DEL MAR, Calif. – It was Master Piece theater Sunday at Del Mar. Master Piece crossed the wire first in the Grade 2, $252,500 Eddie Read Stakes, then came a lengthy review of video by the stewards after an objection was lodged by trainer Phil D’Amato, two of whose runners finished second and third, about a bumping incident leaving the gate. The three stewards – Grant Baker, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer - eventually ruled, unanimously, to let the result stand, giving Master Piece his first stakes victory in this country in the nearly two years he’s been in the United States since being imported from his native Chile. “I know they have to take a look, but I thought the horse would stay up,” said Michael McCarthy, who trains Master Piece. He then laughed. “It could have gotten ugly down here,” he said. :: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now! Master Piece rallied from ninth in the 10-horse field to win the 1 1/8-mile grass race for older horses by 3 1/4 lengths over Hong Kong Harry, who finished a half-length in front of Cathkin Peak. Both of those horses were involved in a bumping match with Master Piece and Homer Screen, the eventual fourth-place finisher, in the opening sixteenth of a mile. “He got both my horses,” D’Amato said while watching replays of the start, awaiting the stewards’ verdict. Master Piece ($34.20) closed sharply following a ground-saving ride by Abel Cedillo. He benefitted from a middle part of the race that was faster than par, as favored Beyond Brilliant grabbed the bit entering the backstretch and dueled with Masteroffoxhounds through a second quarter in 23.04 seconds and third quarter in 23.82 seconds. After six furlongs in 1:10.04, Master Piece was full of run, and he polished off the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.25. Masteroffoxhounds faded to fifth, Beyond Brilliant was sixth, then came, in order, Tango Tango Tango, Cash Equity, Ecrivain, and King Cause. There Goes Harvard, who ran Saturday, and Tarantino were scratched. Master Piece, 6, is by Mastercraftsman out of the Proud Citizen mare Torre Laguna. He was initially trained in this country by Chad Brown, for whom he raced four times and won once. He then moved to McCarthy, for whom he was winless in three starts, but for whom he ran a terrific race here last summer, finishing second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap. Master Piece had raced once this year, on all-weather at Golden Gate on May 30, following a layoff of nearly eight months. McCarthy said he had trained well since arriving at Del Mar. “His work last week was very good. He galloped out well. He had been touting himself,” McCarthy said. Master Piece has now won six times in 18 starts. He earned $150,000 on Sunday, to bring his lifetime bankroll to $354,412. He is owned by a partnership of Fernando Diaz-Valdes, Baalbek Corp., and Don Alberto Stable.