Sarasota Polo Club sale finalized

Saying their goal is to keep the Sarasota Polo Club as agricultural and recreational space as currently zoned, Lakewood Ranch Country Club's James and Misdee Miller, have closed on their purchase of the 158-acre property from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

James Miller, who did not reveal what he paid for the Sarasota Polo Club, said the sale was final on June 8. In 2017, the Sarasota County Property Appraiser had the Sarasota Polo Club appraised for $1,839,442

"We felt SMR was going to shut down the club if no one bought it," James Miller said. "It needs someone who understands polo. It's a unique thing."

James Miller emphasized he wants to keep polo alive at the facility and said he and his wife could add other equine sports as well. He was asked if there will be a 2018-2019 polo season at the club.

"Absolutely," he said. "In fact, I am adding a new season which will run Nov. 1 thru Dec. 31."

The polo club nearly was sold in October 2017 when Coral Gables developer David Meunier pulled out of the deal after asking for an extension of his due diligence period.

Meunier said, "In the end, the task was much bigger than I anticipated."

He said it was going to cost him more than $1 million to get the nine polo fields on the property into the proper condition.

James Miller said he and wife understand the challenges.

"We are making a tremendous commitment to get the club where it needs to be," James Miller said. "A lot of speculation has been going around that people have been looking to develop (the property). Our goal is to keep it green space."

The Millers own two properties at The Polo Club where they keep their horses. They also own 1,400-acre Hillcroft Farm in Paris, Kentucky, which is being used for polo horse operations, Saddlebred breeding, thoroughbred race horse breeding and agricultural crops such as soy beans, corn, wheat and alfalfa.

James Miller, an accomplished Polo player who competes at the Sarasota Polo Club, most often for the Hillcroft team, is also the president of the Lexington (Kentucky) Polo Club. He also competes in Europe and Barbados. Misdee Miller is a world champion in saddlebred show horses and is one of the world's most accomplished competitors in Pleasure Driving and Combined Driving. 

"We are equestrian centric people," James Miller said.

The Sarasota Polo Club was founded in 1991. According to its website, Robin Uihlein had donated mallets, saddles and a few ponies to a group of SRM executives and cowboys who were playing "knock-around" games in their free time in a cow pasture. SMR decided to include a polo club in their master-planned community.

James Miller began playing polo at the Sarasota Polo Club in 2004. He rented a farm in East County and in 2005 bought the current family home at the Country Club. In 2006, James and Misdee bought the two properties in the Polo Club.