Snake Mountain rolls

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Snake Mountain continued his dominance of New York's winter handicap division Saturday by crushing four rivals in the $107,400 Aqueduct Handicap.

Saving ground under Mike Luzzi down the backside, Snake Mountain came off the rail leaving the five-sixteenths pole, inhaled his stablemate, the pace-setting Voodoo, in upper stretch, and kicked clear through the lane to win by 7 1/2 lengths. Snake Mountain covered the 1 1/16 miles over a fast inner track in 1:44.17 and returned $2.70 as the 1-5 choice.

Ground Storm, second to Evening Attire in this race a year ago, finished second again. Cat's at Home, Mr. Determined, and Voodoo completed the order of finish. Tempest Fugit, who injured an ankle on the van ride to Aqueduct from Belmont, and My Man Ryan were scratched.

The victory was the third consecutive Grade 3 stakes win for Snake Mountain, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, and his fourth straight win overall dating back to October. He has now won eight of his 11 starts since coming to this country last year.

Luzzi, who was riding Snake Mountain, a 5-year-gelded son of A.P. Indy for the first time, was impressed with him: "He's a cool horse, he hung in there. I set him down and he finished nice. I eased him up a little at the end. Nice horse."

Jerkens said he would prefer not to ship Snake Mountain to Gulfstream Park for next month's $500,000 Donn Handicap because of the drastic change in climate. He said he would look to run Snake Mountain in the Stymie Handicap here on March 8 as a prep for a possible start in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 5.

Jerkens and jockey Richard Migliore said Voodoo, who set the pace for more than six furlongs, may have bled.