Minnesota Harness Racing Inc. (MHRI) has announced the newest inductees to its Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremonies will take place at the MHRI annual meeting and awards banquet at Running Aces on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Roger Roland will join the immortal persons section of the hall while Judy Roland will join the living persons hall. Roger passed away in November of 2024 at the age of 87. 

Roger was a professional man, an accountant by trade but he had also developed an early passion for horses and harness racing, bolstered by growing up near the What Cheer, Iowa fairgrounds. Roger and Judy were married in 1961 and they began a family including sons Royal and Duane. Roger shared his passion for horses and racing with all of his family members as well as countless friends along the way. Harness racing became a major part of life for the entire Roland family. 

Judy came to love the horses and the racing so much so that she decided to become a driver and was a pioneer of sorts in that regard as they raced the family horses across Iowa and Minnesota and other surrounding states. Roger then got his license to drive and the two would battle each other out on the track, each wanting to out-drive the other for the win. 

Judy even learned to be a starter and came to Minnesota to start races when needed. She also helped to train a new starter for the Minnesota tracks, one who still serves as a starter in Minnesota today. 

Across six decades in the sport the Rolands have had many notable champion horses that have enhanced the racing program in Minnesota. They have supported all of the fairs across the entire state as well as the early pari-mutuel Standardbred meets at Canterbury.

The Rolands were also here to support the idea of a dedicated Standardbred pari-mutuel track in Minnesota in the early 2000s. They attended meetings, helped lobby and did anything they could to support the effort that eventually resulted in the opening of Running Aces in 2008. 

The biggest contribution that they have made to Minnesota harness racing is one that has, and will continue to provide high quality horsemanship and tremendous talent to the program for many more years to come, it is that of the entire Roland family and their passion for the sport.

Their sons Royal and Duane, their grandsons Nick and Will, granddaughter Tessa, Roger's niece and nephew Tonja and Dan (and the list goes on) have all made significant contributions to Minnesota harness racing along the way. Nick is now the all-time leading trainer and driver in Minnesota history and Dan, a trainer of many champions, recently moved his entire family to Minnesota and established a racing and breeding farm to help strengthen the harness racing program in the state. 

The list of notable horses and major accomplishments is as long as a Minnesota summer day. Harness racing in Minnesota and the region is stronger today thanks to the countless contributions of Roger and Judy Roland. 

Craig Banks will be inducted into the living persons hall, recognizing his contributions to Minnesota harness racing over a career that has spanned more than five decades. 

As the story goes, at some point in the mid-to-late 1970s, Banks was forced to make a choice, to either buy a motorcycle or buy a horse. Fortunately for the sport of harness racing, he opted to buy the horse. 

That fateful decision has led to a tremendous career in the sulky sport for Banks, including over 1,000 wins as a driver as well as 349 wins as a trainer, more than $2.4 million in purse earnings in the bike and more than $1.2 million as a trainer. 

Banks is part of a big harness racing family that includes fellow Minnesota Hall of Famer and brother, the late Ron Banks. In addition to Craig and Ron, other brothers, notably Larry and Kevin also made harness racing a big part of their lives as well, and the extended Banks family includes a long list of contributions to the sport in many different ways. 

Craig raced at all of the Minnesota Fairs as well as surrounding states, starting in the late 1970s. He was always at or near the top of the yearly standings in Minnesota and also was a top driver at Canterbury. For the first several seasons at Running Aces, he was still very active and among the top drivers and trainers. 

Jeff Ryan, who worked with Banks in his early racing days, including a stint at Aurora Downs in Illinois, shared that Banks was "always a great driver for young and green horses" and was a great teacher for young horses. Ryan also shared that for that reason, Banks was a sought after driver for Sire Stakes horses. 

Ryan also mentioned a couple of horses that Banks had tremendous success with, notably Cardamon Leo, whom he paid $600 for and went on to earn more than $122,000 as well as another standout, Scot T Yankee, to name just a couple of the many storied horses campaigned by Banks over the years. 

Banks has been successful as an owner, trainer and driver. He has also been someone that is sought after for advice and is quick to help others. He's quick to jump in and help the sport that he loves be successful and has always been a huge supporter of the county fairs, including jumping in to help with track maintenance and do anything he can to help put on a successful fair meet. 

