Barn Tour: Chasing another title, Joe Sharp updates on 10 runners
The hits keep coming for trainer Joe Sharp.
Coming off a trainers' title at Fair Grounds, Sharp is in the lead at Churchill Downs, with 18 winners from 99 starters.
Sharp had a career-high $8.9 million in earnings last year, and he’s on pace to break that mark this year, with $4.9 million in earnings so far.
“Obviously, it's been a good year. We've had tremendous support from our owners and the horses showing up when they needed to,” Sharp said. “And then, I have an amazing team, we've worked together for a lot of years. I'm only as good as the guys that are around me. And that's been the hugest part, I've had a great team of assistants.
“The camaraderie makes us stronger as a unit, helps us kind of continue to keep moving forward and increasing the quality of our stock. We're kind of one day at a time just trying to win races and move on to the next day, and it all seems to be adding up in the right direction.”
Sharp, who has 25 starters entered this week at Churchill Downs, provided updates on 10 of his top earners and up-and-comers for Horse Racing Nation’s Barn Tour series.
Possiblemente. This 6-year-old gelding by Tale of Ekati is 3-for-5 this year and won the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier in his most recent start, Sharp’s first graded win since 2023. "He's doing well, we were glad to get that graded stake out at Woodbine. Just a really cool horse. We're probably going to point him to opening weekend in Saratoga (in the Harvey Pack). … Having turned him back in distance, it really turned out to be what's made him, I think, go to the next level, continue to get better. Kentucky Downs will be a fall goal for him. And just kind of keep him fresh and keep him heading in the right direction, going toward that to try and get enough earnings that we can get into a big race at Kentucky Downs.”
Creole Chrome. This 3-year-old Volatile colt won his first two starts of the year and moved into graded company, finishing fourth in the Blue Grass (G1) and sixth in the Pat Day Mile (G2). Then he returned to Louisiana-bred company, winning a black-type stakes at Evangeline on June 6. “We sent him down to Louisiana. He ran into a couple of really big races, the Blue Grass and the Pat Day Mile. So we sent him down there kind of to get his confidence built up, and he did just that. It seemed to do exactly what we were hoping. We're nominated to the Maxfield (G3, June 28 at Churchill), but I think we're probably leaning more toward the Indiana Derby (G3), if you had to ask me about it today.”
Mony Mony. This 3-year-old Munnings filly is 3-for-5 this year, winning a listed stakes at Woodbine two back and finishing third last out in a Churchill allowance. “She's going to go back up to Woodbine on the 27th. There's a six-and-a-half stakes for $150,000 (the Alywow), straight 3-year-old fillies. I think that's where we're going to point her. … She just loves the synthetic.”
Stylish Sue. This 5-year-old mare by Nyquist won a listed stakes at Turfway in March then tried stakes company, finishing fifth in the Modesty (G3) and second in the Belle Mahone (G3) last out at Woodbine. “She's doing well. She's going to run in the Anchorage at Churchill on closing weekend. … It was a tough defeat last time, but she ran a huge race.”
Awesome Ruta. A 5-year-old son of Mendelssohn, Awesome Ruta has won his last five starts, including four starter allowances this year. “We're probably just going to run him back in a starter there at Churchill, maybe try a two-other-than. What a fun horse he's been this year. Just ultra-consistent, won five in a row. He's just a genuine horse. We wish we could have a barnful like him.”
Vive Veuve. This 5-year-old Collected mare opened her 2026 season with a win in the black-type Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star Park on May 25, her first start on dirt. “We got all the way down to Texas last time and she was rained off the turf (in the Ouija Board). So that was frustrating. But it might've opened a door that we might not have looked behind unless we were forced to. So she ran a huge race on the dirt off the layoff. We're also going to point her towards the Anchorage closing week at Churchill.”
Fantastical. A 5-year-old mare by Air Force Blue, Fantastical is 1-for-4 this year, most recently finishing second in an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill at 19-1 odds. “She's doing well. She was scheduled to run on the Ouija Board as well, and we scratched her when it was rained off the turf.” She’s now pointed to the Royal North (G3) at Woodbine on June 27.
Pretty Tapit. After 10 tries, the 4-year-old Tapit filly broke her maiden Sunday at Churchill going 1 1/2 miles on turf. “We were really encouraged by her race the other day. The mile and a half is obviously something you don't know until you try. … Looks like we have an exciting horse to try to target those specialty distances with and hopefully, obviously Kentucky Downs will be our end-of-the-season goal here.”
Siyouincanada. This 3-year-old, France-bred colt by Siyouni won his May 25 debut after leading at every call. “He's either going to target the straight 3-year-old stake closing weekend at Churchill or the 3-year-old stake at Saratoga on opening weekend.”
Miwa. This Great Britain-bred, 5-year-old mare, also by Siyouni, won an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill “pretty impressively” Saturday in her 2026 debut. “They gave her the time off that she needed just to kind of freshen, and she's come back and really seems to be like a touch better this year than she was last year. So we're pretty excited about that.” She’s pointed to a stakes the second week at Saratoga.