Orman becomes farm manager for Windfall Farms

Mike Orman is the new farm manager for Windfall Farms.

The former Creston Farms, which was once owned by game show host Alex Trebek, is still in escrow due to the death of a purchasing partner which has delayed the completion of escrow, but Orman and the new ownership have begun making plans for the 720-acre farm in Creston, just east of Paso Robles.

“It’s a beautiful farm,” Orman said. “The setting is like Kentucky in California.”

Orman cites the rolling hills at Windfall Farms, which has more than 100 horses. Orman had spent the past three years at Moody Creek Farms before the opportunity arose to work at Windfall Farms. “It hasn’t got the big farm house that Moody Creek has, but the rest of the facility is ten times better,” Orman said. “This is unusual for a California farm.”

Orman will be the trainer as well as the farm manager. “It’s a big operation,” he said.

His work will include breaking, layups and sales preparation. “We’re going to do every part of it,” he said. “We’re going to try to turn it around into a training center.”

Orman, who once trained at the San Luis Rey Downs Thoroughbred Training Center, noted that Windfall Farms would be similar to San Luis Rey Downs but would also have broodmares and layup facilities. Orman’s activities will include training horses to send to other trainers, although the facility will not have public trainers as is the case with San Luis Rey Downs.

“We’re going to change this place around,” Orman said. “It needs some improvements.”

Windfall Farms has approximately 50 employees. “People are quite excited,” Orman said of the planned changes.

During Orman’s three years at Moody Creek Farms he helped break Rock Hard Ten, who finished second in the 2004 Preakness, and multiple stakes winner Laura’s Lucky Boy. Orman’s training career also included taking Lake George to the 1995 Kentucky Derby; Lake George also finished second in the Del Mar Derby later that year.

Some of his biggest highlights were with lesser-known horses. “If it’s a $10,000 claimer to me it’s exciting. You want to win,” he said.

That competitive spirit began long before the horse racing phase of Orman’s life. Orman is originally from Calgary and played professional hockey in the 1960s. At that time there were only six teams in the National Hockey League, and the Chicago Black Hawks, to whom he belonged, included Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. Orman went to training camp with Hull and Mikita once, but he never advanced past the Long Island Ducks of the Eastern League.

Orman also coached a hockey team in Austria in 1967. “Hockey’s been good to me,” he said.

Orman eventually made the transition from hockey to horse racing. “You get that competitive spirit,” he said.

Orman, who plans to maintain his Pala Mesa residence at least for the time being, has lived in the Fallbrook area for approximately 20 years. His son, Jason, attended Fallbrook High School and is now also a trainer. His daughter, Ashley, attended Escondido High School and is now involved with the cheerleading operations of NFL Europe.

At one time Orman trained at San Luis Rey Downs, but he moved his training operation to Santa Anita. “People wanted me to be at the track, so I moved up there,” he said.

In the 1980s he left horse racing temporarily and founded the Bonsall Pizza Club. “I was going to get out of the horse business,” he said.

He found that he missed the equine industry. He spent two years as a trainer in Saudi Arabia. His hockey coaching in Austria gave him some experience in a different part of the world, but the comparison ends there. “Saudi Arabia was different,” he said.

Saudi Arabian culture attributes results to “God’s will.” The royalty who owns race horses in Saudi Arabia may also acquire a horse for a specific race for more money than the race’s first-place purse. “It’s about the money,” Orman said. “It’s about him beating his cousins.”

Orman noted that in Saudi Arabia the prestige of winning was the important factor. “It was a different atmosphere than here for sure,” he said.

He still relishes his time in Saudi Arabia. “It was a good experience,” he said.

In a profession which involves getting up at 4:00 a.m., Orman also cites winning as his desire regardless of the race’s purse. “You want to be paid, but you want to get some self-satisfaction,” he said.