It took nearly two full years, but jockey Winston Kay made his way back to the winner’s circle by rallying 34-1 shot Fun Prospect to win Sunday’s fourth race at Monmouth Park. Kay, 30, was 0-for-31 last year and Fun Prospect represented his first mount of 2020.

He last won a race on July 29, 2018 aboard Sol the Freud at Monmouth Park.

“It’s been a long time,” said Kay, who hails from St. Catherine Parish in Jamaica. “It feels good. I’ve been working hard trying for times like this. It’s very satisfying to know the hard work I put in paid off.”

Kay, who has 28 victories overall from 717 mounts in a career that began in 2015, said he keeps busy by galloping horses, working out at the gym and running.

“I do what I can to be in shape so that when I get a chance I’m ready,” he said. “Sometimes it gets frustrating not getting mounts. But I have to keep working hard if this is what I want to do.”

Fun Prospect, who paid $70.40 to win, rallied from last in the field of eight and still only had one horse beat with a furlong to go before launching his winning rally. When 62-1 shot Final Ritual grabbed the place spot the $2 exacta returned $1,936.40.

Asked if it felt like a long time between winners, Kay smiled.

“It kind of did, yeah,” he said.

Later on the card, in the ninth race, a trio of longshots exceeded those hefty payoffs when Jorge Panaijo roused 107-1 shot Promise Illgetyou past 65-1 shot So Hot right at the wire – with 107-1 shot Shoeless finishing third.

The winner, trained by William Hogan, paid $216 to win (the track record for a win payoff is $229.20, set in 1951). The $2 exacta returned $2,150.20 and the .50-cent trifecta was worth $2,826.40

There was one .10-cent winning superfecta ticket. It returned $25,950.84.

With Fun Prospect part of both sequences, the .50-cent Pick 4 returned $11,958.65 while the .50-cent Pick 5 paid $51,767.45.

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park on Friday, July 10, with a six-race twilight card. First post that day is 5 p.m.