Jockey Agent Ray Kravagna Calls it a Career

(from Santa Anita notes)
Jockey agent Ray Kravagna, who booked mounts for four Hall of Fame jockeys during his career of 43 years since he was discharged from the Army in 1960, has decided to retire.

On Sunday, he headed home to Maple Valley, Washington, a little burg about 35 miles from Seattle.

"I've handled (business for) Eddie Delahoussaye, Gary Stevens, Sandy Hawley and Russell Baze (each in the Hall of Fame), not to mention Alex Solis, among others," Kravagna said before his departure. "I even handled Shoe (Bill Shoemaker) for three weeks when (his longtime late agent) Harry Silbert was sick."

Kravagna said his decision was based on a number of factors.

"It was a combination of Eddie getting injured and having to retire and not coming up with a top rider," Kravagna said. "I told my wife I'd be in California for five years and I've been here 19, and I've heard about that (from her), too. I'm going to be 68 next week (Oct. 2) and you can't work forever. If I had a top jockey I'd stick around a couple more years.

"I've set records with riders everywhere I've been. I won every major race in the country, except the Kentucky Derby. I finished second two years in a row with Best Pal (1991) and Casual Lies (1992) and was third with Perfect Drift (in 2002)."

Kravagna's last rider was Ricky Frazier.