Thoroughbred trainer Steve Asmussen told NBC Sports Network in a segment aired May 2 that allegations made against him by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are untrue, and he hopes to have the chance to defend himself in court.

Asmussen, who won the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday (May 2) at Churchill Downs with Winchell Thoroughbreds' Untapable shortly after the interview aired, was queried by Bob Costas. It was the first time the two-time Eclipse Award winner discussed the situation at length with the media.

A woman posing as a stable worker gained access to Asmussen's barns at Churchill, located in Louisville, Kentucky, and Saratoga Race Course, in Saratoga Springs, New York, last year and secretly videotaped activities. In late March, PETA released a 9 1/2-minute video to the New York Times, which subsequently wrote a story about the group's allegations and its legal complaint.

Costas asked Asmussen about the allegation of horse abuse