Freddie Gonzalez Will Be Missed, But More So Remembered

Former jockey Gilfredo "Freddie" Gonzalez, who died April 17th at 83 after a battle with cancer, will be remembered for much more than the races he won during a career that spanned from 1963-1989.

Family members, loved ones, and friends honored Gonzalez in a winner's circle ceremony after the sixth race at Tampa Bay Downs on April 18. Most of those who took part remembered him as a jockey's agent, a role he filled for several years for his grandson Alex Gonzalez, who made the trip down from Mahoning Valley Race Course in Ohio to honor his grandfather.

Freddie was a guy people always enjoyed seeing on the backside, whether you needed someone to commiserate with or share a successful experience or a laugh or a sunrise. His smile was a reward in itself for anyone who got to know him.

"He always told me 'Sweetheart, smile. Because it doesn't cost anything,' " said his daughter, Tina Gonzalez Hernandez.

Gonzalez was one of three generations to ride, competing at tracks in New England, Florida, and the mid-Atlantic region. His son Freddie, Jr., rode for a brief time, with Alex now carrying on the family tradition.

Retired jockey Jorge Vargas, who won more than 3,100 races, came up from Las Piedras, Puerto Rico to be part of today's celebration of life. He rode against Gonzalez at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park in New England beginning in 1979.

"He was the greatest human being I was around," Vargas said. "I was a 'bug boy' (apprentice jockey) and he was a journeyman, and he would come up to me and give me hints on things I had to learn to be successful. He helped a lot of people."

In later years, Vargas spent time with Gonzalez at his home in nearby Safety Harbor, FL.

"He was like my father and my brother at the same time," Vargas said.

Current Oldsmar rider Vernon Bush, who has more than 3,200 career winners, got to know Gonzalez at about the same time as Vargas.

"Freddie's best friend was Carl Gambardella, who was the dean of New England jockeys," Bush said. "They went everywhere together and I used to watch them and try to learn. They'd come over to me all the time and talk about what I was doing wrong and what I was doing right.

"They were both awesome mentors, and Freddie went out of his way to help me. I'll always remember how kind he was because he didn't have to do that. He was one of my best friends on the racetrack and he didn't have a bad word to say about anybody."

The racetrack community is a close-knit environment, and Gonzalez exemplified its credo of lifting those in need. He will be missed, but more importantly, he will be remembered by just about everyone he came in contact with.

Gonzalez is survived by three children—daughter Tina Gonzalez Hernandez and sons Freddie Gonzalez, Jr., and Marco Hodges Gonzalez—and five grandchildren. A funeral service will be held at noon on Monday at Holloway Funeral Home, located at 112 South Bayview Blvd. in Oldsmar.