HBO cancels “Luck” after third horse dies

by Dimitris Ioannou

After the death of a third horse during the filming of HBO's racetrack drama series “Luck” this Tuesday, the network finally decided to cancel the production. We are already two episodes since the end of this season and although the show starring Dustin Hoffman earned a second-season pickup for 10 more episodes, everything came to an end.

The network released this statement:

“It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series Luck. Safety is always of paramount concern. We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision. We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation.”

Two days ago a horse injured while walking back to its barn at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif and was euthanized. Now the American Humane Association is investigating into the set. “Luck” is a big loss for HBO, as the ratings were significantly high, with an averaged of about 4.8 million viewers for each episode.