Orange County's Latest Break Out Star

Finder's Key was originally a race horse from Los Alamitos
when Hollywood came calling (image via movie's Facebook page)

Besides John Wayne and Will Farrell, Orange County can boast a new movie star, Finder's Key. Since his debut in 2003's highly acclaimed "Seabiscuit", Finder can most recently be seen in Steven Spielberg's "War Horse", which is currently playing in theaters.

Finder's movie career began when his owner,  Arthur “Curly” Ortiz realized that Finder was not cut out to be a racehorse at the Los Alamitos Race Course.

As Ortiz explained, “He was just impossible to train. He would rear, and nobody wanted to get on him. He wouldn’t go to the track without a pony.”

Then, just like in the movies, at a moment when Finder's future seemed uncertain, a Hollywood horse trainer who was casting for "Seabiscuit" saw something in the thoroughbred and asked to purchase him.

So how has Finder's Key taken to his new found stardom? His trainer, Bobby Lovgren, says, "He’s by far the most intelligent horse I’ve ever worked with. He seems to enjoy showing off when people are watching. I don’t know how he knows it. He truly is Mr. Hollywood. You can’t put a price on him.”

For more about the movie and Finder Key's story, you can read the original article in The Pilot here.