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of Nijinsky II and My Charmer. The final price was $13.1 million, paid by the British Bloodstock Agency of England.
Hatley’s recipe for success in racing also included a heavy dollop of honor, according to one anecdote related by Lukas regarding a dispute over ownership that also involved Lamar Miller. “Mel said, ‘Well, I’m in the office here alone,’” Lukas told DRF.com. “And he [Moore] said, ‘Well, so am I.’ He said ‘Flip a coin and call it and let me know.’ So, Melvin flips the coin, calls it, and it’s in Lamar’s favor, and Mel says, ‘Lamar, you won the filly.’ That tells you everything you need to know about Mel Hatley.”
“His word was his bond and he expected the same from the people that he dealt with,” added Wise, who served as assistant manager of Hatley’s
He made a rare appearance in 2006, during the fall meet at Lone Star, where he was part of a trophy presentation. That appearance, chronicled in the aforementioned DRF.com piece, led Hatley to ponder a return to the sport, but his comments showed that same ultra-competitive, all-business mindset: “I want to play at the level I’ve been at, or I don’t want to go.”
Hatley did stage a return as an owner in 2015, partnering with the Estate of C.W. Navarre in Dashin Brown Streak, who won two Grade 1 races that year and finished a strong third in that year’s version of the Champion of Champions.
Those who may never have met Hatley still
farm in Lexington in 1975.
Hatley stepped away from racing in the
1990s, due, in large part, to health problems. He underwent a kidney transplant in 2002 and also fought a battle with cancer, which went into re- mission. He remained active in the business world, however, developing a substantial portfolio of real estate holdings that included a 96-acre gated com- munity in the Dallas area.
Hatley was known for his success just as much as his unwillingness to be in the spotlight.
“I never have gone for the publicity or the hype of the winner’s circle,” Hatley told The Oklaho- man in 1988. “Sure, I like to win, but you’ll never see me with a stable full of claiming horses just to win a lot of races. I like quality.”
One of the go-to destinations for aspiring horse buyers every year, Heritage Place was founded, in part, by Hatley.
feel his influence whenever they step through the doors at Heritage Place. One of the go-to destinations for aspiring horse buyers every year, Heritage Place was founded, in part, by Hatley. He participated in the original ownership group, which opened the venue’s doors in 1978.
Under that roof, Heritage Place has been the marketplace to sell tens of thousands of horses in the past 39 years . . . a number that will increase during this year’s scheduled assortment of sales.
“Melvin was an excellent businessman,” Wise said. “He had a great feel for the business side of the horse industry. He also had a great vision for it, and that manifested itself obviously in Heritage Place. I always had a lot of respect for him.”
After stepping away from racing in the 90s, Hatley staged his return in 2015 as an owner, partnering with the Estate of C. W. Navarre in Dashin Brown Streak. Hatley is pictured here in the winner’s circle after Dashin Brown Streak won the 2015 Remington Park Invitational Championship-G1.
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