On Aug. 2 at Saratoga Race Course, Riley Mott earned his first graded stakes win when World Beater took the $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), under a deft ride by Junior Alvarado.
Jaime Torres had been in the saddle for six of the 3-year-old's seven prior starts, including most recently when second in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), run at Saratoga July 4, but travel trouble kept him from arriving on time to ride, so Alvarado, who rides regularly for Mott's father, Hall of Fame trainer Bill, picked up the mount.
Alvarado gave the chestnut son of Oscar Performance an adept and well-timed trip, breaking from the far outside post 9 on a fast Mellon Turf Course. Guiding World Beater to the three path, Alvarado kept his mount in the clear until the field headed into the far turn, when he ended up behind and inside horses with little room to run.
But a hole opened up as the field turned for home, and Alvarado went through it with a horse full of run, the colt gaining ground with every powerful long stride, getting past pacesetter Juwelier and holding off a fast-charging Test Score to get the win by a half-length. He ran the 1 3/16 miles in 1:52.82.
"I got to save some ground coming into the first turn and completely cut the corner in the second turn," the rider said. "When I asked my horse for his best, he split horses, and he was unbelievable today."
"You don't want to do it that way," he continued, referring to picking up the mount from Torres. "But I'm glad I picked it up. The Mott connection, I had to do it. But I do feel terrible for Jaime."
With the win, World Beater earned his third win in eight starts and pushed his earnings to $826,414.
Among the horses World Beater defeated is Capitol Hill, trained by the elder Mott.
"It's wonderful," he said of his son's win. "I think it worked out well that Junior was on him today. Riley does a great job."
Riley Mott grew up at Saratoga and got his first win at the Spa last summer.
"No words can describe it or do it justice," he said, "but it's so special to have everybody here. Junior is really like family to us, and he's been on the ride we've been on, in our personal life, and Sovereignty, and Cody's Wish. We share a lot of memories together."
"I think it was meant to be, I guess," Alvarado said. "I have been looking for him to get his first grade 1 because he's Bill's son. I have been working with him for years."
The winner of the Saratoga Derby Invitational earns automatic entry to the Cox Plate (G1) at Moonee Valley Racing Club in Melbourne, Australia, and traveling expenses up to AU$100,000, and while Mott wasn't quite ready to commit to making that trip, nor did he rule it out.
"It's a long trip, and he's a young horse, but I'd never say no," he said.
And how will he celebrate his career milestone?
"We might go to Walt Whitman for a couple beers and some pizza," said Mott, referring to a downtown Saratoga Springs, N.Y., brewery. "Definitely something low-key."
Owned by Pin Oak Stud, World Beater was bred in Kentucky by Dr. John A. Chandler. Out of the Blame mare Dabinett, he sold for $105,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the Mill Ridge Sales.
World Beater is the fourth graded winner this season for sire Oscar Performance, who has also been represented by graded winners Dashman, Literate, and Rashmi. Oscar Performance, a son of Kitten's Joy, stood the 2025 season for $45,000 at Mill Ridge Farm near Lexington.
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