
  die('Error: ' . mysqli_error($con));
  }
echo "Thank you for your nomination.<br>Please send $1000 nomination fee to Andie so your nomination can be approved.<p><a href='nominateasire.php'>Nominate another stallion</a>";

mysqli_close($con);
?>

I have been scouring forums, tutorials, etc but I can not get mysqli_real_escape_string to work so I'm obviously using it wrong. This code below doesn't give me an error (like many other attempts have). It gives me the thank you message but the information that goes into the database is blank.

<?php
$con=mysqli_connect("CONNECTIONINFORMATION");
// Check connection
if (mysqli_connect_errno())
  {
  echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
  }

$sql="INSERT INTO nominatedsires (ecuid,sirename,yob,color,breed,owner,approved)
VALUES ('".mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST[ecuid])."', '".mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST[sirename])."', '".mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST[yob])."', '".mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST[color])."', '".mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST[breed])."', '".mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST[owner])."', 'no')";

if (!mysqli_query($con,$sql))
  {
  die('Error: ' . mysqli_error($con));
  }
echo "Thank you for your nomination.";

mysqli_close($con);
?>

What is the proper way for me to use real escape string to deal with apostrophe's in this form?

 

[hitman6003]

Provide the connection variable with mysqli_real_escape_string..

 

mysqli_real_escape_string($con, $_POST['ecuid'])