California Champions Announced; HOY Named Monday

California will announce its 2003 Horse of the Year Monday; the three finalists are Continental Red, Excessivepleasure, and Joey Franco The annual awards dinner will be held at the Sacramento Sheraton Grande Hotel.

Other champions were announced today: champion older male and champion sprinter, Joey Franco; champion 3-year-old female, Valentine Dancer; champion 2-year-old filly, House of Fortune; champion 2-year-old male, Don'tsellmeshort; champion 3-year-old male, Excessivepleasure; champion older female, Cee's Elegance; and champion turf horse, Ninebanks.

Betty Mabee was the leading California breeder and John Salder was named the top trainer. In Excess was the leading sire of California-concevied foals by earnings, Benchmark was best by California-conceived juveniles by earnings, Smokester led by California-conceived winners, and Free House was the top freshman sire by California-conceived foals by earnings.