Breeders' Cup 2013: Biggest Winners from Saturday's Afternoon Action

The main event of the 2013 Breeders' Cup series may not be under way yet, but a few horses have already made their mark at the premier event. 

With purses of up to $2 million, Saturday's early races had plenty at stake, and quite a few owners and jockeys were able to add a substantial boost to their yearly income. 

As with any race, owners, trainers and jockeys weren't the only ones making money. Keen bettors made out quite handsomely if they played their cards right. These horses yielded the greatest gains in Saturday's early going. 

Note: All odds, payouts and results via BreedersCup.com unless otherwise noted. 

Ria Antonia—Juvenile Fillies

If you were looking to win big at Santa Anita Park, backing Ria Antonia in the Juvenile Fillies race was the way to go. The filly was the second biggest long shot in the race coming out of the No. 5 post but rode to victory in dramatic fashion. 

The win was a testament to jockey Javier Castellano's skills. He guided his horse to make her final push at just the right moment to steal the photo-finish victory over She's A Tiger via disqualification to earn the nod. 

	WIN	PLACE	SHOW
5 RIA ANTONIA	$66.60	$29.80	$17.40
10 SHE'S A TIGER - DQ		$6.40	$4.80
2 ROSALIND			$6.80

Groupie Doll—Filly and Mare Sprint

As great as it is to see a long shot like Ria Antonia come through, sometimes it's better to go with one of the favorites. Groupie Doll turned out to be the best example of that, as she was the favorite to win the race and came through for her backers.

Just because she was expected to win doesn't mean it was an unimpressive performance, though. The mare maintained the pace with the fastest horses in the field throughout the race and had enough in the tank to pull off the final stretch run.

Groupie Doll didn't pay out nearly as handsomely as Ria Antonia, but she was the much safer bet heading into the race.  

	WIN	PLACE	SHOW
11 GROUPIE DOLL	$8.00	$4.60	$3.40
9 JUDY THE BEAUTY		$9.20	$5.40
4 DANCE CARD			$4.80

Mizdirection—Turf Sprint

Mike Smith is one of the most accomplished jockeys in the sport right now, and he picked up another impressive win for his resume aboard Mizdirection in the Turf Sprint race. 

After winning the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, she was the odds-on favorite, but it still took an incredible effort down the stretch to run down Reneesgotzip, who had a strong lead at the 200-yard mark of the 6.5-furlong race. 

With yet another exciting run to the finish, the afternoon winners set the stage for an epic Classic race to finish off this year's series. 

	WIN	PLACE	SHOW
12 MIZDIRECTION	$7.40	$4.40	$3.40
4 RENEESGOTZIP - DH		$3.60	$4.80
7 TIGHTEND TOUCHDOWN - DH			$8.60