Horse racing fans to enjoy 'Luck'

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Kingston, Jamaica: Horse racing enthusiasts are in for a treat this evening when the new HBO original series Luck premieres on Flow's network on Channel 518 at 9 pm.

The horse racing drama, which is directed by David Milch (Deadwood, NYPD Blue) and Michael Mann (Public Enemies, Ali), takes a thought-provoking look into the world of gambling and horse racing, a very popular industry in Jamaica.

The provocative TV drama which sees Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman making his television series debut as the star of the show, which also features Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Costner, Ian Hart and Tom Payne.

The nine-episode drama is poised to hit the mark with the local Jamaican horse racing fraternity.

According to Jeanette Lewis, PR Manager at Flow the series is timely as horse racing is a thriving industry in Jamaica.

"We are pleased with the premiere of this engaging new show which explores several aspects of the sport and offers our viewers a programme they can identify with," she said.

Set at the racetrack in California, the television drama thoroughly examines every aspect of the business behind horse racing and the impact it has on the people involved. From the owners and trainers of the horses to the jockeys, agents and gamblers, every character is linked to the track. Based on screenwriter and producer David Milch's childhood gambling experience with his father, Luck makes a profound statement about the overarching theme of how 'luck' is defined and redefined, leaving nothing to chance.

More popularly known for his role as Shifu in the 3D animated movie Kung Fu Panda and the comedy Little Fockers, Hoffman is making his first recurring appearance in a TV series.

Luck centres on the character Chester "Ace" Bernstein (played by Hoffman), a tough and intuitive gamester with a long history in gambling. After being released from a three year term in prison, he teams up with his long-time driver and friend to execute a strategy to profit at the track.