Apple Blossom

New Apple Blossom queen crowned

A new

Apple Blossom H. (G1) queen was crowned Saturday when James Weigel's

homebred DREAM OF SUMMER (Siberian Summer) led the field from wire to wire in

the 1 1/16-mile affair. The six-year-old mare stopped the clock in 1:43 4/5 over

a fast Oaklawn Park surface under jockey Pat Valenzuela.

Conditioned by Juan Garcia, the gray shot out of the gate and held a short

advantage over post-time favorite and champion Ashado (Saint Ballado) through an opening quarter in :23 3/5. That rival geared

down as Star Parade (Arg) (Parade Marshall) engaged those two, but Dream of

Summer still held the advantage after a half in :47. The mare held just a head

advantage over Ashado after six furlongs in 1:11, but began to pull away from

the Todd Pletcher trainee while getting a mile in 1:37 1/5. Inside the final

eighth, Star Parade and Shadow Cast (Smart Strike) made their bids but the

former came up a neck short at the wire after a hard-fought performance. Shadow

Cast held the show, a half-length back but 1 1/4-lengths ahead of Island Sand

(Tabasco Cat).

The winner returned $8, $4.20 and $5.60 at 3-1 while starting lucrative

exotics of $105.80 (exacta) and $605.60 (trifecta). Star Parade, dismissed at

21-1, gave back $12.60 and $13.40, and Shadow Cast was worth $9.60 for the show.

Next came Island Sand, Ashado, House of Fortune (Free House) and Island Fashion

(Petionville). Good Student (Arg) (Louis Quatorze) was withdrawn.

Bred in California by her owner, Dream of Summer also owns wins in the A

Gleam Invitational H. (G2) and the Rancho Bernardo H. (G3). Her mark now stands

at 13-8-2-2 with earnings of $844,650. Out of the unraced Skywalker mare Mary's

Dream, Dream of Summer has a 2005 full sister.