A vestige of California’s thoroughbred horse racing golden days passed away shortly before Christmas, depriving Grass Valley of an icon. Edith Freitas, widow of Henry Freitas, who managed Loma Rica Horse Ranch for four decades, passed away Dec. 20. Freitas, 88, ran the renowned ranch with her husband, helping organize the family and feed the many guests and riders who lived there, such as John Shirreffs, a trainer who won the Kentucky Derby in 2005 with long-shot horse Giacomo. “They took him in like a son,” said Roxann Freitas, their daughter who grew up on the ranch. “He learned racing …