Dan Hansen came to the Mercuria NCHA World Finals out of range of winning his third Non-Pro World Championship, but he’s making a strong bid for the World Finals title after winning his second of three rounds last night at Fort Worth’s Watt Arena.

Riding 12-year-old Woody Be Lucky, Hansen marked 228 on Thursday to overtake Brandon Dufurrena who marked 226.5 on Nievas and Kaitlyn Larsen who marked 225 on Laredo Montana.

Hansen had marked 229 for a first-round win, followed by a 222.5 second to Dufurrena in the second round. That gives him a running total of 679.5 points in the World Finals, 5.5 ahead of Dufurrena, with Saturday’s final round and a non-working finals yet to go.

With his World Finals earnings so far, Woody Be Lucky, who goes by the barn name of “Freak,” has a career total of $580,000 and climbing. Hansen and Woody Be Lucky also won the World Finals last year.

The Non-Pro World Championship race is coming down to a three-way sprint to the finish for Mary Jo Milner, Dufurrena and Larsen. Milner, who has been campaigning on Smooth Asa Zee all year, holds the lead with $90,136 in her bid to win a record eighth NCHA Non-Pro World Championship. Dufurrena has moved into second with $84,034, and Larsen is within striking distance at $83,076. A rider can still pick up as much as $12,070 in Saturday’s fourth round and non-working finals.