Edited from the TDN (link)

Pin Oak Stud’s World Beater (c, 3, Oscar Performance–Dabinett, by Blame), second last out behind Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the July 4 GI Belmont Derby, turned the tables on that rival to give his young trainer Riley Mott the first graded stakes win of his career in Saratoga’s GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Saturday.

The son of and former assistant to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Riley Mott is no stranger to racing’s biggest stage. It will perhaps be more of a surprise to learn this is the first graded win of his own career than it is to see it happen at the highest level.

“I grew up here,” said the younger Mott after the Saratoga Derby. “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.”

Breaking widest of all in the Saratoga Derby, World Beater left the stalls smoothly and bided his time midpack while 28-1 Juwuelier (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) opened up to lead the field by daylight through a :23.92 first quarter and :47.67 half. Test Score, who had been fractious in the gate, settled in third as World Beater–easy to spot midpack with his wide blaze–eventually found cover. Juwuelier, making his first start in the U.S. after winning the G3 Derby Trial at Baden-Baden in Germany May 31, still led into the stretch, but behind him, World Beater tipped out as pickup rider Junior Alvarado shook him up and encouraged him down the lane. The pair was game, finding another gear as Test Score threatened to the outside. World Beater mowed down Juwuelier late and held sway over Test Score to win by a half-length, getting the 1 3/16 miles in 1:52.82.

“Beautiful trip from the nine [post],” said Alvarado. “I got to save some ground coming into the first turn and completely cut the corner in the second turn. When I asked my horse for his best, he split horses, and he was unbelievable today.”

Alvarado, who is the regular rider of Bill Mott’s 2025 dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), was aboard World Beater for the first time. He picked up the ride when Jaime Torres, who had been aboard World Beater for six of his seven previous starts and was originally named to ride, got stuck in Atlanta due to bad weather and was unable to make it to Saratoga in time for the race.

A $105,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2023, World Beater has steadily improved his Beyer numbers with every start. He broke his maiden in his fifth career start May 2 on the Churchill Downs lawn at 1 1/8 miles, then came back to win the Audubon Stakes there May 31. Moved up to the big leagues July 4 in the Belmont Derby, he couldn’t quite catch Test Score that day, but it proved to be merely a dress rehearsal for his big win in the Saratoga Derby. Third behind him in the Belmont Derby was Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won Friday’s GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes.

Pedigree Notes:

There’s no denying Oscar Performance has been hot these days, with World Beater becoming his ninth graded winner as he sends just his fourth crop of 2-year-olds to the races this year. Joining 2024 GI Belmont Derby winner Trikari as his sire’s second winner at the highest level, World Beater is one of 18 black-type winners for the young Mill Ridge sire, a son of the late Kitten’s Joy and himself a Grade I winner at two, three, and four.

Dabinett, a winning daughter of Blame and the producer of one of the 30 stakes winners out of daughters of that Claiborne stalwart, was, like her Saratoga Derby-winning son, bred by Dr. John A. Chandler, husband of the late Mill Ridge founder Alice Chandler. Black-type winning second dam Sharp Apple–by the late Mill Ridge sire Diesis (GB)–also produced European MGSW and French G1SP Pomology (Arch), as well as MGISP Sassy Little Lila (Artie Schiller). Both were also bred by Chandler.

Dabinett has been exclusively bred to Oscar Performance every year she’s been a broodmare, with a 2-year-old colt named Heeere’s Johnny finishing fifth on debut at Saratoga July 13 for Magic Carpet Racing and Catherine W. Coyle after selling for $100,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale. The mare produced fillies in 2024 and 2025 and was bred back to Oscar Performance again for next term.