TicketSmarter Morning Line – Arcadia Competition 2

By: Slade Long

Cole Melancon on 728 Draggin’ Up:

Melancon has done pretty well in long rounds through the three single-day competitions that have happened so far. He won both rounds in Ocala last week and came within a hair of potentially winning the first round here. Draggin’ Up is a great fit for him. This bull gets ridden a lot, especially by the better riders, and he’s produced six round wins in the nine qualified rides that have been made on him.

Dalton Kasel on 169 Sky Harbor:

Sky Harbor is a heavy hitter, and he’s somewhat unpredictable, but he is a near-perfect fit for Kasel. This bull has lots of up and down, and the only knock on him is that he’s indecisive about going into a spin. If he turned back consistently, he would be a threat in the World Champion Bull race, because he really bucks hard. Bulls with a lot of up and down play right into Kasel’s strength. This should be a great matchup and possibly a big score.

J.B. Mauney on 247 Red Dawn:

These two have met five times previously, and Red Dawn is winning the series 3-2. Mauney rode him for 89 points in Lincoln, Nebraska, last fall, and for 90.25 at the World Finals way back in 2016. This is a matchup of two veterans, and Mauney knows exactly what to expect from this bull. That doesn’t mean he will have an easy time. Red Dawn is as good now as he was in 2016, if not better, and he’s intolerant of mistakes. No rider can get away with being sloppy on him.

Ezekiel Mitchell on 761 Bushwacked:

Mitchell has been on this bull twice before and bucked off both times. Bushwacked goes to the left, and he’s pretty hard on right-handed guys. He pours all his effort into the spin, and once he gets going, he doesn’t let up. He does have solid timing, and that gives the rider a chance. If Mitchell can get in time with him quickly and find the right spot when he turns back, he can ride him all day.

Joao Ricardo Vieira on 2731 South Texas Gangster:

Another couple of veterans who have met before, they are 1-1. This bull isn’t a great fit for Vieira. He’s much better for right-handed riders, but Vieira owned him last time they met. This bull can be squirrely and ends up tangled in the chute sometimes. He’s challenging for any rider at this level, but he is rideable.

Cooper Davis on 92T Buckin’ for Cash:

Boudreaux Campbell was 90.75 points on this bull in the short round of the World Finals. This is a really showy bull with a lot of flair and action, but he does all with good timing. He will probably go away from Davis’s hand here, which makes things a little tougher, but there is a lot of high score potential here.

Cody Teel on 208 Why Hell Ya:

Teel had this bull in September and bucked off at 7.07 seconds, but it could easily go his way this time. Why Hell Ya has been good to right-handed riders. He goes to the right and can have a lot of moves. Rafael Dos Santos was 89.25 points on him in Nampa last fall.

Lucas Divino on 08B Hostage:

Hostage is almost a guaranteed 90-plus-point score, but the catch is you have to stay on him. The real catch for Divino is that no right-hander has done that yet. This bull has three solid years of experience, and at this point, he is 13-0 against right-handed guys.

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