The Great Day, Another Testament to Juan Carlos Bagó’s Vision and Conviction

Just Like in the Days of Kaljerry, Just In Case or Fitzcarraldo, Firmamento Took a Chance on an Argentine Sire… and the Gamble is Starting to Pay Off

The Great Day Becomes the Third Freshman Sire to Produce a G1 Winner This Year / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

By Diego H. Mitagstein

In a landscape where many of Argentina’s leading stud farms continue to look abroad for stallion prospects to offer their clients, exceptions remain—and sometimes, those exceptions pave the way forward. Juan Carlos Bagó and Haras Firmamento have once again chosen to take a risk few in the local breeding industry are willing to assume: investing in an Argentine-bred stallion from the outset. It's a bold move that has paid off before with names like Kaljerry (Jerry Honor), Just In Case (Salt Marsh), Fitzcarraldo (Cipayo), and Seattle Fitz (Fitzcarraldo). Now, the same path is being followed with The Great Day, whose first crop is starting to make waves.

A son of Harlan’s Holiday out of multiple stakes producer The Great Glory (by Honour and Glory), The Great Dayentered stud in 2021. Only a few months into the meat of the 2-year-old season for his first foals, the stallion struck at the highest level when The Great Racing captured the G1 Gran Premio 2000 Guineas over the turf at Hipódromo de San Isidro last weekend.

The success was anything but a fluke. Behind The Great Day is pedigree, performance, conformation, and—most of all—a long-term vision. A standout on the racetrack, he was one of Argentina’s premier colts of his generation, capturing the G1 Gran Premio Estrellas Classic, the G1 Polla de Potrillos, and the G2 Clásico Otoño, all at Palermo. Abroad, he added the G3 Durham Cup Stakes at Woodbine and finished second in the G3 Arlington Handicap.

Bred and campaigned by Firmamento, The Great Day hails from one of the most productive female families in the country. His dam, The Great Glory, has produced multiple stakes winners, and his pedigree blends speed, stamina, and reliability. His sire, Harlan’s Holiday, was a cornerstone in the U.S. stallion ranks and a key link in the influential Storm Cat line, best known today as the sire of Into Mischief.

Still, standing a locally bred stallion remains a daunting challenge in Argentina—even for a farm with Firmamento’s resources and reputation. But when high-end genetics, professional backing, and early racetrack results align, the message begins to carry.

What makes The Great Day’s rise even more notable is the caliber of his peers among Argentina’s freshman sires. This year’s crop includes the likes of Strategos (Zensational) and Gouverneur Morris (Constitution), both of whom came with significant expectations and have thus far lived up to them. Also on the radar are Gidu (Frankel) and Roman Joy (Fortify). For The Great Day to hold his own—and even stand out—amid such company is a clear marker of his potential.

So far, The Great Day has sired six winners in Argentina, including The Great Cash, victor of the Clásico Congreve (L) and the G2 Clásico Santiago Luro, as well as The Great Wells, a debut winner in the Clásico José B. Zubiaurre. His influence is also extending abroad: Soldi won impressively in Maroñas, Uruguay, while in Peru, his progeny includes two more winners and The Great Dinamic, runner-up in the Clásico Mario Manzur Charny on debut.

“There’s a lot of supply out there, and product pricing fluctuates a lot,” said Enrique Delger, part of the Firmamento team and in charge of its commercial operations. “But when a stallion is undeniable, like Fitzcarraldo once was, there’s no question. To establish a sire—local or imported—you need quantity plus genetic and breeding quality. Not everyone can deliver that. And maybe with fillies, the paternal line being new or exclusive becomes more attractive. The Great Day checks all the boxes: he’s by a top sire, had an excellent race record, and stamps his foals with balance and correctness. They’re easy to sell.”

It’s also telling that his offspring are showing early ability across both sprints and longer distances, a versatility that echoes his own racing style and could be pivotal to his long-term success. In a market that often looks outward, The Great Day is earning respect from within.

Argentine racing needs stallions capable of refreshing bloodlines, solidifying families, and projecting talent into the next generation. When given proper support, local stallions can and do succeed—as evidenced by the likes of Not for Sale (Parade Marshal), Equal Stripes (Candy Stripes), and Le Blues (Roman Ruler), to name just a few.

That success doesn’t come solely from importation. It comes from belief—and Haras Firmamento has always led by example. The Great Day is, more than ever, the embodiment of that belief.