Doing it all for some handsome deadbeat horseman who works her to death while he rolls high. I seen a million like her, Deucey said.
-- Deucey (First Race, Chapter 1 paragraph 34)

Importance: When Deucey first sees Maggie, she correctly guesses the situation that has brought Maggie to the horse racing business. She realizes that Maggie and Tommy are hoping to make fast money.

Shipping into Indian Mound Downs was the logical culmination of Tommy Hansel’s science of running them where they belonged. He planned to steal with these horses, who were all better than they looked on paper. It was slumming and flim flam, yes, but a sure thing.
-- Narrator (First Race, Chapter 2 paragraph 2)

Importance: Maggie knows that Tommy intends to run his horses at this small racetrack and bet big on them so he can make a good deal of money off bets. Tommy isn’t the only horseman who is playing this type of game with his horses. His plan...