Luck

[Shammy Davis]

David Milch

Executive Producer,
"Luck" on HBO

answers your questions
February 21 at 2 p.m. EST




David Milch, the Thoroughbred horse owner who created the racetrack-themed dramatic series “Luck” that premiered on HBO Jan. 29, will answer your questions on the next episode of Talkin’ Horses with The Blood-Horse airing at 2 p.m. eastern Tuesday, Feb. 21.

"Luck," which is centered primarily at Santa Anita and stars such actors as Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, and Dennis Farina, has garnered rave reviews and large audiences and has been renewed for a second season. The show, which airs on Sunday nights, offers a behind the scenes look at the world of horse racing, including owners, trainers, jockeys, and gamblers.

Milch, who has owned two Breeders' Cup winners and is the creator of smash hits such as "NYPD Blue", "Hill Street Blues", and "Deadwood", has called "Luck" his "love letter" to horse racing. Retired Hall of Fame jockey and current HRTV analyst Gary Stevens is also among the cast members on "Luck."





What is Talkin' Horses? How do I submit a question?

Talkin' Horses with The Blood-Horse is a live audio show, produced by Prime Sports Network. The new live format allows Thoroughbred fans and professionals to chat with some of the most important and influential people in the industry, including owners, trainers, jockeys, industry leaders, and newsmakers from around the world of Thoroughbred breeding and racing. FACEBOOK:
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[Entry Blank]

The grooms that are working for Luck, are making big $$, This is a windfall for them, as their wages are 30 years behind times.

There's a lot of that going around, and not just on the backstretch.

Actually if the grooms dont have a speaking part they are making 149.00 a day but they do get free meals. Any trainer who is still paying by the week is breaking the law, it is the law here in California that people be paid by the hour and overtime must be payed in lue of giving a day off a week. In fact any person employed by a trainer in California in a part time or full time position must be paid by the hour. So yes there may be trainers still paying a weekly wage but when they get busted by the labor board they will wish they were playing by the rules. Guys like Headley will be looking at huge fines and "tons" of overtime having to be paid as he never gives any of his help a day off.

[Shammy Davis]

Last night's episode was slow. Lots of characters talking to themselves. Nolte is seen talking to his horse, the jock rep is found spouting off in an empty Long Shot Bar to the bartender who is ignoring him, and Gary Stevens' mind in repose still driving big cars, along with Chester trying to hit on a woman who looks five feet taller than he. The poker scenes are moronic. I play a little poker from time to time and the odds of a two player game with each player coming up with a pair is low. Not to say he doesn't happen. And what about Chester's million dollar hire? He leaves his social security number with the million dollar driver and Chester says he going to meet someone. Right out of Million Dollar Matchmaker on the Bravo Channel. (Now that's a comedy show for you.) Hope it's a woman his own size. And then the poor breathless invalid hover round riding gambler is beginning to worry me. What will the three derelicts he hangs out with do if he croaks? Losing a father figure like him could be emotionally castrophic for the other three.

Thank the lord that Chester is a good role model for the rich. He is donating to horse rescue. His motivation is to get laid, but I can live with that. Ultimately, the horses benefit.

This episode gets a "D." Gary Stevens get's B for acting. Chester needs to get some more exercise and stop impressing us with tie changes. Wasn't Mike (rich guy on the boat) in Harry Potter? Was he "dumble dude?"

[Sysonby]

To me, the slow mo cuts between Nolte and the race almost tipped into unintentional comedy. I haven't seen slow mos that reverential since Bo Derek in "10" but what was wrecking it for me is that the horse didn't exactly move like Slew. I understand there is no room in the budget to take a graded stakes horse out for a spin but did we really need a full minute of that shot?

[Shammy Davis]

We are guaranteed (so to speak) an additional season of Luck. I hope it gets better. As others have said, the jockey show on the Animal Channel was good for the sport and I hope Luck will be that way too. I don't know if anyone else got this feeling last night, but even when something good happened, like the horse winning or actors getting laid, I still felt somewhat "down" on the experience. I'm still waiting to hear what the scoop is on Delphi. I'm thinking this is a spin off on Alydar. The relationship between the "Canni" character and the Vet seems somewhat impersonal to me and I don't see how a " bad mouthed Canni character" could survive in the business. He treats everyone like crap. (I guess the "winning is everything" thinking is real. ) If I were Julio, I would not be happy with his protrayal. I think the show (every episode) should "can" the final bedroom scene where Chester is relaxing on the bed. Close-ups of Dustin Hoffman don't flatter him and, for me, leaves me unencouraged to watch the next episode, though I will anyway.

As for the slow-mo's. They did appear strange to me. It actually took away from the reality of the race finish. Almost like someone slammed on the breaks. I do think the racing and exercise scenes are great. I've been watching SA racing on HRTV and TVG for many years and I knew it was a large facility, but it appears even larger to me on Luck. The grandstand appears to be endless. Is there really a bar named the "Long Shot" near SA.

Well until next Sunday night. Best wishes.

[Tucumcari]

as agents can be

griff

Careful Griff, my husband is an agent

I think you kind of have to know the players that the show is trying to depict. Like Julio. He gambles and gambles big. His character doesn't do him justice. It's kind of a sad depection of Julio. Who is crass and drinks,swears and gambles a ton. BUT he is a great guy who is generous.
I've galloped Milch's horses and he knows better, but he is depicting racing as he sees it, and a lot of the guys who train for Milch are gamblers.
My husband watches it, he is a gambler. I don't, I think it's trash

[Sysonby]

I think you kind of have to know the players that the show is trying to depict. Like Julio. He gambles and gambles big. His character doesn't do him justice. It's kind of a sad depection of Julio. Who is crass and drinks,swears and gambles a ton. BUT he is a great guy who is generous.

