Fort Prado rallies in Tampa BC

Fort Prado split rivals in midstretch and rallied past Icy Atlantic inside the final furlong to post a two-length victory Saturday in the 20th running of the $125,000 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Under a patient ride by Brice Blanc, Fort Prado had one horse beat in the early going, but advanced in traffic through the second turn and burst through between rivals in midstretch. He then ran past Icy Atlantic, who had shaken free after six furlongs to hold a clear lead a furlong out. Icy Atlantic held on to finish second over Interpatation, with Spring House another three-quarters of a length back in fourth.

Trained by Chris Block, Fort Prado covered 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course in 1:40.76, less than a second off the track record. The win was Fort Prado's second in 2006 and the 11th of his career. The $45,000 winner's share of the purse ran his career earnings to $523,100.