After finishing third in the Monmouth Park trainer standings each of the past two summers, Jorge Delgado has made a slight tweak to his stable in his bid to earn his first career training title.

More diversity, he said, is the key.

“I think the difference the two other years is that we weren’t claiming as much as we are this year,” said Delgado. “We changed that strategy and we tried to add some claiming horses and run those levels and be more active on those levels, because in the end those are the type of horses that can get you over the top and can get you to leading trainer.”

Delgado, who oversees a 51-horse stable at Monmouth Park, heads into the three-day racing weekend second in the trainer standings with a 9-9-8 line from 42 starters at the meet. Chad Brown currently tops those standings with 11 winners.

Delgado will send out one horse on Friday’s eight-race card and then four on Saturday.

“I’m happy with the way things are going,” he said. “I do think we could have won more races. We’ve had some heartbreaking seconds. That’s the way it goes sometimes. But we definitely could have won more races. We have nine seconds. That’s a lot of seconds.”

The 35-year-old native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, who started training in the United States in 2017, doesn’t shy away from talk about earning the training title. Friday marks the 17^th day of the 50-day meet, with Delgado having positioned himself solidly as be one of the trainers to beat.

“It would be very special to me. I have never been a leading trainer,” he said. “But I think things are more level this year at Monmouth Park compared to any other year I have been here because a lot of trainers have the same amount of horses and you can see things are very balanced if you look at the standings.

”I think I have a few good weeks coming. On Haskell weekend I will be as active as I can be. I may have five horses in stakes races then.”

Just behind Delgado in terms of winners at the meet are Jamie Ness and Silvino Ramirez, each with seven winners. What has made this year’s trainer’s race even more unpredictable is the 3-for-32 start by Claudio Gonzalez, who has won the past three Monmouth Park training titles.

“It’s level for everybody,” said Delgado. “You will see a guy get on a good streak and suddenly he is near the top of the trainer standings.

“I feel there are 10 or 12 trainers who, with luck, could be in the first three spots in the standings. Fortunately, my horses have been performing very well.”

Delgado said an infusion of money from some new owners has helped him diversify his stable.

“Last year I was focused on stakes races and baby races,” he said. “We’re trying to take advantage the best we can of the support from good clients and new clients who are willing to spend the money and play the game.”

Delgado, who has 396 career winners, including Grade 1 winner Power Squeeze, said his entire team has leading trainer honors as its goal.

“We’re working hard,” he said. “Everyone in the barn knows. They’re aware, We’re all trying to make it happen.

“Of course it’s hard. Everyone wants to win. But if we keep doing what we’ve been doing we know good results will happen.”