Banks is truly a living legend in Minnesota harness racing and has earned his place to be honoured among the very best. 

Entering the living horse hall are both Bringoverthemoney and No Recess, while Towners Love Dove will join the immortal horse section.

Bringoverthemoney was foaled in 2015 and is a son of Money Talks out of the Overcomer mare Bringitover. He was bred by Katie Horvat and is owned by Katie and Joshua Horvat and also trained by Katie. 

'Scooby,' as he is also affectionately known by all, has become the richest Minnesota-sired trotter of all time, pushing his career earnings over $470,000 last season as a nine-year-old while also winning his fifth straight championship race on Minnesota Night of Champions, a record-breaking accomplishment. He also captured the Aged Male Trotter of the Year title for the second straight year in 2024. 

As a freshman in 2017, he was a bit green but he was keen to learn what it was all about and even showed some flashes of what was to come. He won two races that year taking a mark of 2:09 at Cannon Falls. As a sophomore in 2018, he served notice that he was going to be something pretty special, winning 11 of 19 races while never off the board. 

In one of the most dramatic displays of dominance in Minnesota Night of Champions history, he won his championship race in 2023 by a stunning 15-1/2 lengths in 1:54.3. 

He has continued to perfect his craft each and every year since he first faced the starting gate, as team Horvat has done a phenomenal job of keeping him prepared year after year to do what he does best. His career record mile of 1:54.1 was taken at age six (in 2021) and he has had many miles close to that clocking since as well. He currently has 46 wins and a total of 95 top-three finishes from 151 career starts. 

The impact that Bringoverthemoney has made as a fierce competitor, year after year, is absolutely undeniable. He has clearly stamped his legacy into the sport's history in Minnesota. 

No Recess is a (now retired) trotter who is a 2009 son of Rich Boy out of the SJs Photo mare Riann Photo. He was bred by Jenson Stables and also owned by Jenson Stables until 2015 when acquired by Kyle Spagnola, RBH Ventures and Spagnola Racing. 

He is the fastest Minnesota-sired trotter to-date with his 1:53.3 record, taken in 2017 at The Meadowlands. 

At age three in 2012, No Recess went a perfect seven-for-seven at Running Aces and won a total of 11 races that year from 14 starts, closing out his sophomore campaign competing against Hambletonian level horses at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky.

He had a stellar career spanning 10 seasons on the track, including his dominating sophomore season in Minnesota. He closed out his career with 58 wins and a total of 133 top-three finishes from 245 career races, earning $322,302. But there's more. No Recess also competed under saddle in "RUS" races in 2016, 2018 and 2019, including international competition. He went undefeated in RUS races in 2018. 

No Recess is a unique individual that has displayed tremendous talent with or without a sulky. He is currently enjoying his newest endeavour as a riding horse. 

Towners Love Dove will be inducted into the immortal horse section of the Minnesota Harness Racing Hall of Fame. She was foaled in 2000 and was a daughter of Big Towner out of the Albatross mare Jenny M Hanover.  She was bred by Patrick Kelly and was owned by Ron Emerson. 

Though she had only one career start, Towners Love Dove had a tremendous impact on Minnesota harness racing as a broodmare. 

She had six starters from nine foals and her sons and daughters had total earnings of $1,176,019 and include three standout performers who are among the top earning Minnesota-sired pacers to date. 

Her son Restless Yankee (by Relentless Yankee) had a stellar career from 2009 to 2016, winning 53 races, setting multiple Running Aces track records and earning $303,809 while taking a career mark of 1:50.3s at age seven. 

Her daughter Cruzin Coco (by Voracious Hanover) retired in 2023 after 47 wins with earnings of $366,764 and a career mark of 1:52.3h taken at age five. 

Her daughter Love This Place (by Place To Be) was an early Running Aces track record holder before becoming a top Open-level competitor across the Midwest. She retired in 2016 with 43 wins, a mark fo 1:50.2 and earnings of $406,745 making her the richest and fastest female Minnesota-sired Standardbred to date. 

(With files from Minnesota Harness Racing; photo of Roger and Judy Roland)