HBO’s ‘Luck’ immerses viewers in the authentic, dark side of horse racing

Chester “Ace” Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) is released from federal prison after serving three years and almost immediately heads to Santa Anita to check on a horse he bought — through a front man — for $2 million. That horse will become his obsession. Veteran trainer Walter Smith (Nick Nolte) watches the development of a young colt who he hopes will atone for a scandal that scarred his professional life. Jockey Ronnie Jenkins (played by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens) turns bitter and malevolent as his career wanes. The four gamblers who played the Pick Six combination on the napkin confront unprecedented prosperity when they hit the big one.

Almost every character in “Luck” dreams of a life-altering big score — either a gambling win or an association with a horse who achieves some measure of greatness. But Milch’s dark vision suggests that people remain who they are and even the big score won’t necessarily transform their lives. After Jerry (Jason Gedrick) loses a sizable chunk of his winnings by gambling obsessively and self-destructively at the poker table, one of his Pick Six partners proposes bailing him out — “making him whole.” The cynical, wheelchair-bound Marcus (Kevin Dunn) scoffs at the notion. “Whatever is wrong with Jerry,” he says, “you don’t make him whole by giving him money. Whoever made him didn’t make him whole. That’s the way he is.”

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If the characters in “Luck” are capable of any transformation, it is through association with the horses themselves. The degenerates with the Pick Six ticket act like kids around racehorses. Ace Bernstein, a tough guy to his core, is surprised to find himself enchanted by his horse. A female friend, involved with the care of thoroughbreds, tells him: “People change simply by being in proximity to horses. Their sighs, their virtues, their complicated nature bring out patience and respect. Don’t be afraid of that.” While Milch ordinarily eschews sentimentality, he recognizes that the strong affinity of people for the animals is part of the reality of the racetrack. In this respect, as in almost all others, “Luck” is a rare TV drama: It is authentic.

For Andrew Beyer’s previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/beyer.