For the second time this year, Johnny Gun and driver Jim Marino played giant killer in the Alberta Sires Stakes' sophomore pacing ranks.
Marino settled Johnny Gun in eighth (and last) off the gate in the $53,900 Alberta Maverick Final as favoured Cool Cowboy (Kelly Hoerdt) forged to the front by the first turn. That one faced immediate pressure from Royal Renegade (Rod Hennessy), and those two duked it out through a :27.3 opener and :56.2 half.
At the half-mile mark, Royal Renegade's attack began to soften, and that prompted some movement from the backfield. Big Time Sunrise (Glen Hoerdt) was first to call on the outside, poking a nose in front through the 1:25.4 third station. Marino had Johnny Gun third over, and tipped three wide off the final turn for the stretch drive. Cool Cowboy and Big Time Sunrise could not hold off the rush of the backfield as Johnny Gun fired home for the 17-1 upset in 1:56.1. A fast-closing Outlaw Deacon Jim (Paul Davies) provided a threat but could only muster bridesmaid spoils, with Withflyingcolours (Keith Clark) completing the triactor.
A son of Brandons Cowboy - Jerrys Girl, Johnny Gun is trained by Harold Haining and owned by Donald Richardson of Cochrane, Alta. The win is the third of the season for Johnny Gun, and second Alberta Sires Stakes upset of the year -- winning the Alberta Plainsman in July at 10-1 odds.
While he didn't have a dog in that fight, horseman Travis Cullen made up for it with a training four-bagger on Sunday's Maverick undercard. He was victorious with Canbec Hooligan in Race 2, Cheat To Win in Race 5, and Camblazer in Race 8 before closing out the card with Raging Fingers in Race 12. Cullen's 183 training wins are second in the nation, with only Richard Moreau (205 as of press time) boasting more.
For the full charted results from Sunday's card at Century, click the following link: Sunday Results - Century Downs.