Bentley Combs

Bentley Combs, who has served as an assistant to trainer Chad Brown since last March, has resumed training on his own and his new solo operation will have its first starter when he saddles City of Clouds (City of Light) in the ninth race Friday at Churchill Downs. Combs ran his own barn from 2017 to early 2024 after working his way up to assistant trainer for Dallas Stewart with horses that included Forever Unbridled, Tom's Ready and Unbridled Forever. While training on his own, Combs won a record three...

Like countless owners, Marshall Gramm has a race circled on the first Saturday in May. But it's not the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports," aka the Kentucky Derby. Gramm's affection is for a race that lasts approximately three minutes, a 1 3/4-mile event at Oaklawn Park with a history, albeit, esoteric, of its own. The "Trail's End," a starter-allowance marathon, is traditionally the final race each season at Oaklawn, the Hot Springs, AR, venue that opened in 1905. The 1 3/4-mile race debuted in 1972 and has been won the...

A trio of thirty-something trainers has been elected as newcomers to the Kentucky HBPA board with the addition of Jason Barkley, Norm Casse and Bentley Combs. Rick Hiles was re-elected as Kentucky HBPA president, with Frank Jones re-elected as the owner vice president and Dale Romans as the trainer vice president. Also re-elected to the board were owners Mark Bacon, Buff Bradley (who switches over from the trainer side), Mike Bruder and Travis Foley and trainer John Hancock. Trainer R.C. Sturgeon and owner James Williams will serve as alternates. Hiles,...

Over the last few days an idea has been floated to replace the current American claiming system with that of a rating system. With a list of concerns and questions in my head, two things jump out immediately as being stifled by a rating system: Ease of access to horses and the possibility of growth for both potential new owners and smaller trainers. In my opinion these are two things American racing does better than anywhere in the world.  Why do we want to change this to be more like...

Last week I was disheartened to read the Maryland horsemen had relented to outside pressure to hold 2-year-old racing without Lasix. However, I saw a silver lining in the mentioning of a possible three-year study. No matter what side of the debate you fall on, we can all agree that the race-day administration of Lasix might be the most divisive issue in an industry full of divides. In the back and forth debate over Lasix and its need, I have heard differing numbers. I have heard anti-Lasix people say between...