Kentucky-bred World Beater defeated eight rivals that included three European contenders to provide conditioner Riley Mott with his first graded stakes score in the $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1), a 1 3/16-mile turf test for sophomores at Saratoga Race Course.
With the victory, World Beater receives an automatic berth into the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia slated for Oct. 25. Campaigned by Pin Oak Stud, the son of Oscar Performance improved from a last-out second to returning rival Test Score in the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) on July 4 and adds to previous stakes success in Churchill Downs’ Audubon S. in May.
The milestone victory for Mott comes three years after he began his own training operation after spending his formative years working alongside and learning from his father, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who saddled seventh-place finisher Capitol Hill.
“He just said congrats and well done,” Mott said of his father’s reaction to the Grade 1 win. “I grew up here. This is my childhood at Saratoga, this is my playground. The amount of times we’ve walked down here to the winner’s circle together, my Dad and I, I couldn’t count them all, so this was really special to have him and my extended family here.
“This is Saratoga,” he added. “No other explanation needs to be said. A big day, most of the big players are here. The Bernhards, Pin Oak Stud, they’ve supported me from Day One. I’m really happy to be here.
Clean Trip for World Beater
Winning rider Junior Alvarado said he couldn’t have asked for a better trip.
“I got to save some ground coming into the first turn and completely cut the corner in the second turn,” Alvarado said. “When I asked my horse for his best, he split horses, and he was unbelievable today.”
Bred in Kentucky by Dr. John A. Chandler, World Beater was a $105,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Blame mare Dabinett.