The end of an era: Grand Reward, the last resident stallion at Haras La Quebrada, has passed away

The son of Storm Cat, who was 25 years old, sired 7 G1 winners, including Sassagoula Springs, Chuck Berry, El Consorte, Bellagamba, and the remarkable Angiolo

Grand Reward sired 43 stakes winners in Argentina / MS

By Diego H. Mitagstein

It was no ordinary whinny that faded away in the pastures of Haras La Quebrada a couple of days ago; it was th e echo of a genealogy that seemed designed by the gods of the turf. The death of Grand Reward, at 23 years old, marks the biological end of an excellent stallion, one who might have been even greater had he not arrived in the country just as the historic stud farm was beginning to take its final steps.

A son of the giants Storm Cat and Serena’s Song (Rahy), this bay did not arrive at the prairies of Pilar to be just another name in a sales catalog. His arrival was a statement of principles by the Ceriani Cernadas family: the pursuit of absolute excellence. And he, with the nobility possessed only by the chosen ones, more than delivered. He did not just produce great horses; he provided owners with countless noble, reliable, and "fun" runners.

If one thing defined the offspring of Grand Reward, it was their ability to put their hearts on the wire. They weren't just fast; they were athletes with unusual resilience. During morning workouts and on big stakes weekends, seeing one of his descendants was a guarantee of total commitment.

A winner of 4 races in the United States, including the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), he also completed a more than positive early campaign in Europe, finishing second in the Mill Reef Stakes (G2), the Tetrarch Stakes (G3), and the Testimonial Stakes (L), and third in the Gimcrack Stakes (G2) and the Renaissance Stakes (G3).

Grand Reward arrived in Argentina in the winter of 2011 and, once his foals hit the racetracks, the statistics placed him at the summit for years, battling toe-to-toe with the world's best sires established in the country.

With the hallmark of versatility, he achieved what few could: producing several G1 winners, both in the vertigo of the sprints and the rigor of distance, proving that his genetics were both malleable and powerful.

Among them are the unforgettable Sassagoula Springs; champions like Bellagamba and Legión de Honor; a Polla de Potrillos (G1) winner like Chuck Berry; and other notable performers such as El Consorte, City Wonder, and Angiolo—his best successor, who is also excelling in the breeding shed.

City Glam, La Comulganta, Che Micky, Misael, La Hilary, La Cabanel, Mina Pirquitas, Sweet Beauty, Manipuler, and El Bosco are other prominent names in his production, which to date counts 43 stakes winners in the country, 19 of them graded and 7 at the G1 level.

Today, his name is a synonym for reliability in pedigrees as a broodmare sire, ensuring that his influence will gracefully permeate the coming decades. In this role, standouts include Sweet Days (Exchange Rate), Gran Peten (Peten Itza), Pablinho (Hurricane Cat), La Gran Furtiva (South Kissing), Citana (Endorsement), and Suffolk (Forge), among others.

Grand Reward was the image of the perfect horse: balanced, with an intelligent gaze and a presence that forced any visitor to stop and stare. His stall, now silent, holds the memory of thousands of stories and of dreams born with every foal that poked its head into the world under his lineage.

History will say that Grand Reward was the last stallion to leave Haras La Quebrada, concluding a story—at least for now—of decades of unforgettable stars. The bay played his part in making the Ceriani Cernadas stud farm truly great.