Going Global might make 2022 debut in Royal Heroine Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Going Global, a six-time stakes winner in 2021, recently resumed training with Phil D’Amato at Santa Anita after a brief rest in January.

Going Global, 4, may have her 2022 debut in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes, a $200,000 race for fillies and mares at a mile on turf on April 9.

In her final two turf starts last year, Going Global won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies in August and the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile against older fillies and mares at Del Mar on Nov. 6. In her final start of the year, Going Global finished sixth of 10 in the Grade 1 American Oaks on dirt on Dec. 26. The American Oaks was scheduled for turf but switched to the dirt rack because of wet conditions. The race was the first on dirt for Going Global.

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D’Amato plans to start the four-time stakes winner Leggs Galore in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf on March 5. The day after, he might run Ain’t Easy in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

Unbeaten in two starts, Ain’t Easy has not raced since winning the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes here last October. She was held out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar in November after a bone chip was detected in an ankle.

“If all goes well, she’ll have three drills for the race,” he said of the Santa Ysabel. “Everything has to go perfect.”

D’Amato was encouraged on Sunday when Ain’t Easy worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds.

“She looked like she was going in 52,” he said.

The Santa Ysabel is also in the race plans for Cairo Memories, trainer Bob Hess, Jr., said in a text message on Sunday. Cairo Memories was second in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos in December.

Beer Can Man, who recently joined D’Amato’s stable from Mark Glatt’s barn, is a candidate for the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on Feb. 20.