Monsoon Rain much the best

Monsoon Rain ($4.70) capped his dream season at Assiniboia Downs on Sunday with an 11 1/4-length romp in the $72,250 Gold Cup, the closing-day feature which was the richest race of the meeting for 3-year-olds and upward.

Owned by Larry Carter, trained by Martin Drexler and ridden by Carlos Marquez, Monsoon Rain was recording his fifth consecutive win and third straight stakes score in the 1 1/8-mile Gold Cup.

Alberta invader Tejano Trouble, who won the Gold Cup last year, checked in second this time with 2 3/4 lengths to spare over third-place Voorhee's Ballad.

* Prayforthesoldiers ($9.50) captured the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity, a one-mile race for 2-year-olds.