A daughter of Storm Cat out of the champion filly Serena's Song she was sold for $3.7 million as a yearling and raced in Europe for the Coolmore Stud organization.
In the following year she won the Prix de la Grotte and finished second in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches before recording her biggest success in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
[3] Sophisticat was the second foal of her dam Serena's Song an outstanding racemare who won eleven Grade I races and was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly in 1995.
In July, the yearling filly was consigned by the Lewises to the Keeneland sale and was bought for $3.4 million by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne,[4] acting on behalf of John Magnier's Coolmore organisation.
In July she started 1/3 favourite for the Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown but was beaten a length by the Dermot Weld-trained Agnetha after failing to obtain a clear run in the straight.
Ten days later she was moved up in distance for the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh in which she was ridden by Seamie Heffernan, with Kinane riding her more fancied stablemate Quarter Moon.
After being restrained by Kinane in the early stages she moved up into second place behind the favourite in the last quarter mile but could make no impression on the British and finished second, beaten seven lengths.
[8] On her three-year-old debut, Sophisticat was sent to France and started 9/5 favourite for the Group Three Prix de la Grotte over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse.
Starting at odds of 13.6/1 in a seventeen-runner field she turned into the straight in ninth place before making steady progress to finish third behind the John Gosden-trained Zenda and the favourite Firth of Lorne.