Saratoga Spotlight: Trainer Sharp off to fast start at the Spa

Trainer Joe Sharp jumped into the national spotlight last year when his star 3-year-old colt, Girvin, won the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. This year, Sharp is making a name for himself in New York, off to a fast start at Saratoga with wins by three of his first five starters.

“We are very appreciative and aware of how good of a start it is,” said Sharp. “Obviously now the goal is to just keep as many coming as we can.”

Sharp has always had the reputation as a trainer that can improve horses off the claim. Those skills have already produced winners for him this summer, but that is not the only type of horse in his barn.

“We have between 25 and 30 horses up here, and we’re obviously actively claiming,” he said. “At this meet, claiming tends to be a bigger part of what we do, but throughout the year we actually have transitioned a little more into the 2-year-olds and bringing young horses up over the last couple of years. We do still actively claim, but aside from this meeting it’s not as big a part as it used to be.”

Sharp has Super Stroll prepared to make his first in a maiden special weight on the turf in Saturday’s first race at Saratoga. Sharp likes his chances, but he knows the competition is stiff at the Spa.

“Stroll Daddy, he’s been working really well," the trainer said. "You know one thing about Saratoga, we really like our own 2-year-olds, but so does everybody else. That’s why you bring them here. I think if he conveys what he’s been doing in the morning to the afternoon, he’ll be right there.”

Girvin is one of three graded stakes winners that Sharp has trained, with that one having scored the barn's first Grade 1. Sharp was an assistant to Mike Maker before he went out on his own in 2014.

A few weeks have passed since Girvin was retired and Sharp has been able to put the experience in perspective.

“You’re always looking for another Girvin," he said. "I think we thought, ‘Oh, we’ll have another one next year.’ Next year’s crop didn’t produce a Girvin. So, it definitely gave us an appreciation for how good he was. We’re looking forward to finding another one like him.”