If there’s a job in the Thoroughbred racing industry to be had – outside of being a jockey – Silvino Ramirez most likely did it before he went on his own as a trainer in 2020.

As he put it, “I started at the bottom.”

These days, the 44-year-old from Mexico finds himself near the top of the Monmouth Park trainer standings heading into the three-day weekend, tied for second with Jorge Delgado with 13 wins, four behind leader Chad Brown.

That’s with a barn consisting of just 23 horses.

“I didn’t expect this because I don’t have that many horses,” said Ramirez, who has two entered on Monmouth Park’s Friday card, one on Saturday and possibly three on Sunday. “So it’s surprising to me. We’re working hard as a team. I’ve been lucky and my horses are running good.

“Everything is working out so far.”

Those 13 winners at Monmouth Park have come from just 59 starters (overall he has 25 wins from 121 starters). Last year, from the same number of Monmouth starters, he had 10 wins.

“I do have more horses now than I have had in any year as a trainer,” said Ramirez, who has 98 career wins. “I wish I had more horses.”

When Ramirez came to the United States in 2000 he started as a hot walker for trainer Juan Serey, eventually becoming a groom. He then he worked for trainer Faustino Ramos before heading to South Carolina to learn how to ride horses. The four months he spent in South Carolina enabled him to return to as an exercise rider.

Ramirez also worked for Chad Brown and Anthony Dutrow before spending 11 years with Ben Perkins, Jr.

“My last three years with Ben Perkins when I was an exercise ride for him I was able to own a couple of horses that I would help train,” said Ramirez, who splits his time mostly between Parx and Monmouth Park. “I did well with those horses so one day I just said `why not become a trainer myself?’ That’s when I went out on my own.”

He started in 2020 with four horses.

“I just kept working,” he said.  “It’s a hard business. You have to put in the work.”

His barn now mostly consists of claimers and maidens, with the goal in the near future to win another stakes race. His first came in the 2021 Charles Hesse III Handicap with another last year with in the Friendly Lover. Amatteroftime accounted for both.

“You always want to win a stakes race,” he said. “I don’t know if I have one of those horses yet. I’m trying to get the most out of what I have and win as many races as I can. The success I am having now is surprising because I do not have a lot of horses, but I know I have put in the work to have success.”