Granted, it is still early, but 2007 in New York so has been a year of surprises.

Saturday afternoon, with temperatures reaching a record 70 degrees at Aqueduct, Paraneck Stable’s Pink Viper delivered a surprise of his own as he held off 6-5 favorite Johannesburg Star to win the 32nd running of the $70,865 Count Fleet for three-year-olds at a mile and 70 yards on the inner dirt track.

This was to have been the chance for Johannesburg Star to make himself a conversation piece in the early steps on the road to the Classics. He had suddenly awakened with a 9 ½-length victory here on Dec. 9 and his owner, Bisnath Parboo, reportedly turned down a $2 million offer to purchase the son of Johannesburg.

Saturday, Johannesburg Star made a rallying move on the turn under jockey C. C. Lopez and caught up to Pink Viper and jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr., who had dueled longshot Here to Please on the fast track through fractions of :23.55; :47.04; 1:11 95 and 1:38.38.

The battle was joined on Aqueduct’s inner track, an Pink Viper dug in on the rail and never let the favorite pass, as he won by a length and a quarter in 1:42.94. A son of Smoke Glacken, Pink Viper returned $18.40 for his second win in 11 career starts.

“He trained the same way he trained going into his last race,” said Ernie Paragallo, authorized agent for Paraneck Stable, owner of Pink Viper. “Except, in the last race, C.C. (Lopez) said he didn’t want to run three steps. He has to be in the race; when he’s in the race, he’s aggressive. I knew there was a lot of speed, but I told Norberto (Arroyo) not to give up his position. I told him when he parked these horses, they were going to lose heart. Half of them lost heart and didn’t want to run. This horse is a tough sucker when he is in a dogfight. We’ll see how he is tomorrow. We don’t know what we’re going to do with him.”

Arroyo who picked up the winning ride when Lopez was committed to Johannesburg Star, said: “I had enough horse to fight him. He felt good warming up. With all the speed that was in the race, I had the rail. I thought I would let everybody go. Ernie (Paragallo) told me to come out of there running; I feel he won the race. He gets all the credit.”

Trainer Joe Parker admitted that he was disappointed with Johannesburg Star still found consolation in that his charge ran despite not having the best scenario.

“I don’t understand why he was so far back,” Parker said. “I’m encouraged by the way he made a move from off the pace. I’m totally disappointed. When he broke, he should have been in front. We’ll see how he comes out of the race and go from there. I’m not discouraged, but I am disappointed.”

Lopez said he tried to get the lead, but was happy to find Johannesburg was tractable.

“I want to be in front of them in every race, I just couldn’t get there,” Lopez said. “I tried to give him a chance and I had a pretty clean trip. He went to them like he was going to do the job, and then the other horse just bested him. This was a nice dimension for him. I don’t have to be in front. It’s nice to know he can sit off the pace.”

Sir Whimsey was a length back in third, and a neck back in fourth was No Reply. Believeinmenow and Here to Please trailed.

Johnny Z and Summer Doldrums were scratched.