The Morning Line: Albuquerque, Round 2

By: Slade Long
March 17, 2018

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sixteen riders recorded scores Friday night, and that’s not bad for an event featuring a strong pen of bulls. The bull power goes up a notch on Saturday, and there are a lot of good ones out in Round 2.

Brennon Eldred on 247 Mac’s Barbeque:

Eldred was thrown off this bull in Kansas City, Missouri, but that may have been an anomaly. He lasted 6 seconds, and he’s the only right-handed rider to have come down against Mac’s Barbeque out of three who have tried. On paper, this is one of the more rideable bulls in the round.

Eduardo Aparecido on 00 Set ‘Em Up Joe:

This is one of the top matchups that could possibly happen in this or any long round. Joe is a veteran bull and one of the best in the business. He’s also a good fit for Aparecido. The two have met three times, and Aparecido has two scores to show for it. If this bull has his best day, this could be a round win, but an average day won’t quite be enough.

Lucas Divino on -247 Red Bandana:

You may not have heard of Divino before, but he’s a solid talent. He rode Alligator Arms last night, and that’s a big deal because Alligator Arms isn’t the ideal draw for a guy just coming in from Brazil. He’s small, fast, smart and seasoned, which is pretty much everything that Brazilian bulls are not. Brazil has a lot of big, old-school type bulls and guys who do well over there often come here and have to adjust to bulls that are faster and smarter. Red Bandana should feel pretty familiar to a Brazilian rider, so don’t be surprised if Divino gets on the board again tonight.

Fernando Novais on 1201 Shelley’s Gangster:

Novais got a score in the first round, and he has a very similar bull here, except that Shelley’s Gangster normally goes to the left rather than the right. Novais will have to do almost the same thing he did last night, but this time away from his hand.

Cody Teel on W604 Big Show:

Teel rode his bull last night, and his season numbers still look to be on track for him to be a world title contender. A third-place finish last week moved him up to fifth in the standings, and of the four riders ahead of him, one is out with an injury and the other three bucked off last night. Teel stayed on and earned points. He’s set up well in this round too. He rode this bull for 86 points in Raleigh, North Carolina, last fall.

Jose Vitor Leme on E5 Big Black Cat:

Big Black Cat is a solid, veteran bull who is a good fit for any lefty. He went through a spell where he was ridden a lot in late 2016 through early 2017, but riders have gone cold against him since then. He’s given up just two rides in his last 15 outs. Regardless, this matchup has a lot of potential. Leme should make this bull look his best if he can stay on.

Jess Lockwood on 1033 Short Night:

Lockwood rode this bull in the championship round at the World Finals and got a re-ride option because the bull had an off day. But, Lockwood barely got by him at all there. This is not one of the better draws here. He’s been ridden just three times in 17 career outs and never for a good enough score to place in a round. He can be really good, but no one has come very close to riding him when that’s happened.

Joao Ricardo Vieira on 1037 Brown Sugar:

This is another quality matchup between two veterans. Brown Sugar has carried a lot of riders to the pay window. He’s approaching 100 career outs, which is something that only 1 in 521 bulls have ever achieved. He’s been an outstanding talent his entire career as well. He’s been ridden 26 times, and nine of those were for round wins. Vieira has been on him twice and ridden him once, and tonight’s matchup will come down to which way Brown Sugar spins. He likes to go to the right, but he can go either way, and Vieira really wants him to go to the left.

Guilherme Marchi on 412 Chute Boss:

Marchi may not be riding at peak form in terms of his career, but it would be unwise to bet against him on a bull that likes to go to the right. Chute Boss has good timing, and he’s a solid draw for any right-handed rider. Marchi should win this match easily.

Cody Jesus on 374 Hot Habanero:

Jesus did his job last night, and he has another bull that should fit him well here. Habanero goes to the left and he carried Derek Kolbaba to an 87.5-point score in his only appearance at this level. Last night was a good round for everyone named Cody except for Cody Campbell, who has a decent draw tonight.

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