Mystery Giver ready for comeback, if he draws in

OLDSMAR, Fla. - The Chris Block-trained pair of Fort Prado, who won the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Handicap in his last start, and the comebacking top the 14 entered for Saturday's $125,000 Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup Stakes. Only 12 can run in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, and Mystery Giver is one of two on the also-eligible list.

Brice Blanc has been named on Fort Prado, a 5-year-old El Prado horse who seeks his 10th win overall and ninth on turf. Carlos Montalvo is listed on Mystery Giver, a million-dollar earner who would be making his first start since injuring a suspensory in the 2004 Arlington Million.

Topping the challengers to the Block horses are , who overcame a slow start to finish third in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream in his 2006 debut; Spring House, a stakes winner last season who was a fast-closing second in an allowance tune-up for this at Gulfstream Park; and Remind, a member of Bill Mott's stable who finished a close sixth in the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream.

lay in wait through the early portions of the 1 1/16-mile Fair Grounds BC, then responded after being swung outside by Robby Albarado. He ran down the leaders late for a neck decision. Last season, Fort Prado won 5 of 9 outings, including the Sea O' Erin Breeders' Cup, and was second in the Bradley Handicap, also at the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs.

Mystery Giver, a gelded son of Dynaformer, has been training well in Ocala for this comeback try. Before going to the sidelines, Mystery Giver had won 11 of 33 lifetime starts and earned back-to-back victories in the Fair Grounds BC as well as capturing the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz Memorial, also at Fair Grounds.

Icy Atlantic was gaining ground on the top two finishers down the stretch of the Sunshine Millions Turf. He finished second in the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger Handicap on the turf at The Meadowlands last season.