She showed little racing ability, failing to win in three starts in France,[5] but was a great-granddaughter of Alea who produced Noalcoholic and was the female-line ancestor of the Preakness Stakes winner Red Bullet.

[6] Sottsass began his racing career in a contest for unraced juveniles over 1600 metres at Deauville Racecourse on 21 August in which he came home fourth of the nine runners, more than eight lengths behind the Freddy Head-trained winner Lone Peak.

On 26 October at Clairefontaine Racecourse the colt started at odds of 2.7/1 for a maiden race and recorded his first success as he won by three lengths from Flop Shot.

[7] On his three-year-old debut Sottsass was stepped up in class for the Group 3 Prix La Force over 1800 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 7 April and came home fifth behind Shaman in a seven-runner field.

[8] Cristian Demuro took the ride on 2 June when Sottsass contested the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club over 2100 metres at Chantilly and went off the 13/1 fifth choice in a fifteen-runner field.

He briefly looked unlikely to obtain a clear run but accelerated through a gap to take the lead in the closing stages and won by one and a quarter lengths from Mutamakina with Mohawk a short neck away in third place.

[12] On 11 May, the day on which French racing restarted after the COVID-19 outbreak Sottsass began his third campaign in the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt over 2000 metres on very soft ground at Longchamp.

Starting the 2/5 favourite he was restrained towards the rear before moving into contention in the straight but was unable to accelerate in the closing stages and came home fourth of the nine runners behind Shaman, Way To Paris and Simona.

In the Prix Ganay over 2100 metres at Chantilly on 14 June, Sottsass started favourite against four opponents, namely Shaman, Way To Paris, Simona and Palomba.

"[13] After a two-month break Sottsass returned in the Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron over 2000 metres at Deauville Racecourse in August in which he started favourite but was beaten a neck into second place by the five-year-old gelding Skalleti, with the pair finishing well clear of the other five runners.

Starting the 5/1 third choice in the betting he tracked the leaders for most of the way but was unable to make any significant progress in the straight and came home fourth behind Magical, Ghaiyyath and Armory.