Dustin Hoffman says the TMZ reports surrounding the deaths of 3 horses on the set of "Luck" last year are to blame for his show getting canceled ... claiming our facts were wrong. 

Dustin just gave an interview to FoxNews.com, saying the "real" reason the show was canceled was due to a collaboration between PETA and TMZ ... and NOT because the public was upset that THREE horses died during production.

Hoffman said, "It’s completely distorted. Anyone who raises horses know they break their legs. The accusations they made were distorted."

He also directs people to the horse racing website Paulick Report for the "real reason the show was canceled."

Truth is, the TMZ stories are in sync with what was reported on the Paulick Report.

Here are the facts that we published on TMZ.com:

-- THREE horses died during the production of the show
(Confirmed by Paulick Report)
 
-- Horse #3 was euthanized on the set ... and production continued a few hours later
(Euthanasia confirmed by Paulick Report)

-- HBO acknowledged the deaths ... and released a statement saying “accidents unfortunately happen."

And the kicker ... the ratings for "Luck" weren't that great to begin with ... and there were MULTIPLE reports that HBO used the horse deaths as an excuse to cancel the show without having to admit failure. 
(You can also read about that on the Paulick Report)

First step is denial ... then anger ... then comes the AFTER PARTY ... at least , that's how the big shots behind "Luck" are grieving the death of their show.

TMZ has learned "Luck" star Dustin Hoffman ... along with director Michael Mann and executive producer David Milch are throwing a "wake" at a fancy Hollywood restaurant tonight to thank the cast and crew for "all the beautiful work."

As we previously reported, HBO decided to cancel the show this week after a 3rd horse died on the set.

Rest in peace.

The man who trained the third horse that died on the set of HBO's "Luck" is telling friends ... NO ONE is to blame for the fatality ... insisting the animals received exceptional care, but sometimes "s**t happens."

Sources close to Matthew Chew -- who trained and owned horse #3 -- tell us the people who looked after the horses are some of the best in the business ... who thoroughly examined the animals at least twice a day during production.

Chew has told friends ... the horse was simply playing around when it "misstepped" and fell down Tuesday morning ... suffering a head injury that required it to be euthanized on the set.

We're told Chew believes the incident was a freak accident ... telling one person, "We were just horribly unlucky ... sometimes s**t happens."

Not to beat a dead horse -- but Dustin Hoffman didn't look too happy today in L.A. ... hours after hearing HBO had cancelled his new show "Luck."

As we reported, the network shut down the racetrack-themed series after a 3rd horse died on set.

Director Michael Mann straight up LIED to the cast and crew of "Luck" yesterday ... insisting the reason the show got cancelled is because TMZ "unfairly spun" the story about a THIRD horse dying on set. 

Sorry Michael ... no spin here.  

Mann and producer David Milch addressed the staff right after HBO pulled the plug on the show yesterday ... and explained, "If you take a look at the media coverage that has been spun unfairly. If you saw the media coverage ... It's TMZ and everybody else."

Let's take a look at the facts ...

-- THREE horses died on their watch. No spin.
-- Horse #3 was euthanized on the set ... and production continued a few hours later
-- Publicist Karen Jones initially LIED to TMZ about the story ... in an effort to stall us from publishing.

Bottom line -- if the horses were alive, the show MIGHT still be on the air.

Hours after horse #3 keeled over ... the cast and crew of "Luck" received a sensitive memo urging them to remember one very important thing -- place your bets for the NCAA Basketball Tournament!!

TMZ obtained the "Luck" call sheet for Wednesday -- featuring shoot times for Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, Nick Nolte and others -- and while it makes no mention of Tuesday's on-set tragedy ... it does state in bold type: "Don't forget to turn in your NCAA brackets ... by 7PM tonight"

That turned out to be the last call sheet -- "Luck" was cancelled late Wednesday ... and HBO's statement noted their "heartbreak" over the situation. Clearly, nothing soothes the soul faster than nailing the Final Four.

To be fair, March Madness does begin today -- and similar reminders were sent around millions of offices ... though we're guessing a horse didn't drop dead in most of them.

4:30 PM PT:  The crew was assembled for a meeting where they were just told the show is cancelled.  They are pissed because production was supposed to last another 8 months and they were just told they will not be getting any severance.

4:20 PM PT: We've just spoken with on-set sources, who tell us the crew has not been told their show was cancelled.  They're learning it from TMZ.


HBO has cancelled "Luck" after the latest horse death.

As TMZ reported, yesterday a third horse died during production of the show, and HBO just made the drastic decision to lower the boom.

HBO released a statement that reads in part, "While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won't in the future."

The statement goes on ... "We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horse racing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures."

The cast and crew of HBO's "Luck" didn't miss a beat after a horse died on location today -- they just kept on shooting.

Eyewitnesses tell us ... the horse suffered a fatal injury after rearing up, falling backwards and hitting its head on the ground, breaking its neck. It was then euthanized.

We're told the crew was told to drive themselves from Santa Anita -- where the accident occurred -- to Marina del Rey to continue shooting the show.

As we reported, this is the third horse death on the series. After one of the other horse deaths, HBO stopped production, but apparently horse death has become somewhat routine on "Luck."

HBO was scrambling today after we called with information about the death, trying to delay publication of the story.

There has been another fatal horse accident on the set of the HBO series "Luck" -- a third horse has died, TMZ has learned.

We're told the crew was trying to get a horse out of its stable when it reared and fell back, suffering a head injury.  The horse was euthanized at the Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia.

This is the third time a horse had to be euthanized during the filming of the series, starring Dustin Hoffman.

HBO was scrambling after TMZ called 2 hours ago with the story, and the publicist, Karen Jones, stalled us while they got their story together.  In fact, when we told her about our story, she said it wasn't all true -- but it was.

All three horses that died on the set of HBO's "Luck" were victims of "sloppy oversight" on the part of HBO and the show producers ... and they should all be ASHAMED ... this according to PETA.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are PISSED at HBO after a 3rd horse died during production Tuesday ... and a rep tells TMZ, "All the evidence we have gathered points to sloppy oversight, the use of unfit, injured horses, and disregard for the treatment of race horses."

What's worse ... PETA sent a letter to L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley on Monday -- one day before horse #3 died -- asking him to investigate the deadly situation on the set of "Luck" ... but no immediate action was taken.

HBO had released a statement following the death of horse #3 saying, "An American Humane Association Certified Safety Representative was on the premises when the accident occurred, and as always, all safety precautions were in place."

Not good enough for PETA ... which says, "We will want answers on HBO’s latest casualty. Filming must stop now."