Richardson Bloodstock Hopes to Repeat OBS Success

Not unlike other yearling to 2-year-old sale pinhookers, Lane Richardson and Mike Neatherlin have had to step up their game in recent years in order to remain competitive as yearling prices soared.

That meant paying more for and buying fewer of the quality individuals they wanted as the trend toward quality at all levels of the market has affected buyers and sellers.

The strategy paid dividends for Richardson Bloodstock during last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale when a Mucho Macho Man  colt that had been bought for $170,000 as a yearling sold to Larry Best's OXO Equine for $575,000.

Richardson and Neatherlin, the Texas horseman's father and a successful trainer based at Sam Houston Race Park, hope to replicate that success when the OBS sale is renewed March 12-13 in Ocala, Fla. The sessions begin daily at 10:30 a.m. ET.

The pair and their various partners are sending two juveniles into the ring that were each purchased for six figures, with the hope that will transcend to profits in the sales ring.

"(The Macho Mucho Uno colt) didn't have much of a pedigree, but Dad loved the colt," Richardson said. "He said, 'I'm getting him no matter what.' It's not always going to work out, but hopefully it works more times than not."

Richardson's OBS pinhooks consist of Hip 368, a Malibu Moon  filly bought for $250,000, and Hip 457, a colt from the first crop of Daredevil  acquired for $100,000. The three-horse consignment also includes Hip 150, a Candy Ride  filly offered on behalf of breeder Jerry Durant.

Richardson and Neatherlin also bought well-bred, athletic yearlings that will be offered to the public at other juvenile venues this spring.

"You're going to have to spend more to get horses with pedigree and physical appearance to go with it because the market is so good," Richardson said. "We spent a little bit more money last year and did well. This year, our investors wanted to spend the same amount and higher quality, so maybe you can hit that big lick."

For example, Richardson said the Malibu Moon filly, an Ohio-bred, would likely have cost less before the current bull market.

"You could get the same quality for maybe $125,000-$150,000 a couple of years ago," Richardson said.

With his small consignment coming through the presale under tack workouts in good order, Richardson shares his optimism with other consignors that the sale will continue the buoyant market seen in recent years.

"Everything shipped good," said Richardson, who personally transports his horses to Florida from Texas. "You've got to keep a close eye on them. Horses are getting over the track well.

"The yearling sales were strong, and I think there will be a carryover here," Richardson said of the OBS sale that kicks off the juvenile sale season. "There are a lot of horses with good pedigrees in the catalog, so I don't see it ending any time soon."

But even with buying yearlings for resale and making all the right moves, Richardson said there's an intangible that no consignor can control, one that sometimes determines the outcome of a sale.

"We like to think we have it down," Richardson said, "but we want luck on our side."