NHC 13 Player Biography

BRENT SUMJA

City, State SAN ANSELMO, CA

Age 47 - 11/26/1964

Favorite Track BAY MEADOWS

Favorite Wager ANY

Occupation PREVIOUSLY HORSE TRAINER.NOW INVESTOR

Have you qualified for previous editions of the NHC? No. What is your best finish in a handicapping tournament? I Have Only Ever Competed In 2 Live Events Prior To This Tournament. What wager created the largest payout for you? I Have Been Involved With Some Pick 6's Partnering With 2 Or 3 People For Some Nice Hits. However The Most Satisfying Are The Ones You Do Alone.i Hit A Pick 6 At Tampa A Couple Years Ago With The Only Ticket For Just Under 60k.my Biggest Score Came When I Was Training And Returned To My Home Track Hollywood Park In My Second Year Of Training.no One Knew My Name And I Had A Horse Named Don't Touch Lil Win A Turf Race And Pay 46 Dollars.the Trifectas .exactas.and Money Wps Added Up To My Biggest Score To Date. What is your most memorable experience? As A Trainer We Won Some Very Nice Races Such As The California Derby Back When It Was A Real Race 250k A Couple Times. I Ran A Horse Named Giant Gentleman In The Strub Series And He Finished 2nd To Mizzen Mast Of The Late Great Bobby Frankel In The First 2 Legs And Then Was 4th In The Big Cap $1,000,000.it Was My Favorite Moment Because As A Kid Growing Up In Southern California I Watched Ferdinand And Duel In The Greatest Race I Have Ever Seen And Bobby Frankel Was A Legend. 15 Years Later I Was Dueling With A Legend In That Very Same Race. How did you first get into horse racing? I Played Water Polo And Swam In High School. During The Off Seasons The Older Guys With Cars Would Take All Of Us To The Track.the Tradition Carried On And I Never Stopped Going. Does anyone else in your family share your enthusiasm as a horseplayer? My Mom Is A Huge Horse Racing Fan.she Is Also My Biggest Fan !. What accomplishment in life are you most proud of? Growing Up Where I Did And Never Touching A Horse Until The Age Of 23 And Then Going For It As A Career By Moving To Louisiana To Learn All About Them. There Were Some Very Very Lean Years Spent Living On The Backside Of The Track In New Orleans Which Is Right Across The Street From The Projects. One Night While Asleep In The Barn There Was A Shooting At The Other End Of That Very Barn. I Never Wavered And In 1992 I Opened My Business With A 1 Horse Barn That Was A Purchased At A Quarter Horse Sale By A Mentor Kathy Whitley For 500 Bucks.it Took A While But We Built A Stable Of 75 Horses. Which person in Thoroughbred racing would you most like to have dinner with? .i Know That May Be Really Tough.but It Would Certainly Be A Horse.the True Stars.period. Who is your favorite horse racing writer? I Enjoy Quite A Few Of The Writers.crist Has Been Very Valuable To Me Personally Because I Am A Sheer Numbers Person At Heart. What would you do with the NHC grand prize if you won? There Is No Doubt The $ Would Immediately Go Towards One Of My Major Goals In Life And That Is To Start An Animal Rescue. I Would Like To Begin By Purchasing Property Somewhere.