CYPRESS — Twenty-five-year-old quarter-horse trainer Xavier Rodriguez added a thrill to a whirlwind year when the 3-year-old gelding Fdd Dreams and jockey Luis Martinez scored an upset win in the Champion of Champions Stakes at Los Alamitos on Saturday night.

It was a bittersweet moment, though. Major-race-winning 4-year-old Stanley Cartel and jockey Juan Pulido fell after finishing sixth in the race, and Stanley Cartel was removed in an equine ambulance. Neither the horse’s nor the rider’s condition was immediately announced.

Fdd Dreams paid $13.30 after winning the $700,000 race in a photo finish over 9-5 favorite Jeriko in 21.40 seconds for 440 yards. Long shot Unrelentless finished third, Norco fourth. Empressum started poorly from post 1 and came in fifth in his bid for a record-tyi

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