World Beater defeated international cast In Grade 1 Invitational. (Angelo Leito)
Riley Mott wins first Grade 1 Stakes
By Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The aptly-named World Beater defeated a talented group of eight rivals that included three European contenders to provide conditioner Riley Mott with his first graded stakes score in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.
For the third consecutive year, per a partnership between the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and Moonee Valley Racing Club, the race’s winner received an automatic berth into the prestigious Group 1, AUD$6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate, set to take place on October 25. State of Rest captured the 2021 Saratoga Derby and went on to win the Cox Plate.
Campaigned by Pin Oak Stud, the son of Oscar Performance improved from a last-out second to returning rival Test Score in the local Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 4 and adds to previous Listed stakes success in Churchill Downs’ Audubon 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 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. No other explanation needs to be said,” he continued. “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.”
The Motts have posted a “Down Under double” of sorts after Bill Mott secured a berth into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup when Parchment Party captured the Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup on June 6 here.
“That is a long way away, but we’d never say never, I guess,” Riley Mott said of World Beater’s berth into the Cox Plate.
The victory was engineered by Junior Alvarado, who took over from Jaime Torres after his flight from Atlanta was delayed by inclement weather. Alvarado, whose banner year includes wins in this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets with Sovereignty for the elder Mott, said it was bittersweet to pick up the mount.
“You don’t want to do it that way but I’m glad I picked it up,” Alvarado said. “The Mott connection, I had to do it. But I do feel terrible for Jaime there wasn’t nothing he could actually do, things just happen, and I do feel terrible for him.
“I think it was meant to be, I guess,” Alvarado continued. “I have been looking for him to get his first Grade 1 because it’s Bill’s son. I have been working with him for years. So, like I said it was meant to be, I guess.”
Alvarado guided World Beater from the outermost post 9 to settle in mid-pack, and with few rivals eager to take command under the wire for the first time, it was the awkward-starting Juwelier who rocketed up the rail to take charge and mark an opening quarter-mile in 23.92 seconds over the firm footing.
The Umberto Rispoli-piloted Juwelier opened up on Tiberius Thunder with Test Score and World Beater patiently awaiting their cues down the backstretch as the half-mile elapsed in 47.67. Tiberius Thunder inched closer in the latter half of the backstretch with Capitol Hill and Test Score following close behind as a Juwelier marked three-quarters in 1:11.03.
Tiberius Thunder was all out under Frankie Dettori at the head of the lane while World Beater was angled off the rail and in between foes to set his sights on Juwelier, who still held a considerable lead with Test Score looming large down the center of the course and Capitol Hill trying to improve position on the inside.
The mile elapsed in 1:34.95 and World Beater found his best stride, getting the jump on Test Score and pouncing on the stubborn pacesetter inside the final eighth to power away to the half-length score in a final time of 1:52.82.
Juwelier dug in and bravely and clung to place honors by a head over Test Score with the rallying mutuel favorite Hotazhell completing the superfecta. Final Gambit, New Century, Capitol Hill, Tiberius Thunder and Tiztastic completed the order of finish.
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.”
Mott was in agreement with the multiple Grade 1-winning rider.
“It was a great trip. You are always worried about being a little wide on the turf, but the horse just needs a clear run and Junior wound up finding a hole turning for home and I mean the horse is really game,” Mott said. “He was kind of headed on the outside and really dug in well, so that’s all she wrote.”
Rispoli praised the effort from the Alessandro Botti-trained Juwelier, who entered from a head win in the Group 3 JRA Derby Trial on May 31 at Baden Baden with Adrie de Vries in the irons.
“I think he ran awesome. He has a tendency to be a runoff horse,” Rispoli explained. “He can seriously do that, like last time at Baden-Baden, but Adrie de Vries is a great rider, and he tried to handle it as much as he could last time. He still got it. I think if this race were a mile and an eighth, I probably would have stolen it. It was an amazing effort. Before the race, he was a long shot, so when the horse runs like that, I’m really proud of the effort. He’s a nice horse.”
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. He banked $412,500 in victory while returning $24.40 on a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Adirondack in Race 4 and the Grade 2, $300,000 Troy in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
