HBO horse racing show ‘Luck’ a true labor of love for Milch

David Milch’s résumé is lined with connections to big-name television shows: a writer on “Hill Street Blues,” a co-creator of “NYPD Blue” and the creator of “Deadwood.” But as co-creator with Michael Mann of “Luck,” Milch is living his dream of writing about the sport he has loved since he was a child — horse racing. Milch talked to staff writer Liz Mullen about the sport and the show. The nine-episode first season had its premiere last night on HBO.

■ What does the sport of horse racing offer in terms of storytelling and film production?

Milch (left), with stars Dustin Hoffman (right) and Nick Nolte, sees the track as a great stage. Photo by: JEFF KRAVITZ / FILM MAGIC

MILCH: It’s the human drama on the grand scale and the opportunity to explore deep emotions in a dramatic setting. I have never seen a better opportunity for storytelling. And, for me, I have experienced the highs and lows of the game. I have owned the winners of two Breeders’ Cups. But I have also experienced such deep disappointment and I wouldn’t trade either for the other. It’s the whole package. And I am humbled by the chance to tell the story to a larger audience.

■ Do you think horse racing, more than any other sport, lends itself to storytelling? What about NFL football?

MILCH: To me it does. Man’s relationship with an animal is something that complicates horse racing in a way that, for example, NFL football is not complicated. Football is a beautiful exploration of human possibility, but what is added in horse racing is all of the nuance of relating to a different species and trying to understand and bring out the best.

■ Is it true that the character in “Luck,” Turo Escalante, is based on real-life horse trainer Julio Canani? Was he your trainer? How does he feel about it?

MILCH: Yes. And I think Julio feels pretty good about it. Julio is the trainer I won a Breeders’ Cup [race] with, a horse called Val Royal in 2001.

■ Are any of the other characters in the show based on real-life people?

MILCH: Not so completely as Escalante is based on Julio. There are a lot of characters who are composites of horsemen that I have known. Nick Nolte’s character mixes in some of [horse trainers] Jack Van Berg, some of Ron McAnally. But Escalante is purely Canani.

■ Do you think this show is going to help or hurt the sport?

MILCH: If it doesn’t help the sport I am going to be heartbroken. I try to tell the truth about things, and there are some heartbreaking moments in horse racing. But I also try to be very respectful and also to illuminate what is uplifting about it. I think that anyone who stays with the show for more than a few episodes, I hope, will feel the love I have for it.

■ Some people in the horse industry are very upset. For example, in the very first episode, you have a horse that breaks a foreleg and is put down. I know you have friends at Santa Anita. Have you heard from them?

MILCH: Yeah, I’ve heard some disapproval, but it is part of the story. It’s part of the game. That horse going down, in a way, is what makes it possible for these guys to win their Pick Six. And the highs and lows sort of mixed in together was what I was trying to show. I certainly wasn’t trying to sensationalize it or glory in it or trivialize it in any way.

■ What does Santa Anita provide in terms of visuals from a filmmaker’s point of view?

MILCH: It’s such a beautiful, beautiful place. Hollywood [Park racetrack] has its own appeal, but I think visually that Santa Anita is unparalleled.

■ If you would do a series or a film around another sport, what would it be?

MILCH: I would never do another sport. It’s the game I have spent an awful lot of time coming to understand, and for better or worse, it’s the one I want to write about.

■ When will you know it’s a success?

MILCH: Well, they’ve picked it up already. So, that is a good thing.

■ Why did they pick it up?

MILCH: Well, I think they were optimistic about it and they also want to get a head start on the production. Now I suppose something terrible could happen in the next week or 10 days and they could reverse themselves, but I know I’ve written three scripts for the next year.