By Randy Monk
sports.desk@theindepent.com

Listed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the race, Tonight Rainbow will be making his first start of the season. He is seeking his third consecutive win and fourth overall in the four-furlong Grasmick Stakes.

Tonight Rainbow has not run since last September at Remington Park, where he finished sixth in a $35,000 optional claiming race on the turf. The defending champion did, however, have a best-of-the-day workout at Will Rogers Downs, traveling three furlongs in 34.60 on Feb. 9.

The five challengers will all have Tonight Rainbow on their minds.

"He's the champ, and they'll have to outrun him to win the race," eight-time Grasmick winner Joe Moss said.

Moss, who trained Fonner superstar Leaping Plum to a record 15 stakes wins including eight Grasmicks, said he liked to give Leaping Plum a sharp workout before the Grasmick.

"With the race so early in the year, quite a few of the horses are making their first start, it's important to get a strong workout prior to the race," Moss said.

Moss pointed to Tonight Rainbow's work last week in Oklahoma.

"That workout in Oklahoma shows that he's sharp," Moss said. "He's going to be very hard to beat."

Caster echoed Moss' thoughts on the workout.

"We think we have Rainbow pointed in the right direction," Caster said. "He's really doing well and we're looking forward to the race. It's always an honor anytime you come to Grand Island to run, and with this race's tradition it would be special to win."

However, Caster did have one word of caution about his star gelding.

"He has in the past had some problems in the gate," Caster said. "He tries to time the break and gets caught off guard sometimes, but with time he's gotten better in the gate."

Second choice on the morning line is Apache General, owned by Edward R. Kidneigh and Fred Morgheim and trained by Temple Rushton. Apache General will make his second start of the meet.

The six-year-old gelding ran second in a four-furlong, $15,000 claiming race on opening day.

Two horses making their first start of the year may be overlooked in the betting.

The Marvin Johnson-owned-and-trained Did won a $17,000 turf sprint at Canterbury Park last June.

"My horse is more of a turf horse, but he has good speed, so we'll take our chances," Johnson said.

Another horse coming off a layoff, but who ran against some strong competition in 2007 is the M-L-H Stables' First Class Brass trained by Kelli Martinez.

First Class Brass won three races last year, including a $20,000 claiming affair last April at Fonner Park.

The William Owens owned and trained D D Dot Com, at 15-1 on the morning line, and Robert Jackson's Cosgrove, at 20-1, are both making their second starts of the meet round out the field.

The field of six go postward at 4:32 p.m.

Hoofprints

* Tonight Rainbow has won eight stakes races at Fonner Park, capturing the Grasmick three times, the Tondi/Bud twice, and has one victory each in the Dowd Mile, Bachman, and Baxter Stakes.

* Don Frazier aboard Apache General is the only jockey in the race to have previously won the Grasmick. The veteran Grand Island reinsman won the 2005 edition on Lukfata Louis.

* Lukfata Louis was trained by Temple Rushton, the same trainer Frazier rides for today on Apache General.