GLENDALE, Ariz. (March 14, 2010) - I thought last night’s Round 1 in Glendale was set up pretty well for Renato Nunes to win, but reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh edged him out on a relatively unknown bull.
Tonight, Nunes possibly has an even bigger advantage in the draw, and is poised to be very high on two bulls going into the short round. Several other guys who made the whistle last night also drew well today.
Round 2 Matchups:
Renato Nunes on D26 Stubby:
Stubby is a bull who should go into Renato’s hand, and the last two times he was ridden it was for 88 and 89.25 points. More importantly, he’s one of the highest marked bulls available in this round. If he’s ridden, it will be tough to beat.
Robson Aragao on Larry the Cable Guy’s Smokey:
Aragao is a guy who campaigns pretty hard in the Touring Pro Division, but isn’t often seen on the Built Ford Tough Series level. He’s fallen into a gold mine here, though, because Smokey is a money bull. He’s ridden nearly 70 percent of the time, and for high scores. Aragao came down last night, but he could redeem himself today with a round win and a big paycheck.
Jordan Hupp on 204B Savage Shaker:
Last night, Jordan Hupp came down in 6.4 seconds, and that was noteworthy, because it’s the first time he’s bucked off on the Built Ford Tough Series since last November, when Chicken on a Chain got the best of him. Hupp has been riding like a machine: four straight rides in Oklahoma City, and four more in Kansas City. He’s actually ridden 13 out of 17 in 2010 at all levels. Those are numbers that should make him a serious threat to win a World Championship. He’s matched up with a bull who is a proven veteran, and by the numbers, Jordan Hupp should be a lock to place very high today.
Ned Cross on 6 Backyard Big Rig:
Cross got a score last night and should be set to get another today. Very good bull.
Guilherme Marchi on 666 Relentless Warrior:
Pop Quiz: What are the odds that Relentless Warrior will achieve his first career buckoff against Guilherme Marchi? He’s been out six times and ridden six times. I don’t think Marchi will come down.
Kody Lostroh on W55 Real Moody:
This is a bull who is seldom ridden, and Dustin Elliott was only 84.5 on him in Anaheim. He does have a number of impressive bull scores, and if Kody can get to the whistle, he could contend for a round win here, but the odds are against him.
Wiley Petersen on 522 Legacy:
Petersen rode last night, and has a very favorable matchup here. This bull may not be enough to place high on, but with two scores, Petersen could be looking good going into the short round.
Austin Meier on H50 Hank:
After coming down last night, Meier needs a huge score today to qualify for the short round. I don’t think he will get it from Hank. He rode this bull in St. Louis for 82.5 points.
J.B. Mauney on 513 Class 6 Kat:
Mauney bucked off Kat in Anaheim, but he took him 7.5 seconds. Odds are he will get it done today.
Beau Hill on 305 Rewind:
Rewind is a statistically odd bull. He’s good enough to win on, but is basically never ridden by left-handers, and almost always ridden by right-handers. If Hill can buck the trend here, he could get paid. He needs a big score, and Rewind can get him there.
Ben Jones on 308 Kick Butt:
Another bull that right-handers seem to get along with better, and Jones rides right-handed. He should be able to get a score.
L.J. Jenkins on -421 Holy Smoke:
Jenkins took this bull 7.7 seconds in their only meeting back in 2008. Should be a qualified ride, and a pretty good score – in the 85-87 point neighborhood.
Dustin Elliott on 41C Crush Boss III:
Elliott was third last night, and has a bull here he should be able to ride.
