June 3 - Last week we highlighted the rivalry between Heatseeker and Tiago, two favorites for last Saturday's $250,000 Californian Stakes (G2) at Hollywood Park Racecourse, and are pleased to report that, as expected, Heatseeker rocketed across the line in first place.

In fact, so quick was the 5-year-old, that he managed to break his own record by completing the 1 and 1/8 mile course in an impressive 1:47.06, a full seventeen hundreds of a second faster than his best time he set in December last year, when he won the Native Diver Handicap (G3).

As for Tiago, he had to be content with a distant second place, finishing at least 2 1/2 lengths behind Heatseeker, followed by Surf Cat in third and Albertus Maximus in fourth. While Tiago was expected to give Heatseeker a good run for his money, he never seemed a serious threat.

Said Heatseeker trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, after the race, 'We gave Heatseeker some time off between the Oaklawn Handicap in April this year and the California Stakes which, judging by the result, was the right thing to do. We were tempted to run him in the Pimlico Special (G1), but we felt a break was a better idea.

'Heatseeker is a horse who likes his training sessions and workouts, so he was more than ready to give the Californian Stakes his all, which he did. Now we'll concentrate on keeping him in shape for the upcoming Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes on June 28th this year,' said Hollendorfer.

Owned by William Deburgh, Heatseeker has won $1,177,776 in career races, with 7 wins out of 17 starts, including his $250,000 Californian Stakes win. He was bred in Ireland by Richard Barnes, from the Defensive Play mare, Rusty Back.