By the Moon to be Bred to Arrogate in 2018

With a full set of Breeders' Cup races to come, at least a couple owners of weekend contenders are already thinking about the future.

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) entrant By the Moon will be bred to defending Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate in 2018, owner/breeder Samantha Siegel announced Nov. 2.

"I ran into the Juddmonte guys and asked if I could announce it, and they gave the OK," Siegel said. "They were interested in buying her when they were pursuing Paulassilverlining, but I didn't want to sell her. I'm definitely keeping her and she's going into my broodmare band."

Months ahead of their "date," as Siegel called it, the owner is already thinking big about the pairing of multiple grade 1 winners.

"She's not an enormous filly, so I hope he can give her baby some size and some stamina," Siegel said. "Maybe I can breed myself a Derby horse."

A five-time graded stakes winner, By the Moon is by Indian Charlie, out of the Malibu Moon  mare By the Light, who won nine stakes for Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable and placed in the 2008 Prioress Stakes (G1). By the Moon will be retired from racing after her Filly & Mare Sprint run. She won the Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (G1) last time out, her second top-level score following the 2014 Frizette Stakes (G1).

Garrett O'Rourke, manager of Juddmonte Farms America, was similarly excited about the future for Arrogate, who will retire from racing after his second try at the Classic.

"We'll have to be patient for a few years, and then there will be the real excitement of seeing those first Arrogate babies," O'Rourke said. "For someone on the farm, it gets really exciting when you put the tack on the babies for the first time and one of them makes that reaching stride. And you start thinking, 'Oh boy, we might have another Arrogate here.'"

Additional reporting by Alicia Wincze Hughes.