This from the latest HRU out Saturday
Cote assisted in Bourgault investigation
Further details on the death of the standardbred racehorse
«Finish Line» at the hand of trainer Frederick Bourgault at a
New York training facility last July reveal that Brice Cote, private
investigator for Jeff Gural›s racetracks, played an integral role in
the process that led to Bourgault›s indictment by Orange County
District Attorney David Hoovler and eventual arrest on Jan. 30.
Cote was first made aware of the abuse by a confidential source
soon after it occurred. He immediately contacted officials at
Gural’s tracks to have Bourgault excluded from any presence or
participation at those tracks and set about seeing to the details
of the overall investigation.
Cote then acquired the name of the attending veterinarian
who had euthanized the horse, a young woman with limited
experience in the field who had never encountered a situation
like this one and was badly shaken by it. Cote helped guide her
through the steps necessary to deal with the troubling incident
and a course to get it to the hands of the proper authorities.
Cote, a former N.J. State Trooper, advised the veterinarian to
report the abuse to the NY Gaming Commission and to involve
the N.Y. State Police as well.
The police opened an investigation, relying heavily on Cote
for guidance in a situation with which they had virtually
no experience. Their investigation eventually required the
exhumation of the corpse and a necropsy performed to confirm
the injuries that ultimately led to the horse’s death.
These details provided reliable evidence that enabled the
Orange County DA to indict Bourgault for the crime.
Brice Cote’s experience and expertise, along with the concern
for horses that is a priority at the Gural tracks, went a long way
in assuring the investigation process would support the charges
for these brutal, malicious deeds and rid the industry of those
who would commit them.
Meadowlands media relations
