Medicine Ed

Medicine Ed is the elderly black groom who works for Gus Zeno at Indian Mound Downs when the story opens. He is one of the main characters in the novel and one of the characters from whose point of view parts of the story are told. Medicine Ed is characterized by a speech pattern in which words are often mispronounced and grammar is used incorrectly. After Gus’ death Medicine Ed works for Tommy Hansel even though he doesn’t trust the man and thinks he is crazy. Medicine Ed refers to Maggie as the “frizzly hair girl” while Tommy is the “young fool.”

Medicine Ed is a groom who appreciates the old ways. He remembers a time when horse racing wasn’t as crooked and people treated their horses better. He has worked as a groom for big stakes horses as well as for horses in small...