And very charming. Admittedly it's hard to understand what he says but he definitely has that Latin charm thing going for him especially with women. This character really falls short that way.

I think some of this is HBO but most of it is The World According to Milch. Some of us just don't see the world the same way.

[Shammy Davis]

Tonight's episode was not worth staying up for. It was only 50 minutes anyway.

Chester is a felon and he doesn't have an owners license. What the devil is he doing sleeping on the backstretch? The talk scenes with Chester and the driver in the bedroom suite are boring. Almost put me to sleep.

I don't get the trainer Esclante and Vet relationship. Both are bit strange. Well, I take that back, I do know a couple of vets in our area that our bit strange.

Gary Stevens is doing a good job. I can picture him as a drunk.

Well, until next week.

[Bunty Lawless]

Tonight's episode was not worth staying up for. It was only 50 minutes anyway.

Gary Stevens is doing a good job. I can picture him as a drunk.

Well, until next week.

See Gary almost every day at the track. Seems like a very serious and dedicated individual to me. Can't really picture him as a drunk. Too enterprising an individual, IMO.

[Shammy Davis]

BL: I didn't mean to imply that Gary was a drunk. I was trying to say that his acting, if I knew nothing about him, was good enough for me to merge his character with the real person. I don't get the same thoughts when I watch the Julio character. I can't make him a trainer in my mind. The same with Chester or "Ace." I can't make the stretch to powerful man with Dustin Hoffman making small talk with his driver and surrogate owner.

[Shammy Davis]

Last night's episode not much better than previous week. Jock's agent attempts suicide only to have errant bullet cure "stuttering" until Gary Stevens disparages him to regain his speech flaw. "Hover Round pilot" continues to berate anything and everything that breathes and now appears to have worked up a romance with the "hover round gal." I am thinking sex in a hover round maybe written into a future episode.

Delphi's ownership is now in question. Who would have guessed? The late Colonel's (Colonel Sanders?) son has shown up at the track after lawyers have warned the trainer of ownership dispute. Is there anyone in the industry currently referred to as the colonel?

Female vet is knocked-up and angry at "julio" character. Who would want him to be a role model for a child anyway? Interesting female character, Jill Hennessey is playing a "brain dead" veterinarian. This one is definitedly a situation where I could support a child being reared in a one parent household, neither of whom should be Julio or the Vet.

Chester is in love and can't sleep because the "rescue lady" told him about the wonderous powers of the horse and that they help people. Now Ace is consumed trying to figure out what she meant. Chester's "million dollar derviatives employee" is having guilt feelings over the fact that he is now involved in the "shady" side of the racing business and may want out. He must not read much. Actually, (NY Times & WLS) it was recently reported that one out of ten wall street financial employees are psychopaths. This part of the series should not be too much of a stretch.

The most dramatic scene came at the end when Ace's driver falls asleep while in another bedtime conversation.

Good parts of the show were the horse surviving "claim of foul." If the stewards had taken him down, I'd have been pissed. Delphi beats track record. The gig is up and Delphi will have to start running in stakes. Jock's agent gets temporary joy of "no stammer." The drunken bald guy gives jockey an extra $200 for the win. Nice gesture. Right out of movie "Pharlap."

The dead beat handicapping gang of four is really stretching that million plus. By my addition, they should all be broke. Certainly the poker player should be. This is a series about horseracing isn't it?

Didn't really understand the crying woman at the barn telephone and the argument between 'julio" and vet didn't help me understand it any better. Guess her kid died. "Julio" was somewhat unsympathetic. I haven't made up my mind who I dislike more; Julio or Hover Round Pilot. I'm thinking I could learn to like the Hover Round Pilot, if Julio sticks around. I'm thinking if the series doesn't make it a book and documentary will follow titled "Ten Fun Things To Do In Your Hover Round."

[Hotwalker]

The first episode was the best so far, probably because it was directed by Michael Mann. Overall I am enjoying the show though some of it seems forced. I think the most accurate depiction is the cadre of gamblers who have claimed the horse. There are those kinds of characters at every track, working on the periphery with some savvy handicapping skills. Nick Nolte seems credible. I like the contrast with the other trainer, which shows the varying styles you find on the backstretch.

[bdw0617]

ironically enough after i started this thread, i have not seen one episode of luck sense. just have not had time. i plan on watching ep's 2 and 3 to night.

[bdw0617]

i think the only thing that is forced is the whole deal with hoffman trying to buy the track. that seems like they are just tryying to force a story line there and it really isn't developing.

the rest of the stuff, the jockies the agent the drugs the trainers all seems about right.

still don't fully understand the relationship between jill hennessy and "julio"

[Shammy Davis]

Even with a murder, another slow moving episode. Guess the deviatives guy has been written out the script.

Julio character is becoming a kinder and gentler fellow.

Chester, say he goes back to prison for a parole violation, could, on the basis of his hefty donation, reside at that prison TB farm. That would be romantic.

I know I'm getting old but the car sex scene looked a little problematic with the steering wheel in the way. At best it would have best done in the back seat.