Bob Costas will do what he does best tonight: Ask the tough questions.

In what figures to be a most interesting week for horse racing, Costas Tonight (NBC Network, immediately after Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final) will feature an interview with Doug O’Neill, the controversial trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another as he prepares for the Belmont and the elusive Triple Crown. O’Neill is currently facing a 45-day ban from horse racing for allegedly giving one of his horses an illegal performance-enhancing mixture. His suspension, which he can appeal, will begin no sooner than July 1.

The interview will set the tone for how NBC will cover the Belmont this week. The network has to walk the delicate line between covering this ride for history with the backdrop of a trainer who is facing serious problems.

Also on the show will  New York Rangers coach John Tortorella and New York Jets coach Rex Ryan.

*****

It’s a big day for Charissa Thompson. She will make her official debut as co-host of SportsNation with Colin Cowherd.

Thompson, a familiar face to the SportsNation audience thanks to her numerous guest appearances, joined ESPN in September of 2011 and has served as host of ESPN2’s Numbers Never* Lie. Prior to joining ESPN, Thompson appeared on multiple sports networks including The Big Ten Network, Versus (now NBC Sports), NFL Network, Speed Network and Yahoo! Sports. Thompson was also a co-host of Fox Sports Network’s The Best Damn Sports Show Period.

Rob Riggle and Thompson did an ad to promote her debut.