Giant Moon takes next step in Count Fleet

Damon Runyon S. and Sleepy Hollow S. winner GIANT MOON (Giant's Causeway) is the top draw in Saturday's $75,000 Count Fleet S. at Aqueduct, and the one-mile and 70-yard event over Aqueduct's inner track marks the New York-bred colt's first test against open rivals. The unbeaten Richard Schosberg runner will face six opponents in New York's first stakes race in 2008 for Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls.

Three for three overall, Giant Moon had little trouble drawing off to a 1 3/4-length decision over the inner track in the 1 1/16-mile Damon Runyon on December 9. That followed a head score in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow at Belmont Park on October 20. Ramon Dominguez will retain the mount aboard the bay colt.

"This is his first open company race, so we're going to see where he is at," Schosberg said. "I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the best of him yet. He's tall, lean, talented and mentally maturing with every race."

Darley Stable's BARRIER REEF (Mizzen Mast) will make his stakes debut following a sharp maiden special weight score over the inner track on December 8. The Tom Albertrani-trained gray closed from far off the pace to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths that afternoon, and he'll get a new rider in Alan Garcia on Saturday. Zayat Stables' RED REEF (Red Bullet) opened his racing career with two straight wins before suffering his first setback when third in his stakes debut, the December 12 Capote S. at Aqueduct. The winner of that race, Grand Minstrel (Grand Slam), is a top contender in Saturday's Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. The Tony Dutrow-conditioned Red Reef will break from the rail with new pilot Stewart Elliott.

ROMAN EMPEROR (Empire Maker) will invade Aqueduct after dominating maiden special weight and allowance races at Philadelphia Park, and ATTA BOY ANDY (Atticus) exits an allowance score at Philly. Todd Pletcher will send out Damon Runyon runner-up SPANKY FISCHBEIN (Hook and Ladder). Never worse than second in six career outings (2-4-0), the bay ridgling captured the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion S. series two starts back over the main track at Aqueduct. Mike Luzzi will pick up the mount. Florida shipper RUN WITH ME (Delaware Township), who exits a second versus allowance runners at Calder, rounds out the line-up.

In post order, the Count Fleet runners are Red Reef; Spanky Fischbein; Run with Me, Rajiv Maragh; Atta Boy Andy, Eriluis Vaz; Barrier Reef; Roman Emperor, Jeremy Rose; and Giant Moon.