Well, aside from the debate as to whether it can possibly bring fans to the track (I highly doubt that it will affect attendance either way, regardless) is the discussion around the entire basis of the first episode - as jms62 points out-
- Opening scene is of a criminal getting out of prison and immediately inquiring about his horse, which felons can't own apparently, and his scheme to hide the ownership so he doesn't get caught.
- A trainers sandbagging his charge to run its price up - the only thing missing from that scene was the vet juicing the horse before the race
- Degenerate gamblers, not horseplayers, but honest-to-goodness Degenerates, condescendingly monikered as "Railbirds" who are seemingly the only ones interested in what is happening that particular day
- Of course the obligatory breakdown, replete with exaggerated snapping sound effects and blood spraying out.
So it goes... I couldn't care less who does or doesn't watch this - What I can say for a complete certainty is that the breakdown scene turned off every single non-horse racing person I know that watched it, from tuning in again to it. And again, I couldn't care less.
In the end, the pilot did nothing to hold interest, develop any sort of connection to any of the characters, because almost all of the dialogue was idiotic, over simplified prattle played by over emoted character actors trying desperately to make their characters known through a horrific script.
It was terrifyingly reminiscent of the pilot for "John from Cincinnati".
I hope is gets better, will watch, but sorry I for one thought it was a sub-par effort for HBO.