I can actually add something to this discussion. I have collected a few saddle cloths over the years (I have Sunday Break's Belmont Stakes cloth, as well as Proud Citizen's winning cloth from the Lexington, and Banks Hill's cloth from her very last race). I met a guy at Gulfstream Park this winter who makes saddle cloths for the racetracks. He told me that NYRA is incredibly cheap, and only uses specially made cloths for Grade I races these days in order to save money. However, I also noticed that the cloths in use yesterday were the generic velcro cloths that were once only used for overnight stakes.
I didn't find this to be a huge offense. It was more just something I laughed and rolled my eyes at.
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