Longshot Cupid Cowboy provides trainer Alvarez with first stakes win in the Golden State Juvenile going 7 furlongs for horses bred or sired in California Saturday at Santa Anita

LONGSHOT CUPID COWBOY PROVIDES TRAINER ALVAREZ WITH FIRST STAKES WIN IN THE GOLDEN STATE JUVENILE GOING 7 FURLONGS FOR HORSES BRED OR SIRED IN CALIFORNIA SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA

Early Encore, the heavy 2-5 favorite, finished off the board in sixth.

ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 31, 2026)—Trainer Edwin Alvarez earned his first-ever stakes win Saturday at Santa Anita when Cupid Cowboy sprung a 28-1 upset in the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile going seven furlongs. The Golden State Juvenile was for horses that were bred or sired in California.

Cupid Cowboy settled in mid-pack while racing widest of all as Fumano’s Fire (30-1), also trained by Alvarez, set fractions of 21.67 and 44.88 seconds for the opening half mile. Meanwhile Early Encore, the heavy 2-5 favorite drawn starting in the inside post, tracked the leader in third under Armando Ayuso while continuing to race on the inside.

On the turn, as Fumano’s Fire and jockey Cristobal Herrera continued to show the way, Early Encore began to faulter while Cupid Cowboy took aim at the leader. Fumano’s Fire reached the eighth pole in 1:10.91 with a two-length lead, but rolling on his outside came stablemate Cupid Cowboy. Cupid Cowboy surged to the front near the sixteenth pole and crossed the wire a one-length winner.

“I feel excellent. This is my dream to win a stakes race,” Alvarez said. Alvarez, 49, has been training since 2020 after previously serving as an assistant to late trainer Gary Sherlock. This was his 27th career victory.

Rallying to be second was Believer, a 39-1 longshot ridden by Tyler Baze. Second choice Golden Club (4-1) finished another 1 ¾ lengths back in third. Cupid Cowboy won in a time of 1:25.06.

“Edwin told me (Early Encore) was the tough horse in the race,” Lezcano said. “He said if he gets to the lead, it’s game over. But if he doesn’t, we have a chance. When we turned for home and I asked him, my horse switched leads and took off.”

Odds-on-favorite Early Encore, trained by John Sadler, would ultimately finish sixth.

“First time going seven-eighths today and unfortunately we got the one hole,” said Ayuso, who was riding Early Encore for the first time. “We went pretty quick early. I was trying to make an early move with him and get to the front, but they did a good job keeping me in a bad spot all the way. My horse was never comfortable inside and I couldn’t get him out of there. I feel like it was just an unfortunate trip for him.”

Cupid Cowboy, a colt by Stay Thirsty, is owned by breeder Terry Lovingier, Victor M. Flores and John Moroney. Previously in the I’m Smokin Stakes going six furlongs at Del Mar, Cupid Cowboy finished 7 ½ lengths behind winner Early Encore in third.

Cupid Cowboy debuted in May at Santa Anita going 4 ½ furlong and didn’t break his maiden until his fifth start when going six furlongs in August at Del Mar. Lezcano has ridden him in all seven of his races.

“It’s amazing this horse. Every race he is just better and better,” Lezcano said. “He started at 4 ½ furlongs, then five then six. He needed more distance.”

With heavy favorite Early Encore finishing off the board, the show payouts ballooned. Cupid Cowboy paid $58.20, $21.40 and $25.60. Believer, trained by Ryan Hanson, returned $27.40 and $76.20. Golden Club, ridden by Hector Berrios for trainer Craig Lewis, paid $16.60.

GOLDEN STATE JUVENILE STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

ABEL LEZCANO, CUPID COWBOY, WINNER: “Edwin told me (Early Encore) was the tough horse in the race. He said if he gets to the lead, it’s game over. But if he doesn’t, we have a chance. When we turned for home and I asked him, my horse switched leads and took off. It’s amazing this horse. Every race he is just better and better. He started at 4 ½ furlongs, then five then six. He needed more distance. Thank you to Edwin and the owners for the opportunity.

ARMANDO AYUSO, FAVORITE EARLY ENCORE, SIXTH: “First time going seven-eighths today and unfortunately we got the one hole. We went pretty quick early. I was trying to make an early move with him and get to the front, but they did a good job keeping me in a bad spot all the way. My horse was never comfortable inside and I couldn’t get him out of there. I feel like it was just an unfortunate trip for him.”

TRAINER QUOTES

EDWIN ALVAREZ, CUPID COWBOY, WINNER: “I feel excellent. This is my dream to win a stakes race. I thank Terry Lovingier and the group who gave me the opportunity to train these horses. “This is amazing, I am not sure how the morning line was 30-1 but this horse was a good third in the I’m Smokin stakes (at Del Mar). He made a good race. It was unbelievable they let him go at 30-1.”

OWNER QUOTES

TERRY LOVINGIER, BREEDER & PART OWNER, CUPID COWBOY, WINNER: “It’s a lot of fun to breed them, birth them, watch them grow up and then win like this. I spent a lot of years with Gary Sherlock who Edwin was with. It is great to be here for his first stakes win.”

NOTES: The winning owners are Victor M. Flores, Terry C. Lovingier, and John Moroney.