The Always B Miki-A Beach Cowgirl filly Sandyboots Yankee captured the last Liberty Bell stake of the 2026 racing season at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 8, winning the sole $66,549 contest for three-year-old pacing misses in 1:52.4.

Other than her respectable fourth-place finishes in the Jugette heat and final, Sandyboots Yankee had won her other four recent races, including a Keystone Classic, a Simpson stake and her Pennsylvania Stallion Series Championship. On Sunday, Sandyboots Yankee gradually worked her way to the top, and after early fractions of :27.3 and :56.3, she duelled with a familiar foe in Make It Right (Tim Tetrick), who was second in the Stallion Series Championship. 

Make It Right went her own third split in :26.1 uncovered to get within a length of the winner at the 1:23.4 three-quarters and kept getting closer on the far turn, but Sandyboots Yankee still had pace in reserve, winning by 1-3/4 lengths. Luckylady Hanover (Simon Allard) was third.

Tyler Buter sat behind Sandyboots Yankee, an earner of $283,288 lifetime and 10-time winner in 26 starts for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr and Phil Collura. The winner returned $3.

The Sweet Lou-Just Dance gelding Christopher Dance N, assigned the outside post seven in the $22,535 Winners Over Handicap Pace, improved on his recent win tallies of four of his last six with a 1:50.1 victory. He produced back fractions of :55 - :27.2 on a day when only two of the 14 races had a faster fourth quarter than third split.

Tim Tetrick found a spot mid-pack early as there was a three-way dance for the lead, with Joemikiyoursofine (George Napolitano Jr.), who defeated the Kiwi pacer here on Oct. 25, going to the top between horses. The outermost leaver broke late on the first turn, and Tetrick immediately right-lined his horse as the field went by the quarter in :26.4, looking to avoid the first-over journey that contributed to Joemikiyoursofine's recent win. The winner reached the top with one lap to go, passing the half in :55.2 and the three-quarters in 1:22.4 as the top two drew clear of their opposition. Joemikiyoursofine tried hard in the lane but could get no closer than three-quarters of a length at the finish. Captain Crusader A (Simon Allard) was third.

Christopher Dance N has earnings of $458,531 lifetime with 21 wins in 42 outings. The six-year-old is trained by Enrico Robinson for Pollack Racing LLC. He paid $2.20 to win.

The other race featuring a fast last panel was the $18,310 fast-class conditioned pacing subfeature, which was won by Gorgeous Big Guy ($2.40), a five-year-old altered son of Ashlees Big Guy-Gorgeous Ranger. He closed in :55.2 - :27.3 in a 1:51.1 victory for driver Corey Callahan and many of Sandyboots Yankee’s team: trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

Driving doubles were earned by amateur reinsman Tony Verruso, Corey Callahan and Simon Allard. Allard cut Tetrick’s advantage at the top of the year’s drivers' standings in half, with the score now 122-121. Ron Burke posted the above-described double, the only one to have multiple wins among conditioners.

Racing at Philly returns on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 12:25 p.m.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia; photo of Sandyboots Yankee winning on Sept. 18)