“Luck” gets bad luck before leaving gate

HBO‘s high-profile and expensive Michael Mann / David Milch horse gambling TV series “Luck,” starring Dustin Hoffman, will begin production at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Ca., near Pasadena later this fall, according to HBO.

Producers had hoped to film during live horse racing and with real spectators in October during the annual Oak Tree Racing meet, but those plans went out the window last month when the California Horse Racing Board, which includes Bo Derek, voted to disallow the meet there this year because of concerns by some horse owners and trainers that the track was not safe.

Oak Tree is forced to move from its home of more than 40 years to Hollywood Park. But that’s only part of the challenge for “Luck” producers, who had initially considered waiting to start production until January when Santa Anita’s regular full racing season begins and runs till mid-April.

Not only will there be no live horse racing or paying spectators this fall, the track will be undergoing major construction for more than a month to replace the synthetic track with dirt at a cost of about $6 million.

Track replacement was initially going to take place in a hurry-up mode in November and early December after Oak Tree and before the start of the winter meet on Dec. 26.

There will also be far fewer employees and support workers at the track, many of whom will not be employed as expected. Oak Tree’s move to Hollywood Park also means the loss of more than $200,000 in betting and sales tax revenue to the City of Arcadia.

Some non-racing events scheduled during Oak Tree have canceled, such as a major annual car show by the Road Kings of Burbank that draws hundreds of cars and even more fans.

Big Plan A, but Plan B less certain

The unusually expensive pilot shot at Santa Anita in April (well in excess of $10 mil., according to sources) features high-stakes players behind and in front of the camera. Mann directed the pilot for the provocative series created by thoroughbred horse owner and fan Milch about the people involved with horse racing that also stars Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, Kevin Dunn, and Santa Anita Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

As first reported here in July, HBO picked up the pricey series for at least seven – nine original episodes, with the pilot and series not expected to debut until late 2011 at the earliest.

Santa Anita has not returned calls regarding any changes to the timing of the track replacement now that Oak Tree will not be there in October. HBO would not offer specific production plans but said production will begin at Santa Anita “later this fall.”

Shortly after the decision by the CHRB, one of the series producers told HollywoodInHiDef.com that there was too much committed to shooting at Santa Anita to move the production to Hollywood Park, and that they could not delay production until January. Each one-hour episode is typically a 12-day shooting process with six weeks of prep and pre-production that was initally to get underway in mid-August.

Big expenses even before latest challenge

Like the pilot, production costs for the series are expected to be more expensive than typical one-hour dramas.

In the first place, there are an unusual number of high-profile names involved with the project — Mann will likely hand off episode directing duties but will still be a producer of the series. And site fees alone will run as high as $20,000 – $25,000 per day for the series that expects to be in production for months at Santa Anita.

Even with anticipated crowds, HBO had intended to hire 200-300 extras for certain scenes, and there are many extra costs associated with shooting at a horse race track with thoroughbred horses, especially during live racing competitions, according to said Pete Siberell, director of community services and special events at Santa Anita. Extra expenses will include paying daily production crews of at least 150, and anywhere from 25-50 daily jobs for extra security staff, track maintenance, tractors and water trucks; horse exercisers, trainers, ambulance drivers, etc.

The production is also expected cover expenses such as additional emergency equipment — horse and people ambulances and workers to man starting gates, for example.

Since opening on Christmas day in 1934, Santa Anita Park has been the backdrop for scenes and the settings for entire movies and TV shows, from The Marx Bros.’ “A Day at the Races” and two versions of “A Star is Born” to “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (the closed Wally World), “Seabiscuit,” and, most recently, “90210” and “Brothers and Sisters.”

— By Scott Hettrick