The Kendargent Story Continues

THE KENDARGENT STORY CONTINUES 
By Sue Finley 
The 2013 Arqana August Yearling Sale marked the beginning of the coming of age for the French sire Kendargent (Fr), when his Luxe Vendome (Fr), a half-brother to G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Style Vendome (Fr) (Anabaa) and the multiple Group 1-placed Prestige Vendome (Fr) (Orpen), produced on a €4,000 stud fee, brought €450,000. The sales price was a high-water mark for Kendargent’s yearlings, and with a strong start for his runners this year, that mark doesn’t figure to last long. In the past month and half, Kenfreeze (Fr) won a listed stakes at Longchamp; her full-sister Revedargent (Fr) broke her maiden at Maisons-Laffite, Kenouska (Fr) won a listed stakes at Vichy and Kenbest (Fr) won a conditions race at Nantes on the same day Goken (Fr) won the G3 Prix Du Bois at Chantilly. 
The fourth-crop sire is now the leading 2-year-old sire in France, and the sire of the winners of 62 races and £1,656,954 in prize money, all the more remarkable when you consider his humble beginnings. 
Kendargent was purchased by Pariente, a French businessman who lives in Brussels, at Arqana for €45,000 in 2004. Initially raced in France, where he was stakes-placed, he came to America in 2007, where he was trained by Julio Canani. He won one of two starts in the U.S.–an allowance at Hollywood at 1 1/16th miles–before being retired with an injury. Pariente, who owned a handful of mares at the time, brought him home to France. 
He stood his first season in the South of France for just €500 and produced just 19 foals, but they included the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Restiadargent (Fr). He moved to Colleville the next year, at the same €500 fee. 
His oldest runners are now five, and he is the sire of four individual group winners, seven listed, and 20% stakes winners from starters. He stood the 2014 season for €15,000, and boasts a remarkable Apex A-runner index of 4.08, with 4 considered the gold standard among sires. 
The 11-year-old stallion, who stands just up the road from the sales complex at the very impressive Haras de Colleville in the village of Saint-Pierre-Azif, will be represented by 11 yearlings at this sale, six of which are consigned by Colleville. First up is lot 58, Kenford (Fr), whose full-sister Kenhope (Fr) was the winner of last year’s G3 Prix de la Grotte, and was second in Royal Ascot’s G1 Coronation S. before being sold at Arqana’s Arc Sale for €900,000 to Patrick Barbe, agent for Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla. 
Wrote Bill Oppenheim in the August 7, 2013 TDN, “The number of non-black-type winning horses who go on to top sire lists is minuscule, and I’m sure it’s completely safe to say no one outside of the Kendargent family could have predicted anything like this.” 
The TDN’s Sue Finley interviewed Kendargent’s owner and biggest champion Guy Pariente–who did predict something exactly like this for his horse–to talk about his future and his expectations for the Arqana sale. 

TDN: With wins from Kenfreeze, Kenouska, Revedargent, Kenbest and Goken in the past month, this must be a very pleasant summer for you. 

GP: With the victories we have had the first half of the year, and the remarkable success his 2-year-olds like Goken, Kenouska and Kenfreeze have had, we couldn’t be anything but satisfied. 

TDN: When we first spoke at last year’s Deauville sale, people were just starting to realize that this horse was something really special. Since then, his reputation has only grown. 

GP: We have continued on in the direction that we had charted from the beginning, and his global reputation keeps growing every year. Kendargent is really an exceptional stallion, and we believe that his 2015 and 2016 2-year-olds will be his best yet, because we will see them in greater numbers on racetracks all over the world. Remember that to date, he has only had 60 foals to race from four crops. 

TDN: You raised his fee from €6,000 in 2013, when he covered 180 mares, to €15,000 this year. What was the response from breeders, and did you get a lot of foreign interest? 

GP: The increase in his fee was planned, and breeders must have agreed it was justified, as he attracted 175 mares in 2014, more than half of which were from foreign breeders. Kendargent is still at a very competitive and attractive price for someone looking to get a quality horse; one with precocity, speed, and an uncommon turn of foot. 

TDN: You had a very strong sale last year, selling Luxe Vendome for €450,000. This year, you’re selling six yearlings by Kendargent. What are your expectations? 

GP: We believe we are going to have a strong sale based on the quality of the yearlings we are offering. We sell the best; Style Vendome (Fr) (Anabaa) [sold at the 2011 Arqana sale for €92,000] is an example. Haras de Colleville ranked fourth among French breeders last year. It’s no coincidence; this continues year after year. 

TDN: First up among the Kendargent yearlings for you this year is lot 58, Kenford (Fr), a full-brother to Kenhope (Fr), who topped the Arqana Arc sale at €900,000 for you last year. Tell me about him. 

GP: Kenford is a horse who strongly resembles Kendargent, and we are looking forward to seeing him run next year and achieving at least the same level of success as his sister. 

TDN: Then there is lot 107, Kengora (Fr), the full-sister to Goken. 

GP: Kengora has a very good 2-year-old profile, with a strong hind end. Her brother Goken should run well in the [Aug. 24, G1] Prix Morny [at Deauville]. So it’s a good time for a large stable to purchase his full-sister. 

TDN: Is Kendargent still the only stallion at Colleville, and might there be another one day? 

GP: Kendargent is still the only stallion, and it’s very difficult to choose a companion for him in the stallion barn. But we are thinking about having one or two new ones this year. We don’t want to make a mistake, so we are taking our time. A lot of people have proposed partnerships or racehorses likely to be retired shortly to us. But we need to make a choice not on the performance of the horse or his racing career, but more on his breeding and his profile. 

TDN: You have always had faith in your stallion. Are you having a lot of fun with his success? 

GP: Kendargent, given his origins, can only be the leader of his generation as a stallion. We are passionate about this–the stud farm, my wife and myself–and we intensely live his success, which is only just beginning. You’ll see that in the future, Kendargent will leave a significant footprint upon European breeding. 

TDN: How has this experience compared with other successes you have had in your life? 

GP: There is no comparison to anything else we have ever done. It is unique, but we will try to reproduce it. We have always been convinced that we were on the path to success, but every year, his produce amaze us even more. It’s marvelous.

TDN: Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you’d like to add? 

GP: What is my dream in racing? To always be at the top of the owner and breeder standings in Europe and to win a Group 1 race at Ascot or Newmarket. We have been second and third, and we look forward to achieving this dream. The great adventure continues.