EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Even with a forecast for rain on Saturday that could wipe out the Monmouth at Meadowlands card, keeping the two horses he has entered in the barn, trainer Tony Wilson isn’t about to let a little bad weather dampen his spirits.

After surviving an 0-for-18 start at Monmouth Park over the summer, he is back winning and fully enjoying it.

Following that early drought, the 66-year-old Wilson won with five of his final 13 starters at the Jersey Shore track to finish 7-for-42 (with nine thirds) at the meet.

“Some races weren’t going early,” said Wilson, who has Charlize Chub entered in the fourth race and Foxiesbaymallow in the fifth on Saturday’s scheduled six-race all-turf card. “You just have to wait it out and hope it turns around for you when the right races go for you.

“You can’t get frustrated about it. You keep working and rely on your experience to wait it out.”

Wilson often gets off to slow starts at Monmouth Park and the reason, he says, is simple.

“When I come to Monmouth Park I usually start by running my horses in a little higher company to get them a race and get them fit,” he said. “I’m not one to keep breezing super-fast times. It’s not how I do things.

“The races I was looking for eventually started going and my horses were ready. It takes patience to wait until things go your way.”

The Merchantville, N.J., native (he now calls Tampa home) is 10-for-92 on the year, having already exceeded his win total of a year ago.

When the Monmouth at Meadowlands meet ends he ships his 14-horse stable to Tampa Bay Downs, having done the Monmouth Park-Tampa Bay Downs circuit since 2008.

“When I look back at the Monmouth Park meet I felt I should have won three more races,” said Wilson. “But that happens every year, I think.”

A year ago, he won the Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park with Factorbella, marking his first stakes win since 2011. With a stable consisting of maidens, claimers and a few allowance horses, stakes opportunities don’t come along very often.

“Every now and then I get a good one,” he said. “I’m hoping Philly Ruckus (a 2-year-old entered at Delaware Park on Friday) turns out to be one of those.”

Wilson, who got his start working for his father Earl at Garden State Park and Atlantic City Racecourse, went out on his own in 2001 after working for the late John Tammaro and Ben Perkins, Jr.

His best year was 2008 when he won 28 races.

“I usually have a bigger stable than I have now,” he said. “I usually claim a lot of horses at Monmouth Park. But I only claimed one this summer. I’ve never claimed that few. I just didn’t see anything I wanted to claim.

“I’m happy where the stable is now. Hopefully we can keep things going the way they are going now.”