Biography: Alfredo Velazquez was born in Puerto Rico and at an early age became involved in Thoroughbred racing as a stall cleaner. He moved to New York in the 1980s where he was an assistant to trainer Warren J. Pascuma.

“Freddie” officially began training his own horses in 1984 and moved to Philadelphia Park four years later. Many of his trainees are also owned by him under Anita Racing Stable, which is named for his wife. He also names many of his horses after her, including the stakes winner Annika Lass and allowance winner Annika Gold.

In 2011 he unveiled PA-Bred Traffic Light, who eventually won 3 stakes races for owner John Trippi. And that gelding would have been quite the highlight for any horseman…until Private Zone came into Freddie’s barn. The small bay gelding captured two Grade 1 races in New York, sending the trainer to his very first Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park. Private Zone ended up finishing a hard-fought third in a field that included the very best sprinters in the world.

Stakes Wins:
2014 – Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) – Private Zone
2014 – Vosburgh Stakes (G1) – Private Zone
2014 – Roanoke Stakes – Traffic Light
2013 – Donald LeVine Memorial Handicap – Traffic Light
2012 – Crowd Pleaser Handicap – Traffic Light
2008 – Philmont Stakes – Monsoor
2005 – Steve Van Buren Handicap – Annika Lass
2005 – Sweet and Sassy Handicap – Annika Lass
2001 – Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Stakes – Nasty Billy Ray
2000 – New Look Stakes – Hunt Gold
1997 – Doylestown Handicap – Allen Strike
1997 – Summertime Promise Stakes – Allen Strike
1992 – Shaker Heights Handicap – An Imprince
1991 – Blue Bell Handicap – Precious Priss
1988 – Heliotrope Stakes – Give Me Liberty