Wow. HBO's Luck has truly run out.

Dustin Hoffman's Sunday night show from producers David Milch and Michael Mann has shut down production -- permanently -- after Tuesday's death of a third horse involved in series location filming at Santa Anita Park near Pasadena, Calif.

Here's HBO's Wednesday evening announcement:

It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series LUCK.

Safety is always of paramount concern. We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won't in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.

We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation.

Quote from Michael Mann and David Milch: "The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers. This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."

The third horse died Tuesday -- as noted here in Wednesday's HAVE YOU READ THIS YET? -- but not during shooting. California's horse rating vet stated, "I had just examined the horse as part of our routine health and safety procedures prior to work that would be done later on the track. The horse was on her way back to the stall when she reared, flipped over backwards, and struck her head on the ground . . . [after which it was] determined that humane euthanasia was appropriate."

The two earlier horse deaths on Luck occurred during filming of racing sequences, as described on the website of the American Humane Association, which provides Hollywood's "No Animals Were Harmed" certifications. Those horses also were euthanized due to their injuries.

Luck debuts the eighth episode of its first season this Sunday (March 18) at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. The season's ninth and final episode is scheduled March 25. Shooting had already begun for an announced second season due to race scheduling at Santa Anita, which is an active track with its own racing season currently running Thursday-Sunday.

Whether any second-season episodes will air has not been announced.

Luck was scheduled to begin encoring its entire first season on HBO April 14, Saturdays at 11 p.m. ET.