Banker Volo babies pick up the torch

Banker Volo had a tremendous impact on the Minnesota harness racing scene from the time he showed up at Running Aces as part of the Dan and Jeralene Roland barn in 2016. He was a dominant competitor at the Open level and set track trotting records on numerous occasions. He competed at the highest level here each and every year from 2016 to 2020.

Sadly, Banker Volo suddenly passed away last summer, and without missing a beat, his offspring immediately picked up the baton to carry on his legacy on the racetrack.

Rush To The Bank absolutely dominated the freshman trotting scene in Minnesota in 2020, winning ten of fifteen starts and missing only one top-three finish. He has come back even stronger as a sophomore in 2021, winning his first three starts of the year and extending his current winning streak to 11 in a row.

And the impressive daughter of Banker Volo — It’s So Fluffy — was the runner up freshman filly of 2020 and went 14 for 16 in the top three. She has also come back very strong for her sophomore campaign and has recently reeled off back-to-back wins, lowering her career mark to 1:59.2 on June 6. “Fluffy” is owned by the Roland’s daughter- Kennedy.

Dan Roland shared with me some of the Banker Volo traits that have carried on to these two young stars: “Fluffy has his looks- with the long, thick mane and tail and foretop … whereas “A-Ron” (Rush To The Bank) has his daddy’s chill personality.”

Jeri Roland added that “A-Ron is an old lady’s dream horse … he’s just so well behaved and even last year in the test barn, the staff could not believe he was a two-year-old … he just handles himself so well. “ She added a fun fact about It’s So Fluffy: “we have perfected our braiding skills on Fluffy … according to Aaron Rush- it’s all about the braid … if the braid is right … she will win!”

Aaron Rush is married to Vickie Rush- who is part owner of Rush To The Bank along with Jeri Roland. The horse’s name is a cool combination of the part owner’s (Rush) and the great sire (Banker Volo). And to take it even further, the horse’s nickname “A-Ron” is a tribute to Aaron Rush, although it is pronounced like the famous ball player “A-Rod”.

Aaron and Vickie Rush are big supporters of DanJer Farms Racing and Breeding, operated by Dan and Jeralene Roland. The Roland’s have turned their focus directly onto the Minnesota breeding and racing program in the last couple of years, and have two stallions standing at stud for the 2021 Minnesota season.

Vickie Rush shared with me that Rush To The Bank is “the most athletic colt we have ever seen … we have even more nicknames for him, including “The Freak” because he is a freak of nature, and “The Machine” because he is a virtual trotting machine… he is all business when he is on the track.”

Vickie added that “when you look into his eyes-you see an old soul, a very peaceful soul”. She also stated that they are “so very thankful for the opportunity given to them by Dan and Jeri Roland to be a part of such a wonderful horse.”

The last crop of Banker Volo babies are steadily hitting the ground, and that is exciting for the next few years to see more Banker babies on the track. While the sudden loss of Banker Volo was a devastating blow to the Roland’s, especially hard for Jeri- the tremendous success of his offspring has helped to fill the void, and helped the Roland’s to cope.

It is definitely some measure of healing, whether for those closely connected to the great Minnesota trotting star Banker Volo, or even to the devoted fans- to see the Banker babies carrying on the legacy and doing it so well. With Rush To The Bank, It’s So Fluffy, and more Banker stars likely to be seen soon, that legacy is well in place for a very, very long time to come. Long live the legacy of the great trotter Banker Volo.

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces