Jack Carava Leaves Training to Become Jockey Agent

Earlier this year, Kiaran McLaughlin left training on the East Coast to become agent for jockey Luis Saez.

Now, Jack Carava is making the trainer-to-agent transition out west. A winner of 1,107 races, he told Santa Anita Park publicity that he will leave behind the training profession to become agent for jockey Tyler Baze, who is returning to ride full time at Santa Anita this month after spending much of the past eight months in Arkansas and Kentucky.

“The time is right,” said Carava, 54, a trainer since 1986. “I’ve had a lot of success with Tyler over the years and he’s probably the hardest working jock I’ve ever known. I love training, but my stable has contracted over the past couple years and when Tyler called me, I realized this is a great opportunity.

“He rode at Oaklawn this winter and he’s been in Kentucky all summer.  He’s excited to be back home with his family and he’s got a lot customers here that are anxious to get him back on their horses."

Baze and wife Christina reside in Monrovia—not far from Santa Anita—with their two daughters, Emilia, 6, and Isla, 4, and son, Luca, 3.  

The son of a trainer, Carava worked under trainers Jerry Fanning and Joe Griffin prior to setting out on his own in 1987. He was Hollywood Park’s spring/summer meet leader in 2001 and was leading trainer at Santa Anita’s 2002 Oak Tree meet, according to track publicity.

He finished on a strong note when Harper's Gallop ($15.80) scored from the trainer's two starters at Del Mar Sept. 7. The longtime trainer won five graded stakes races, including the 2006 Bing Crosby Handicap (G1) with Pure as Gold, and his horses made $32.4 million.

Baze, 37, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey of 2000, is currently riding at Kentucky Downs. He won the $500,000 More Than Ready Juvenile Stakes with longshot Barrister Tom ($90) for trainer Michael Ewing there Sept. 7, giving him 2,718 wins.

The major Southern California circuit in California is on a short break after Del Mar finished its meet Sept. 7. Santa Anita’s 18-day autumn meet begins Sept. 19.