Report: Sottsass retired to stud after surprising Arc victory

Sottsass, who won Saturday’s Prix De L’Arc Triomphe, has been retired, according to a report by Jour De Galop, a French publication.

Sottsass’ victory in the Arc came as a surprise in a race that ran its slowest time since 1976. The victory had earned him a berth in the Breeders Cup Turf, which he will not use.

According to a social media post from Jour De Galop, Sottsass, who is owned by American Peter Brant under the White Birch Farm label, will retire to stud. Brant also owns several horses that are familiar to American racing fans, such as Sistercharlie, Raging Bull and Dunbar Road, all trained by Chad Brown.

After the Arc win, Sottsass was listed on Oddschecker as a 14-1 shot for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The win was the sixth of his career.

A 4-year-old son of Siyouin and Starlet’s Letter, by Galileo, the 5-year-old’s last win before the Arc was in the Prix Ganay at Chantilly. Of his six career wins, three of them came against Group 1 competition.

Sottsass was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget.

For his career, Sottsass racked up $3.9 million in earnings, including more than $2.1 million in 2020.