Armando Costa Neto, Weatherford, Texas, scored 219 points on Smooth Dox to win the XTO Energy NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Gelding Finals in Fort Worth last night.

“I thought the second cow was going to be pretty tough and she was,” said Costa Neto, who cut three cows for his winning run, midway through the 16-horse finals.

Costa Neto and Smooth Dox, by Smooth As A Cat, are also finalists in Saturday’s NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Finals. John Mitchell, resident trainer of Neto’s Weatherford, Texas training facility, is among today’s NCHA Super Stakes Open Semi-Finalists aboard Smooth Dox.

“John (Mitchell) trains the horse very well,” said Costa Neto. “I’ve been showing him everywhere and John has been showing him, too.”

Smooth Dox has earned over $50,000 under Costa Neto, Mitchell, and Geoffrey Sheehan, who showed him as a limited finalist in the 2010 NCHA Futurity.

Costa Neto, 19, is a native of Brazil. His father’s owns an arena that hosts prestigious Brazilian equine events, including cutting. Neto-owned Arosesuchaclatter, a 5-year-old Smooth As A Cat daughter, has earned over $250,000.

He is the second foreign-born competitor to win a championship at this year’s Super Stakes. Constance Jaeggi of Switzerland took the Non-Pro Super Stakes Classic on Dual R Smokin earlier in the show.