NFR races too close to call

Nine days of the Nationals Finals Rodeo are in the books, and $4.2 million has been paid out.

That leaves $1.3 million left at the pay window and eight coveted gold buckles yet to be awarded to this year's Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champions.

Heading into today's final go-round, only two people can help: a good accountant or Dustin Hoffman. At this point, maybe only "Rain Man" truly can do the trick.

Tonight's final performance has more variables than a challenging algebraic equation.

It's lucky the rodeo starts at 5:45 p.m. -- an hour earlier than Friday's performance -- and that's 60 minutes less for gold-buckle contenders to think about the "what ifs."

"You'll get those thoughts sneaking up in the back of your mind," said three-time bareback riding world champion Will Lowe, who won his second go-round in five nights Friday before a crowd of 17,608 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"If you get to thinking about that stuff, it gets mind-boggling," added Lowe, who missed much of the year recovering from injuries.

At this point, no event champions have been determined in one of the closest Finals in the event's 49 years. Only Trevor Brazile has clinched the all-around title.

No one has been on a bigger hot streak than barrel racer Lindsay Sears, the Canadian who moved past Brittany Pozzi-Pharr by winning her third consecutive go-round and fifth of the Finals.

She surpassed the $100,000 mark in the Finals, but a five-second penalty when she toppled a barrel on opening night has her seventh in aggregate time while Pozzi-Pharr is first.

Arizona team ropers Colter Todd and Cesar de la Cruz won the go-round, and that moved de la Cruz to first in the world standings for heelers. But the duo missed one head, leaving them eighth in aggregate.

"There are a lot of guys still in the average (aggregate) deep, so we have to put on a lot pressure tomorrow," de la Cruz said.

Chad Masters is in position to win the heeling title. He's first in season money and first in average with partner Allen Bach, who is fifth among headers.

Bobby Mote, the 2002 champion, extended his lead over NFR rookie Justin McDaniel in bareback riding. Mote placed sixth, and more importantly for him, McDaniel didn't get a check but still is three positions up on the Oregon rider in the aggregate standings.

The most scintillating runs today will be in calf roping, where Brazile leads reigning and five-time champion Cody Ohl by $24,600, but Ohl is first in aggregate with Brazile second.

A world title in the event for Brazile would be his first in calf roping and third of the year to make him the first triple crown winner in 22 years. He also won the championship in steer roping, which is not contested in the NFR.

Saddle bronc has come down to a two-man race with Louisiana's Cody DeMoss and Canadian Rod Hay.

Cody Wright of Utah still leads the money but is out of the running for the top aggregate bonus, which Hay virtually has wrapped up as the only one to complete each of nine rides.

DeMoss is second in aggregate and trails Hay by nearly $26,000, but that margin can be erased after their final rides.

Steer wrestling has five bulldoggers still in contention with Jason Miller perhaps the one with the best chance despite being fifth in world money and $21,000 behind leader Lee Graves. Miller is first in aggregate; Graves is seventh.

World champion B.J. Schumacher started the rodeo with a $4,000 lead over event rookie Kanin Asay and $47,000 up on Wesley Silcox. Schumacher has covered only two bulls and is out of contention.

Assay is $8,000 ahead of Silcox in world standings. But Silcox holds the edge as the aggregate leader while Asay is fifth.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@ reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0247.