Jamie Macomber sure loves her fillies

Jamie Macomber loves her fillies, and that is ever so evident in the success that she has with them.

The 45-year-old harness racing conditioner from Zanesville, Ohio, who now calls Indiana home, has started off the season with a bang from her home base at Hoosier Park. She and husband, driver Ricky Macomber, condition a stable of 22 at the Anderson, Indiana raceway.

Lifetime, Jamie has 643 training wins and $9,437,691 in earnings since she began conditioning horses in 2001. She has had four, $1 million seasons from 2018 through 2020, and to date this year her charges have earned $508,919 from 33 wins, 21 seconds, and 11 thirds in 152 trips behind the gate.

One of her top 2-year-old distaffs is Loveyoucookie, a daughter of Capt Midnight p, 3, 1:48.3s ($551,567), who is two-for-two this season—including a 1:53.4 score in a $47,000 Indiana Sires Stakes (ISS) on July 10 at Hoosier Park. She is the first foal out of the Rockin Image mare Bluebird Love p, 3, 1:53s ($44,835), and already has $29,000 on her card.

“She was a little bit behind everyone initially,” Jamie explained. “We moved back to the track on February first and once we did, she wasn’t behind anymore. Every time I turned her, she got better and better. She’s always been perfect to manage and has never caused any trouble either on the track or in the barn. She’s pretty good gaited, and she might get off here and there, but she’s never had anything crazy that’s bothered her.”

Foaled April 2, 2022, at Middlebury, IN, this bay filly sold for $30,000 at the 2023 Hoosier Classic Sale. She was bred by Daryl D. Miller of Middlebury, IN and is owned by Doug Overhiser of New Smyma Beach, FL.

“The owner always likes to try the first crop of a new sire,” Jamie added. “We had Peter Dalt p, 5, 1:51.1f ($224,090), and Bluebird Love is his full sister. Both of them are out of Love You Always p, 5, 1:52.1 ($168,890).”

Loveyoucookie began her career with a pair of winning qualifiers at Hoosier Park, the first on June 12 when she paced to a winning 2:00.4, with a last quarter in :27.1, followed by a June 19 effort when she won in 1:57.1, this time with a :26.4 final brush. She then captured her pari-mutuel debut at Hoosier on July 3 in an $11,000 non-winners of one for fillies and mares in 1:56.3 (:26.3), before that impressive victory in the ISS when she paced in 1:53.4, with another :27 final panel.

LOVEYOUCOOKIE REPLAY

“She’s an average sized filly, and has a unique gait to her, she looks like a princess out there on the track, and if someone else is jogging her, I can always spot her right away as she had such a presence about her,” Jamie offered. “In the barn, she’s perfect, we don’t even know she’s there, but she’s friendly, and always has her head out, looking for attention.”

Another of Jamie’s top freshman distaffs is JK’s Flirty Girl, a daughter of JK Endofanera p, 3, 1:48.2 ($2,049,580) who is also two-for-two in her young career. She was bred and is owned in partnership by Jamie and James Stonecipher of Tipton, IN.

JK’S FLIRTY GIRL REPLAY

“I trained her dam, McFlirty p, 8, 1:49.3s ($459,371), at two” Jamie said. “James (Stonecipher) and I had her and raced her and she broke a sesamoid at Pompano, but she was a nice horse. So, we own her and are partners on all her babies.”

Foaled April 18, 2022, in LaGrange, IN, JK’s Flirty Girl won her pari-mutuel debut at Hoosier on July 3 in an $11,000 non-winners of one in 1:54.1, pacing her last quarter in :26.3. She then won in 1:54 on July 10 at Hoosier in a $46,500 ISS leg by three lengths, with a last quarter in :27. In that race, the coal black filly took the lead at the :57.3 half and never looked back. She now has $28,750 in her coffers.

“She squirely, but looks just like JK Endofanera,” Jamie noted. “Every day you have to pay attention to her when you’re jogging her because she’ll jump from anything but when you turn her to go, she’s all business.”

Jamie also conditions Flirtin Fanera, p, 3, 1:51.2s ($118,045), a full sister to JK’s Flirty Girl. Foaled April 4, 2021, at LaGrange, IN, this brown filly is also owned by Jamie & James Stonecipher. As a freshman, she had a lone win in nine starts, pacing in 1:54s in a Hoosier victory on Sept. 7, 2023, when she prevailed by four lengths over her rivals. This season she’s had three wins and a trio of seconds in nine starts, earning another $59,345. Her best effort came in a May 18, non-winners of two late closer series final, when she paced to a winning 1:51.2s, with a front-stepping effort that saw her final panel clocked in :25.2.

“So far, every foal out of the mare (McFlirty) has been very professional,” Jamie added. “It’s really great fun to have the connection to the family.”

FLIRTIN FANERA REPLAY

McFlirty has her sixth foal, a yearling JK Endofanera colt, christened JK McFlirt, waiting to begin his training this fall, and her seventh by this same sire was born this spring.

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink