Brant Revels in Sottsass' Arc de Triomphe Victory

This past weekend produced a dazzling array of famed races across the globe and a stretch of about six miles spanning New York and Connecticut was an epicenter of it.

On Oct. 3, owner Peter Callahan watched from his home in Purchase, N.Y., as Swiss Skydiver became the sixth filly to beat the boys and win the final jewel of the 2020 Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Then, less than 24 hours later, in nearby Greenwich, Conn., Peter Brant and his wife, Stephanie Seymour Brant, looked on via television from White Birch Farm with sheer delight as the 4-year-old Sottsass captured the Oct. 4 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, making Peter Brant just the third American to own the winner of Europe's most famous race.

"It was a great day for my family," Brant said in an Oct. 5 interview. "It's always been my dream to win the Arc de Triomphe. I couldn't be more delighted. What a great day it was."

Brant had considered traveling to France for the Arc, but stayed in Connecticut due to a family medical issue to watch it, while keeping near him a lucky pair of cufflinks he wore when Sottsass won the 2019 QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1).

"It was pretty loud in the house. I was screaming and yelling. I couldn't believe it," he said about his White Birch Farm's Siyouni colt's neck victory over In Swoop.

Yet the euphoria soon turned into nervousness and uncertainty when the stewards called for an inquiry involving Sottsass and jockey Cristian Demuro during the stretch run. After about 10 minutes, they finally declared Brant's half brother to champion Sistercharlie and grade 3 winner My Sister Nat the winner.

"I was making so much noise after he won, I didn't realize there was an inquiry," Brant said. "I looked at the video and I didn't see anything. Normally overseas, especially in English racing, it's rare that they take a horse down for anything. I was looking at it from New York standards to decide if there was a foul and I didn't see anything. I looked at the head-on. I thought it involved a horse that was falling back and moved over when we came out. There was no bumping or clipping of heels. I wasn't concerned but as the time went on I started wondering if I was looking at it as an American and not seeing it their way. I was happy to have Jean-Claude there representing us with the stewards and delighted when the result became official."

In joining a small fraternity of American-born Arc winners that includes Paul Mellon and Bruce McNall (1990 with Saumarez, partnering with Wayne Gretzky), Brant turned a dream that was born in 1971 into reality. He was there at Longchamp when Mill Reef won the 1971 Arc for Mellon (the late philanthropist who is best known in United States' racing circles for owning Rokeby Stables), making the trip to the French racetrack while he was in Paris and working with Andy Warhol on the production of the film "L'Amour."

"I was in my hotel and saw the Saturday races on the day before the Arc and decided to go to Longchamp," the 73-year-old Brant said. "I saw that glorious victory by Paul Mellon. It was a great day for Mill Reef."

An owner of Thoroughbreds since the late 1970s, Brant still maintains a top-class stable with Chad Brown, America's premier turf trainer and a four-time Eclipse Award winner. But over the years, he learned that the key to winning the Arc was having a European-based runner.

Sottsass, who was third in last year's Arc, was Brant's first runner in the legendary French race in more than 30 years.

"When I was a kid in Queens watching horse racing, I remember Carry Back going over and he couldn't win the Arc. Kelso won the Washington D.C. International and was a four-time Horse of the Year and I thought he should be able to win it, but it's a very demanding race and the conditions are demanding and that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a horse from the United States to ship over there and win. Running around these tight racetracks on level ground with the turf we have is a different thing than turf in Europe that undulates."

Sottsass, who is destined for a career at stud with Coolmore in Ireland, earned a free "Win and You're In" spot in the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland for winning the Arc, but future plans are uncertain at this time. Brant said he will speak with Coolmore representatives in the coming days to decide when or if Sottsass will race again.

"To me, the Arc is the maximum a horse can achieve in his career. I'll talk with the team and we'll decide what to do," he said.

Sottsass, who won the French Derby in record time last year at 3, came into the Arc with one win in four 2020 starts, a victory in the June 14 Prix Ganay (G1). He was fourth behind Magical in the Sept. 12 Irish Champion Stakes (G1) in his final Arc prep, but Rouget had him in peak form for the Arc, which featured Juddmonte Farms' two-time Arc winning mare Enable, who was a disappointing sixth on heavy going.

"Sottsass is a great horse with a great trainer in Jean-Claude. He pointed the horse for the Arc all year long and he was spot on. We always thought he was a mile-and-a-quarter horse on firm ground but he handles the off ground as well. I'm delighted with him. It's such a pleasure to own a horse like that," Brant said. "I had a great feeling about the Arc, but knew we were running against one of the greatest mares ever in Enable. It's an honor to run against her. One of the first persons from Europe to congratulate me was her trainer, John Gosden, who is a great gentleman."

In a career that features six wins from 12 starts, Sottsass has earned $3,900,437. He was bought on Brant's behalf by Oceanic Bloodstock for $399,908 from the Monceaux consignment at the 2017 Arqana Deauville August Yearlings Sale.

He also continued the tremendous success Brant has enjoyed with offspring of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, who was winless in four starts during 2012-13. Yet as a broodmare she has been spectacular.

Her first foal was Sistercharlie, by Myboycharlie, who Brant purchased privately at 3. The mare won the 2018 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) and a total of seven grade 1s for Brown in a career that features the Eclipse Award as the champion turf female of 2018 and earnings of $3,746,003.

She was followed by My Sister Nat, a daughter of Acclamation Brant bought and brought to the U.S. last year, who won the Aug. 8 Waya Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course—a stakes named after Brant's Hall of Fame mare—and has earned $381,672

Sottsass was the third foal. Her fourth foal was Radiant Child, by Charm Spirit, who went for $457,520 at the 2018 Arqana sale but never raced for Brant. He was gelded and given by Brant to his executive assistant of 33 years, Jean Bickley, who now rides him.

Her two most recent foals are a 2-year-old Fastnet Rock colt named Parliament, who was bought for $776,370 by David Redvers at the 2019 Arqana sale, and a Dubawi yearling filly who was sold for $2,950,992 to Oliver St. Lawrence from the Monceaux consignment at the recent Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale.