BC to use standard saddlecloth colors

Breeders' Cup has decided to adopt the standard saddle-towel color system in use at almost every Thoroughbred racetrack in the United States for its year-end event at Santa Anita Park in Southern California on Nov. 6-7, the organization announced Tuesday.

The system assigns specific colors to specific betting numbers in races. In the past, runners in Breeders' Cup races had worn purple-colored saddle towels.

Most racetracks began adopting the standardized saddle-towel color scheme in the 1990s so that gamblers could consistently recognize betting numbers on simulcast screens.