The Great Racing gives freshman sire The Great Day his first G1 as a stallion

Following a massive investment of trust by the breeding operation of Dr. Juan Carlos Bagó, The Great Day (Harlan’s Holiday) earned his first Group 1-winning offspring with the victory of his son The Great Racing in the Argentinian 2,000 Guineas, contested over the mile on the turf track at the traditional San Isidro Racecourse.

The Great Racing (The Great Glory) winning the 2,000 Guineas (G1). First G1 for him, for his sire, and for his owner in Argentinian turf.

Co-owned by Dr. Francisco Gallinal and his breeder Dr. Juan Carlos Bagó, the colt is trained by the top trainer at Palermo, who has now also conquered the racetrack located north of Buenos Aires. His jockey has always been William Pereyra, and he carried the silks of Uruguay’s “Patria Blanca,” owned by former senator Gallinal. 50% of the now G1 winner was purchased for U$S 26,000 at the “Venta Selección” public auction of Haras Firmamento in May 2024, organized by Antonio Bullrich S.A.

The Great Racing (The Great Day) had made an impressive debut over the mile at San Isidro, finishing second to a son of Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), imported in-utero by Haras Firmamento. He then returned at the same distance and surface to win by several lengths, posting the best time of the afternoon (1:37.11) over a wet-to-heavy turf course that was not yielding fast times. This time, in his first start in graded company, he entered as the betting favorite and defeated Ardiendo (Remote), who had previously won the Criterium de Potrillos (G1).

The victory of The Great Racing (The Great Day) in the San Isidro 2,000 Guineas (G1) not only confirms his athletic quality and dominance of the 2022 crop but also brings attention to a carefully built pedigree designed to produce speed, acceleration, and the ability to sustain action through the mile. Reviewing his lineage reveals an architecture that blends the dominant influence of the not-quite-sire-of-sires Storm Cat (Storm Bird), through Harlan’s Holiday, with stamina pillars like Roberto, Equalize, and Fappiano, all anchored by the prolific female family {6-f}, popularly known as “la familia de la E” (the E family), developed by Haras Abolengo of Mr. Julio Menditeguy. This family descends from Empiric (Voodoo) and is responsible for champions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, France, and the United States.

The strategic bet by Haras Firmamento began when it secured the third and final South American season of Harlan’s Holiday, after two earlier shuttle stints (2010 and 2011) for the Haras La Misión Stallion Station. They took on the financial risk of importing and standing an elite stallion just months before his unexpected death. It’s worth noting that La Misión had pioneered this “shuttle stallions” policy with Giant’s Causeway in 2008–2009 and Johannesburg in those same years, paving the way for Firmamento to join the race for global genetics. The result of this patient and selective investment is now tangible: a locally based stallion like The Great Day has already sired The Great Racing on his first attempt, validating the decision to allocate first-class resources to bloodlines capable of transforming the Argentine gene pool, and showing that a long-term financial commitment dating back to 2013 can crystallize in a G1 winner just a decade later.

The Great Day, winner of the Polla de Potrillos (G1) in 2017, champion older horse after winning the Estrellas Classic (G1) in 2018, and G3 winner in Canada, is a son of U.S.-based Harlan’s Holiday, one of the most versatile representatives of the Storm Cat line in South America. In The Great Day, Harlan’s Holiday’s genetics were enhanced by the influence of Honour and Glory, a son of Relaunch capable of adding moderate stamina. The result was a versatile athlete over distances from one mile to ten furlongs, a trait seemingly inherited by The Great Racing. When analyzing his speed DNA, one finds the duplication of Exclusive Native through Affirmed and the broodmare Belonging, from family {1-x}. This 5x5 duplication, one via the male line, one via the female, is a distant but valued consolidation of agility, without introducing genetic risk, as it keeps the inbreeding coefficient below 3%.

The transition from racehorse to stallion requires passing the “cradle test”: that the first crop not only competes but wins at the highest level. The Great Day passed quickly: his first foals had just turned three when The Great Racing scored in a G1, joining three other stakes winners. Beyond statistics, The Great Day transmits morphological uniformity: strong shoulders and backs, well-angled hindquarters, traits that sustain speed and reduce joint injuries. This phenotype matches the signature of Storm Cat (Storm Bird) and acts as a guarantee of heritability: if multiple offspring share the athletic outline, it is highly likely the trait is genetic rather than environmental.

In The Great Racing’s pedigree, the maternal line comes through Embracing Love, a daughter of Lucky Roberto, grandson of Belong to Me, out of Embrace Moi, bred along the lines of Ride The Rails (via Cryptoclearance, by Fappiano). This lineage brings two complementary elements. First, the genetic depth of Roberto, introduced through both the sire and dam lines, known for improving lung capacity and stamina. Second, the North American influence of Fappiano, a line responsible for refining stride mechanics and strengthening bone. Historically, when these two streams, Roberto and Fappiano, combine under the Northern Dancer umbrella (via Storm Cat), the result is runners who perform on firm tracks and react well to heavy turf, common in Buenos Aires’ springtime.

It’s telling that the dam Embracing Love had a modest racing career but excellent veterinary parameters, most notably her outstanding fertility (11 live foals from 10 matings), and is currently in foal with her 11th by Slow Down Andy (Nyquist), the newest addition to Haras Firmamento’s stallion roster, managed by Ezequiel Valle, son of renowned veterinarian César “Coco” Valle.

