Albert Fried Jr.’s Giant Moon, who won all three of his 2007 starts in restricted company, stepped up into open stakes competition Saturday afternoon and overtook front-running Spanky Fischbein to win the 33rd running of the $81,525 Count Fleet for three-year-olds at a mile and seventy yards on Aqueduct’s fast inner dirt track.

Carrying top weight to of 120 pounds, most of it supplied by jockey Ramon Dominguez, and spotting four pounds to Spanky Fischbein, Giant Moon put in just the effort he needed to achieve a neck victory in 1:41.14.

This has become his trademark – do no more than necessary.

“He improved today in the race the way he improved in his training,” said winning trainer Richard Schobserg, as Giant Moon returned $7.50 to win. “He was calm in the paddock, but Ramon said he warmed up very sharp. Ramon said that this horse is very unique because he feels like he’s falling asleep on you down the backside. But once he gets a little tap, he’ll just take off on you. He does that in the mornings, too, which isn’t a bad thing. But we want to get it under control.”

Spanky Fischbein, another New York-bred, who ran second to Giant Moon after dueling all the way in the Damon Runyon here on December 9, broke on top from post 2 under jockey Mike Luzzi, and took the lead to the first turn. Giant Moon forwardly placed from post 7, stayed close and to his outside and the order remained unchanged through splits of :24.04, :48.30, 1:12.11 and 1:36.96.

Although longshot Atta Boy Andy from the inside and Barrier Reef from the outside applied mild pressure on the backstretch, they could never quite get to the leaders.

At the quarter pole, Goant Moon engaged Spanky Fischbein and the two fought to the wire as the crowd of 3,477 cheered them on.

“`Spanky’ gave us all we could handle today,” Schosberg said. “This was a great race for the New York-bred program. (Giant Moon) has done nothing wrong; he’s an undefeated three-year-old.”

Schosberg said that Giant Moon, a son of Giant’s Causeway, would start next at Aqueduct in either the $100,000 Whirlaway for three-year-olds at mile and a sixteenth on Saturday, February 2, Aqueduct, or the $250,000 Gotham for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth on Saturday, March 8.

Luzzi is hoping for a rematch.

“(Spanky Fischbein) came back like a horse that gave everything, and he did,” Luzzi said. “I thought I had Giant Moon for a second, but he’s a pretty good grinder. I think my horse is a pretty nice colt, and hopefully, we’ll get to meet Giant Moon again.”

Roman Emperor was third, followed in order by Barrier Reef, Atta Boy Andy, Run With Me and Red Reef.