Saturday stakes recaps (6/25/05)

* Jockey Helen Vanek won her first stakes at Canterbury Park, guiding Stormy Venus to victory in the $40,000 Northbound Pride Stakes. Stormy Venus ($12.60) held off Camela Carson while stopping the timer in 1:43.56 for 1 1/16 miles.

* Gamblers Passion ($13.20) got a perfect stalking trip and rallied to score a 2 1/4-length victory over Traveler in Saturday's $70,000 Hawkeyes Handicap for Iowa-bred fillies and mares at Prairie Meadows.

* Heavily favored The Straw Man was put to the test but finished a nose ahead of Chasin the Wind to capture Saturday's $16,125 State Fair Derby under Dennis Collins on Saturday at Lincoln.

* Higher Fire ran a nearly flawless race to pull a minor upset in Saturday's $1,145,000 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity for Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos. Higher Fire ($15.60) finished 350 yards in 17.236 seconds, missing Corona Chick's 1989 track record by .01 seconds.