Perfect Shirl wins the Filly & Mare Turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Perfect Shirl rallied in a wild stretch scramble, surging to win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at 27-1 on Friday at Churchill Downs.

John Velazquez was aboard for his second win of the day, having earlier won the Juvenile Fillies Turf with another long shot, Stephanie’s Kitten at 6-1. It was his 11th win in the world championships.

Roger Attfield, one of the leading trainers in Canada, saddled his first Breeders’ Cup winner, ending an 0-for-14 slump.

Perfect Shirl beat the previously unbeaten Nahrain by three-quarters of a length. Misty For Me, recovering from a stumble at the start, was a nose back in third in the blanket finish.

Perfect Shirl, 4 for 15, paid $57.60 to win. She ran the 1 3-8 miles in 2:18.62.

Announce was a late scratch when she became unruly in the prerace warmup, slamming into a horse ambulance parked on the track.