ARCADIA, Calif. -- Retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron said Thursday he intends to leave his management position at Santa Anita at the end of the meet to open a jockey school in Kentucky.

McCarron said he and his wife, Judy, will be traveling to the Lexington, Ky., area to purchase property. Details of the jockey school have not been completed, but McCarron said he has had the idea in his mind for years.

"I'm still working on putting together a business plan," he said. "I've been thinking about it for 15 years. I've got a good head start on the concept."

McCarron, 49, said his daughter Stephanie intends to launch a show horse business in Lexington at the same time.

McCarron said the move is likely to take place at the conclusion of the winter-spring meeting in April. McCarron currently holds the title of executive vice-president, industry relations. He held the title of general manager from March 2003 until this fall, when he decided to take a lesser role.

McCarron retired from riding in June 2002 with 7,141 wins. He won two Eclipse Awards as the nation's outstanding rider, as an apprentice in 1974 and in 1980 as a journeyman. Following his retirement, McCarron served as an expert consultant on the movie "Seabiscuit" and played a small role in the film, before joining Santa Anita's staff.

McCarron said he found racetrack management a more difficult job than he expected.

"I'm a little disappointed in myself that I was unable to contribute more to the success of Santa Anita," he said. "Then again, it's an incredibly complex challenge [to manage a racetrack].

"There are lots of different issues that need to be addressed," he said. "It's been a fascinating learning experience. One thing I will come away from is an appreciation of the complexity of the business. I have a much greater appreciation of how difficult it really is."