May 31 - Later today the $250,000 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park Racetrack should be a real humdinger, and provide horse racing fans with plenty of excitement given the rivalry between the two betting favorites, Heatseeker and Tiago.

Heatseeker made a name for himself last year when he pulled off a staggering win at the Native Diver Handicap (Grade 3) as a 30 to 1 long shot, to clinch his first ever career stakes victory. Since then, he won the 1 1/4 mile $1 million Santa Anita Handicap earlier this year.

Tiago, considered to be Heatseeker's biggest threat, beat the 5-year-old by a head in April in the Oaklawn Handicap (Grade 2) in Arkansas, forging a rivalry that promises to have horse racing pundits glued to their betting forms and televisions come Saturday.

Since his narrow defeat at Oaklawn, Heatseeker's trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, and assistant trainer, Dan Ward, have been putting the thoroughbred through his paces, including 7 furlongs on May 18th in 1:23.80, and 5 furlongs last week in 58.60 seconds.

According to Ward, Heatseeker's 8 week racing gap was just what he needed. 'Sometimes you need to take a break and this was the ideal time to get him ready for the Californian Stakes, which should be a great lead up to the June 28th $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup.'

Tiago came fourth in this year's Santa Anita Handicap, where he was beaten by Heatseeker by four lengths after a sluggish start. He went on to finish second in the Strub Stakes (Grade 2) in February and on to win the Oaklawn Handicap.

Said Tiago's trainer, John Shirreffs, 'He's been working like a monster over the past few weeks. Last Saturday he ran 6 furlongs in 1:12.60 which we are very happy with, and are confident about his chances at the Californian Stakes.'