Saying goodbye to a building is one thing. Bidding farewell to people is another. When I think about the closure of Aqueduct Racetrack this Sunday, what first comes to mind isn’t the image of that retro-looking grandstand or the intensity of those howling winter winds on the apron. It’s the faces. The people who filled one of America’s great racetracks (certainly one of its grittiest), those who made Aqueduct what it ultimately became.

Talliyah Timentwa (pronounced TUH-lee-yuh TYM-en-TWAH) is a force of nature with undeniable equestrian talent that belies her size and stature. She is described as fearless, capable, determined, focused, and goal-oriented. The daughter of Trisha and Ernest “Rocky” Timentwa, she learned to ride before she could walk. Her father was a former jockey who competed in Canada. Her mother recalls her first outing on a horse when she was 2 weeks old at the Okanogan racetrack, where they trained their horses for Indian Relay races.