Third Death Suspends Horse-Race Shooting On HBO's 'Luck'

Three horses have died and People for the Ethical Treament of Animals now want's HBO's racing drama "Luck" taken behind the barn with a shotgun.

The notorious animal-rights activists have demanded that the premium cable network shut down the talked-about new drama's production after a horse was severely injured Tuesday while returning to its stall and was put down, said The Hollywood Reporter. HBO has indeed temporarily suspended shooting racing scenes following the incident while filming the show's second season, but a public PETA statement released late Tuesday demands more swift, permanent action.

"HBO [and series creators] David Milch and Michael Mann should be ashamed. Three horses have now died, and all the evidence we have gathered points to sloppy oversight, the use of unfit or injured horses and disregard for the treatment of racehorses," the group's statement said. "We contacted HBO and producer/star Dustin Hoffman last week regarding reports we'd received stating that oversight on the set was lax, and we urged them to help make things safer for the horses. But we received no response. Yesterday, we went to law enforcement about the deaths of the first two horses, Outlaw Yodeler and Marc's Shadow, because one was drugged and the other was arthritic. We will want answers on HBO's latest casualty. Filming must stop now."

California Horse Racing Board veterinarian Dr. Gary Beck observed the horse's return to its stall at the Santa Anita stable in Arcadia, Calif. and claimed the animal "reared, flipped over backwards and struck her head on the ground." Attending vet Heidi Agnic authorized the horse's immediate euthanasia. The two previous horses referenced in PETA's statement were put down while filming the show's first season.

HBO has so far been cooperative with a CHRB/American Humane Association investigation, currently finding that the staff had taken proper safety precautions protecting the animals. A statement from HBO notes that racing sequence filming won't resume until the investigation has wrapped up.

"Everyone associated with 'Luck' cares deeply about the well-being of the horses who are so much a part of the heart and soul of the production," the HBO statement added. CHRB Equine Medical Director Dr. Rick Arthur released a statement saying "As with all fatalities within CHRB racing enclosures a necropsy will be conducted . . . Unfortunately, we see several of these injuries in the stable area every year. They are more common than people realize."