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.
Tag: Lifestyle
Where to Watch/Listen: Horse Racing Coverage June 25-28
The upcoming weekend in horse racing is highlighted by one of the best racecards of the year to date anchored by a star-studded Breeders’ Cup prep, followed by the final racecard at one of the nation’s signature tracks.
Talented Native American Apprentice Jockey Talliyah Timentwa Determined to Succeed
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.
Women in Racing: Bessie Gruwell Turned Tragedy Into Triumph and Built a Career on Giving Back
Long before Bessie Gruwell became executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in 2005, she was forced to cope with two losses as sudden as they were devastating. She was a mere 20 years old when her father, Thomas Lovelace, died of a heart attack in 1983. She wound up taking over his training operation at that unlikely age. She was 33 when Richard Gruwell, her husband, died in his sleep two weeks after they celebrated their 10th anniversary. Another heart attack.
