Painting Corners survives foul claim to win Daisycutter

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Painting Corners ($12.40) won her second turf sprint stakes in three starts in Saturday’s $99,164 Daisycutter Handicap for fillies and mares at Del Mar, but only after jockey Drayden Van Dyke lodged an unsuccessful objection against the winner alleging interference in the stretch.

Painting Corners, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, stalked pacesetter Kentan Road for the first three furlongs before taking the lead in early stretch. She won by three-quarters of a length over S Y Sky, who was ridden by Van Dyke. Painting Corners drifted out through the stretch, carrying out S Y Sky. The stewards ruled in a unanimous decision that the incident did not alter the order of finish.

Van Dyke expressed a different point of view in a brief post-race interview.

“I was carried out the entire stretch,” said a frustrated Van Dyke. “He herded me the whole way.”

Prat said Painting Corners “didn’t cooperate with me.”

“She was full of run,” Prat said. “I don’t think the second horse was going to go by me.”

Painting Corners was timed in 56.21 seconds and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Kentan Road, who faded to finish fifth in the field of nine, set an early fraction of 22.48 seconds for the opening quarter-mile.

S Y Sky, the 6-5 favorite, finished a half-length in front of 16-1 Just Grazed Me. S Y Sky and Just Grazed Me are owned by Nick Alexander and trained by Phil D’Amato.

Painting Corners, a 5-year-old mare by Pleasant Strike, has won 7 of 20 starts and earned $319,338 for trainer Peter Miller’s Altamira Racing Stable and Slam Dunk Racing.

“You’re always nervous when there is an objection,” Miller said. “I think it was the right call. Drayden never stopped riding.”

Painting Corners won the Mizdirection Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on April 13, but was last of seven in the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes at five furlongs on dirt there on May 26. She returned to the unsaddling area after that race with blood in her nose.

“She didn’t bleed,” Miller said. “We scoped her and there was no blood in the trachea. Maybe she hit her head on the gate.”