Daniel Maier charged

More than seven months after the original incident, a second driver has been arrested in connection with possible race fixing at Cal Expo. Daniel R. Maier, 22, was taken into custody Jan. 12 at New York's Monticello Raceway, said Maggy Krell, California deputy state attorney general. State authorities have requested his extradition.

Maier faces three charges in Sacramento Superior Court: conspiracy to commit grand theft, grand theft and bribery to affect the outcome of a horse race. It would be the first such case to be prosecuted in California, Krell said of the bribery charge.

Maier¹s arrest followed the Dec. 19 conviction of driver/trainer Raymond Burt, who pleaded guilty to "accepting a bribe not to use his best effort," Krell said. Burt is due to be sentenced Jan. 22 in Sacramento Superior Court. Prosecutors have requested two other counts against Burt -- conspiracy and grand theft -- be dropped.

State authorities suspect Maier offered that bribe in an alleged conspiracy to prearrange the outcome of the first race on Cal Expo's May 5 program. The $3,000 claiming event was won by pacer Green Fields, driven and owned by Jason Maier, Daniel¹s brother. Burt¹s horse, 3-1 second choice Omen, finished fourth in the race. Daniel Maier did not drive in the race.

Shortly after the horses crossed the finish line, Sacramento Harness Association officials started their investigation. A provisional driver at that time, Jason Maier went to the lead immediately with 6-1 shot Green Fields and finished first by nine lengths. Even-money favorite Wovoca was second and Mow Em Down, ­ the longest shot in the seven-horse field at 28-1, took ­ third. Green Fields had won one of 17 prior starts at the winter/spring 2006 meet while racing from well off the pace. His odds for his six starts in similar company preceding the May 5 outing averaged 28.5-1.

What alarmed track officials most was the low trifecta payout of $79.50. An average payoff for that combination at Cal Expo would be more than $200.

After checks with pari-mutuel clerks and its wagering system, SHA froze all payouts on the race, leaving many tickets uncashed. On May 12, the association suspended four drivers in connection with the case: Burt, Todd Ratchford, who finished last, and the Maier brothers. Those suspensions were lifted in September, but the California Horse Racing Board continued its investigation, eventually turning over its findings to the state attorney general's office.

The investigation continues and other arrests are possible, Krell said.

Daniel Maier had won 31 races and almost $133,000 in a driving career that started at Cal Expo in 2002. Last year, Maier won 13 of 80 starts, mostly in Sacramento, before he relocated to New York in September. He drove Jan. 11 at Monticello, finishing last in the third race. (By Debbie Arrington)

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