The “E family” or {6-f} traces back to the Argentine matron Empiric (1966), born at Haras Abolengo. Her birth marked a turning point for the Menditeguy family’s breeding operation: she produced daughters and granddaughters capable of excelling as both racehorses and broodmares. Among her most famous descendants are Expressive Halo, Halo Ola, and Snapy Halo, all G1 winners at distances from 1,600 to 2,500 meters. This lineage has a proven ability to blend with Northern Dancer, Storm Cat, Fappiano, and Relaunch bloodlines, validating a nicking pattern that now finds renewed strength in The Great Racing.

Also from this successful Argentine family comes Rio de la Plata (Rahy), a Godolphin-owned runner who shone over the European mile: he won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at two, and later the Vittorio di Capua and Premio Roma. Retired in 2013, he now stands for a mid-range fee at Haras du Logis in France, where he has sired multiple black-type winners, including Thais and Aiming For Rio, keeping the {6-f} legacy alive in Europe. Empiric (Voodoo) is his fourth dam.

The Great Racing’s pedigree features a 5x6 Rasmussen Factor centered on Alanesian (Polynesian), a duplication arising through different maternal paths and thus considered one of the “cleanest” forms of positive inbreeding. Alanesian appears as second dam of Ride The Rails (Cryptoclearance – Herbalesian), the sire of Embrace Moi and maternal grandsire of our colt, placing her in the fifth generation. On the sire’s side, she reappears as fourth dam of Harlan’s Holiday, via Princessnesian, positioning her in the sixth generation. The 5×6 duplication is close enough to reinforce the traits Polynesian passed to Alanesian, but distant enough to avoid tight inbreeding. The F coefficient remains low, and the reinforcement comes through two different daughters (Herbalesian and Princessnesian), allowing chromosomal variety. Additionally, this RF strengthens the proven Storm Cat × Alanesian cross, which already produced champions like Candy Ride and Interaction.

The optimal campaign plan suggests spacing starts by five to six weeks in spring, maintaining freshness and avoiding long breaks that may disrupt development. The Great Racing now has three starts (2-1-0), an ideal record for gradually increasing competitive intensity without overloading. The question that arose post-race was: Should The Great Racing debut on dirt in Palermo’s Polla de Potrillos, or wait two months for the Jockey Club at San Isidro? That decision will be made by the team of Juan Franco Saldivia and Roberto Pellegata, together with owners from Stud Patria Blanca and Haras Firmamento. Remember, the 2,000 Guineas (G1) is the first leg of San Isidro’s Triple Crown, while the Polla de Potrillos (G1) is the first leg of the national Triple Crown, and the G.P. Jockey Club (G1) is the second leg of both series.

His Uruguayan owner Francisco Gallinal welcoming The Great Glory with open arms as jockey William Pereyra and groom Juan Quiroga accompany him to the winner’s circle.

If this colt confirms his class in upcoming major stakes, The Great Racing will become a top candidate to join any Argentine stallion roster. Which mares would suit him? The “speed outcross” theory recommends daughters of Maxfield, Manipulator, and sires introducing Mr. Prospector. Granddaughters of Tapit (Seattle Slew → A.P. Indy line) are also attractive for their ability to contribute height and a longer neck, which can help offset the short backs sometimes seen in Storm Cat descendants. For breeders seeking a bolder pattern, intermediate duplications of Roberto may be explored, taking advantage of the colt’s tolerance to that line. Alternatively, he could be crossed with Northern Dancer-loaded mares via Equal Stripes, Orpen, or Easing Along.

Amid an economic storm marked by devaluations, inflation, and currency restrictions, Argentine breeders kept placing strong bets—and now they’re seeing the rewards. The 2025 freshman sire crop in Argentina reflects growing diversity of origin with closely matched results at the top of the rankings. Leading the way is U.S.-bred Gouverneur Morris (Constitution), whose two G1 winners in his first crop reveal how quickly the Tapit line can deliver precocity and mid-distance success on Argentine dirt. Argentine champion sprinter, miler, and stayer Stategos (Zensational), trained by Nicolás Martín Ferro, is responsible for one G1 winner and three black-type runners. His speed-oriented Unbridled’s Song genetics produced explosive two-turn types (1,200–1,600m), with hopes for improvement at longer distances. The Great Day (Harlan’s Holiday) follows the pattern: a locally based stallion with one G1 winner and three black-types, best suited to the mile with potential to stretch out; demonstrating that the Storm Cat line remains relevant when paired with proven stamina mares. Rounding out the quartet is Irish-bred Gidu (Frankel), whose three black-type runners (but no G1 wins yet) suggest that his offspring may need more time to mature and reach peak form.

In short, the success of The Great Racing crowns a chain of bold decisions that began with the arrival of Harlan’s Holiday in Argentina, continued with Dr. Juan Carlos Bagó’s unwavering faith in The Great Day, and culminated in the joint bet by Stud Patria Blanca and Haras Firmamento on a colt who embodies the best of Argentine breeding. His G1 victory not only validates the strategy of investing in elite stallions and matching them with the best mares but also proves that Argentina’s program, rooted in home-developed female lines, can produce a Group 1 winner on the first try. Thus, this triumph becomes a milestone that inspires the industry: it confirms the global competitiveness of local genetics, elevates the smart shuttle stallion model, and, above all, paints a future where decade-long projects come to life, even amid Argentina’s deep economic crisis, breeders continue to invest boldly in improving their bloodstock.