Joe Sharp is in the mix for the Saratoga training title

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trainer Joe Sharp came to Saratoga this year with plenty of momentum after winning trainers titles in the winter at Fair Grounds and in the spring at Churchill Downs. When he got to Saratoga, he continued his winning ways and already has five victories.

“It's been a really good year,” Sharp said. “Things have been hitting right. The horses have been showing up when we needed them to. The owners have been giving us the opportunity to run where we should. So, it’s all been aligning so far and we’re really grateful. I've been on both sides of it, so we're enjoying the upward momentum.”

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Sharp spends most of the year training in Kentucky and New Orleans, but he is also a regular at Saratoga in the summer while keeping state-breds year-round on the NYRA circuit.

“Between Ellis and Churchill right now we have between 50 and 60 horses, something like that,” Sharp said. “In New York, just under 40. So probably around 90 and 100 between the two places.”

The West Virginia native began the Saratoga meeting quickly and is near the top of the trainer standings just behind Todd Pletcher, Linda Rice and Chad Brown, all of whom are past winners of the prestigious summer meet. Sharp won on the third day of the meet and then on four consecutive days last week.

“That was great,” Sharp said. “You're always like, ‘we gotta get the first win at Saratoga,’ and then it was like one a day.”

Sharp also is closing in on the 1,000-career victory mark. He currently has 997 wins with several horses entered next week at Saratoga and Ellis.

“Yeah, I do, yeah,” Sharp said when asked if thinks about the milestone. “Only because people remind me of it. It would be nice to get it here (in Saratoga) with the wife (former jockey Rosie Napravnik) and kids here. Hopefully next week.”

Knowing what he's up against, Sharp keeps his chances for the training title in perspective.

“It's not like I don’t think I can contend,” Sharp said with a smile. “It’s just I don't think a Kentucky guy can ever win a New York title. We don't come up here with that in mind. We're just bringing what we have, and we're going to run early in the meet preparing for Kentucky Downs, getting some of the 2-year-olds some exposure. It’s a good climate for the summer to focus on a fall campaign. We don't hit this meet with those intentions, but you know as tough as it is to win races up here, we are very, very, very appreciative of every win we can get because, you know, it's Saratoga.”