It has been announced that there will be another place to shop for horses next winter.

The newly created Sunshine Select Sale will be held Sunday, January 25, which is the Sunday before the 2015 Super Bowl. As its name suggests, the sale will be held in Florida, at the South Florida Trotting Center near Delray Beach.

The principals in the sale are Blue Chip Farms, Hanover Shoe Farms, and Eric Cherry, who operates the South Florida Trotting Center and breeds horses under the banner of Doc's Farm. Bob Marks, the longtime marketing manager for Perretti Farms and who knows his way around a sales arena, will serve as the sales manager.

The sale will have a mixed composition with a focus on selected two-year-olds in training that did not go through the auction ring as yearlings.

"While we expect to have many that did sell at the yearling sales, we'll try to avoid those obvious consignor culls that were bought back for negligible dollars,” said Marks. "In addition, there are yearlings that shouldn't sell or are withdrawn from yearling sales for cosmetic reasons that are absolutely fine once in training two months later. Certainly, our January 25 date will prove a more appropriate sales vehicle.

"We also hope to encourage `pinhooking' and if acknowledged sales pros like Perry Soderberg seek to pinhook the next Western Vintage, here's your arena!”

Marks also said a concentrated effort will be made to acquaint Thoroughbred patrons with the economic advantages of Standardbred ownership via messages in their media and the social media.

We think the location of the sale, near a large Thoroughbred training centre and with winter racing in South Florida, makes this a worthwhile initiative,” he explained.

For more information, contact Marks at 732-245-7026 or Eric Cherry at 561-272-5667.

(Sunshine Select Sale)