by Steve Bailey

For the first time this season, Tom Durant's Sing Baby Sing found himself in the winner's circle instead of on the outside looking in after overpowering favored pacesetter Talent Search in the stretch to capture the $242,000 Phoenix Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course.

The five-year-old Unbridled's Song horse finished second in each of his past four starts at four different tracks since December. The Phoenix was his graded stakes debut for trainer Jack Bruner.
 
"He obviously travels well, and Mr. Durant thought he deserved a shot," Bruner said. "We thought we'd bring him here, try him on the Polytrack, and see what we could get done there.

"He was great. I'm kind of scared to look at those fractions, though."

For good reason.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Talent Search, who was sent off at odds of 1.70-to-1 in his first start since November, jumped to the early lead and immediately was engaged by Semaphore Man. The two charged neck-and-neck up the backstretch, blazing through a quarter-mile in :21.58, a half-mile in :43.95, and five furlongs in :55.87.

Talent Search, who suffered a hairline fracture in his knee in February while training for the Gulf News Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1), began to pull away from his rival in midstretch when jockey Justin Shephard and Sing Baby Sing, who rated patiently in fourth, then third, behind the speedy leaders through much of the trip, came charging up on the outside and drove past Talent Search in the final 50 yards to win by three-quarters of a length, covering six furlongs in 1:08.48.

"There was an awful lot of pace in front of us, which helped a lot," said Shephard, who won his second career graded stakes, both at Keeneland. "Our big concern was how he'd handle the surface, and he handled it great."

Talent Search, under jockey Rafael Bejarano, closed gamely for second, a neck in front of hard-charging Carnacks Choice in third.

"They pressured us from the very beginning and never let us get into a rhythm," Bejarano said. "We knew we were going to be the speed, but we were being pushed the whole time. If we could relax, we win the race."

Bruner said Sing Baby Sing, who made his previous four starts at Remington Park, Lone Star Park, Prairie Meadows Racetrack, and Zia Park, is one of the easiest horses he has ever trained.

"He always enjoys his job; he goes to the racetrack every day wanting to train," Bruner said. "He just loves what he's doing."

Bruner said he would meet with Durant if the horse comes out of the race strong to discuss a possible trip to California for the Breeders' Cup.

"He certainly doesn't mind the moving around, we know that," he said. "We'll just have to wait and see."

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times