I re-watched this recently and it holds up well. It was released in January 2012, but was cancelled after one season since some horses died during the making of it (it’s about horse racing). A David Milch (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, etc.) creation. It’s sort of a pity the show never had a chance to play out.

I liked the horse racing, I liked the crew of misfit degenerate gamblers including Jerry, their brilliant handicapper, who was unfortunately a bad poker player. I liked the Oxy-snorting, hard-drinking, hard-screwing jockeys. I liked grumbling Nick Nolte as a trainer. There were a number of story lines they were developing that looked promising: Turo and the beautiful vet, Ace’s relationship with Joan Allen (“that ship has sailed”), Ace’s grandson and his Jewfro (“you look like a baboon”).

Dustin Hoffman’s backstory isn’t clear though… yes, we know he’s a Jewish mobster, but his past isn’t fleshed out enough. Michael Gambon overplays his evil Robert Maxwell role (but I’ll always love him no matter what because of The Singing Detective). That whole rivarly / partnership gone bad was no doubt going to be revealed in later seasons.

Weronika Rosati, a Pole, plays Jerry’s beautiful poker dealer girlfriend Naomi… she has a great bod to boot. Dennis Farina as the aged muscle.