(April 8, 2008) - Thursday's 12th running of the $50,000 Premiere Stakes - the traditional first race of the Lone Star Park season - kicks off a 32-race stakes schedule worth $3.5 million in 2008.

The one-mile race lured a field of ten older Texas-breds, highlighted by Sandburr, who will look to defend his title after posting a convincing 3½-length victory last year, and Goosey Moose, who beat Sandburr in his latest start and finished second behind Sandburr in this event last year.

Sandburr, who was beaten as the favorite by three of his Premiere rivals in his most recent outing when finishing fourth in the $50,000 Spring Stakes at Sam Houston, will look to make amends in the one-mile test on Thursday. Claimed by Stidham for $20,000 on behalf of Feel The Thunder Stable in April of 2006, Sandburr has since earned more than $200,000 and has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite by track oddsmaker Rick Lee.

"He ran well in his one-turn starts going a mile at Arlington Park and we thought he would handle the one-turn seven-furlong assignment at Sam Houston," said trainer Michael Stidham, "but that was too short for him and he's just a better horse going longer. He's running as fast as he's ever run as a 9-year-old and we're looking for him to revert back to his best form on Thursday night."

Goosey Moose has won five of his ten lifetime starts over the Lone Star Park main track with three runner-up finishes and one third-place finish.

Lone Star Park's all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen will send out Rain on Monday in the Premeire. A five-year-old son of Pine Bluff, Rain on Monday has been in top form in his recent starts and he enters this race off of a troubled fifth-place finish, behind both Sandburr and Goosey Moose in the Spring Stakes.

The field from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds listed in parenthesis, consists of: Tru Dancing (Filemon Rodriguez, 20-1); Goosey Moose (Quincy Hamilton, 5-2); Dreamsandvisions (Richard Eramia, 10-1); Super Itron (Martin Escobar, 30-1); Rain on Monday (Eddie Martin, Jr., 7-2); Sandburr (Cliff Berry, 9-5); War Bridle (Glenn Murphy, 12-1); Crook's Stinger (Jorge Guzman, 15-1); Prince Krimmer (Larry Taylor, 20-1); and Lil Jett (Jose Figueroa, 15-1).

The Premiere Stakes is scheduled as the first of ten races on Lone Star Park's opening night card with first post time at 6:35 p.m.