Minoan and Oversear were the winners of the two $42,254 sections of the Liberty Bell Stakes for three-year-old trotting males and both stopped the timer in 1:53.1 on Friday afternoon, Oct. 30 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Minoan and driver Andrew McCarthy made the lead near the :27.3 quarter, passed the mid-point splits in :56.3 and 1:25, then proceeded on strongly to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Captain Jordan (Jack Pelling), with Dilly Hanover (Trae Porter) rounding out the top three.

The Bar Hopping-Regal Woman gelding, who was third at 103-1 behind the epic stretch battle between Apex and Big Ranger in this year’s Hambletonian, boosted his lifetime earnings to $595,555 for trainer Noel Daley, co-owner with Patricia Stables of Massapequa, New York, L A Express Stable of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania and Sjoeblom Racing of Delray Beach, Florida.

Oversear, purchased last week by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Knox Services of Mt. Vernon, Ohio and FAC Racing of Scarsdale, New York, provided an immediate return on their investment by setting fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24, then passing under the wire a length ahead of Captain Vodka (Ridge Warren, with Mr Penner (Simon Allard) third. 

Corey Callahan handled the sulky duties for new trainer Ron Burke as the International Moni-Legal Lady gelding went over $300,000 in career earnings.

Racing resumes at Philly on Sunday at 12:40 p.m., with the three-year-old section of the Liberty Bell Stakes coming to a conclusion with a pair of divisions for pacing males.

(With files from PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Minoan from a previous win at The Meadows)