Stathis Enterprises Unicorn Trust of New York City, NY has announced that it closed on the purchase of the South Florida Trotting Center late in May.

The purchase price was over $10 million and includes the 102-acre facility with 14 barns. It is home to 300 harness racing horses located on route 441/SR 7 in Lake Worth and feature an equine swimming pool and numerous turnout paddocks.

The new CEO of the South Florida Trotting Center is Sam Stathis, who already has his Celebrity Farms Stable at the South Florida Trotting Center.

“I want to thank prior owner Eric Cherry for making this deal happen,” Stathis said. “First order of business will be fixing up the barn area, caretaker quarters and building a new training barn for my stable. Also we will be remaining open year-round henceforth.

“We also want to rename the facility,” Stathis said. “And we will hold a worldwide ‘Name the equine center contest’ this summer.

“Our plans are to turn this facility into a real showplace with modern technology, eco-system friendly and also to expand the facility so that other breeds of horses will be able to train at the farm. While this facility has been predominately a premier trotting facility, we will now be attracting all equestrian disciplines including Hunter, Jumpers and even Polo.

“We are both pleased with the closing and I am going to stay on the farm with my Let It Ride Stable,” former owner Eric Cherry said. “I look forward to working with Sam as he has great plans for the future of the farm and to turn it into a premier facility.”

Stathis also said plans call for the facility to become a research and development centre with an incubator for equine-related technologies, including a teaching facility for caretakers, holistic equine healing and more.

(With files from Stathis Enterprises)