With the selection of the NCAA men’s hockey tournament about a month away and the Frozen Four less than 50 days away, the field of 16 is taking shape.
Of course, things still can change over the homestretch of the regular season and particularly with the conference tournaments which begin March 3, where teams off the radar could earn automatic NCAA bids.
The NCAA field includes the winners of the six conference tournaments — Atlantic, Big Ten, CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East and NCHC — and 10 at-large teams based on the PairWise rankings. The pairings for the NCAA tournament will be announced March 19, with regionals to be held March 23-26 in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Fargo, North Dakota; and Manchester, New Hampshire. The Frozen Four will be held April 6-8 at Tampa, Florida.
Here’s a look at where the NCAA field stands, with teams listed in order of the PairWise rankings as of Feb. 16. We’ve included the top 16 teams (there is a tie for 15th place) plus the leader in the Atlantic, who sits outside the top 16 but is projected to get the league’s automatic bid.
In addition to a look at each team’s résumé, we’ve included a comment on each team by ESPN college hockey analyst Colby Cohen. The polls referenced are the USCHO poll, the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and the #Cawlidgehawkey top 16 selected by ESPN’s John Buccigross. Records are through Feb. 16.
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1. Minnesota (21-8-1, 15-4-1 Big Ten)
Polls: 2/2/2
Key results: 3-1 vs. Michigan; 4-0 vs. Michigan State, outscoring Spartans 25-6
What’s ahead: Two games at Penn State; two vs. Ohio State
Numbers to know: Minnesota freshmen Jimmy Snuggerud (1.33) and Logan Coley (1.31) are both in the top 10 nationally in points per game.
Cohen’s take: The Gophers have to be the favorite to win it all. Minnesota has been a dominant force all season and boasts not only one of the nation’s best and highest-scoring offenses, but also a very stingy defense, with guys like Brock Faber and Jackson LaCombe leading the way.
2. Quinnipiac (24-3-3, 16-2 ECAC)
Polls: 1/1/1
Key results: 1-1 vs. Cornell; 2-0 vs. Harvard, outscoring Crimson 7-1
What’s ahead: Single games vs. Yale, vs. Brown, at Union, at RPI
Numbers to know: Since back-to-back losses in mid-January, Quinnipiac has won six in a row with four shutouts, outscoring its opponents 24-5. The Bobcats lead the nation with a 2.23 scoring margin.
Cohen’s take: The Bobcats’ record speaks for itself: 24-3-3, which is the best winning percentage in the NCAA. Will this finally be the year they hang a national title banner? That remains to be seen, but they sure have the goaltending to do so, giving up just 1.67 goals per game. Sophomore Yaniv Perets leads or is near the top in every statistical category, with a 1.60 GAA and .926 save percentage.
3. Michigan (20-9-1, 12-8-0 Big Ten)
Polls: 4/4/3
Key results: 1-1 vs. BU; 2-0 vs. Western Michigan; 1-0-1 vs. Harvard; 1-3 vs. Minnesota
What’s ahead: Home-and-home with Ohio State; two vs. Notre Dame
Numbers to know: Michigan has won seven straight, including an overtime win over Minnesota, and is averaging 5.43 goals per game during that streak.
Cohen’s take: This team might have two of the three Hobey Baker finalists in sophomore Luke Hughes (16 points in his past seven games) and freshman sensation Adam Fantilli (leading the nation with 1.88 points per game). Michigan is playing as well as anyone, and after a disappointing Frozen Four loss to Denver in the semifinals last year, the Wolverines should be hungry to hang another banner in Ann Arbor.
4. Denver (23-7-0, 14-4-0 NCHC)
Polls: 3/3/4
Key results: 1-3 vs. St. Cloud State; 1-1 vs. Omaha
What’s ahead: Two games vs. Minnesota-Duluth; two at Western Michigan; home-and-home with Colorado College
Numbers to know: Denver is sixth in the country in scoring offense and fifth in scoring defense. Only Quinnipiac (fifth and first) is better.
Cohen’s take: The reigning national champs have been hanging around the top five all season thanks to their skill, experience and coaching. With this mix of talent and David Carle behind the bench, you can never sleep on the Pioneers, and I think they have as good a chance as anyone this spring.
5. Penn State (19-10-1, 9-10-1, Big Ten)
Polls: 7/7/7
Key results: 1-3 vs. Michigan; 1-1 vs. Minnesota; 1-2-1 vs. Michigan State
What’s ahead: Two games vs. Minnesota; two vs. Wisconsin
Numbers to know: Special teams have been an issue for Penn State. The Nittany Lions rank 47th in penalty-kill percentage and 46th in power-play percentage. They have just 17 power-play goals (only five teams have fewer).
Cohen’s take: After one of the nation’s hottest starts, the Nittany Lions have cooled off in the second half and are 2-4 over their past six games. Despite their struggles, their hot start has kept them in a comfortable PairWise position. Guy Gadowsky’s bunch will need to rev up the offense for a challenging Big Ten postseason.
6. Boston University (20-8-0, 14-4-0 Hockey East)
Polls: 5/5/5
Key results: 1-1 at Michigan; 1-2 vs. Northeastern; wins over Harvard and Cornell
What’s ahead: Home-and-home with Merrimack; two games at Vermont; home-and-home with Providence
Numbers to know: BU is second in the country with 4.11 goals per game. Senior Matt Brown and freshman Lane Hutson are third and fourth in points per game with 1.41 and 1.38 respectively.
Cohen’s take: What a difference a year makes. The first-year coaching staff headed by Jay Pandolfo and assistants Joe Pereira and Kim Brandvold has BU reenergized, with the Terriers’ sights set on the Frozen Four. From goaltender Drew Commesso, a member of the U.S. Olympic team last year, on out, this is one of the deepest teams that we have seen on Commonwealth Avenue in a long time.
7. St. Cloud State (18-8-2, 10-6-2, NCHC)
Polls: 6/6/6
Key results: 3-1 vs. Denver; 1-1 vs. Minnesota; 1-1 vs. Western Michigan; 2-0 vs. Minnesota State
What’s ahead: Two games at North Dakota; two at Omaha; two vs. Minnesota-Duluth
Numbers to know: St. Cloud State has a pair of goalies among the top 12 in the country in goals against. Junior Dominic Basse (1.99) and senior Jaxon Castor (2.09) both have been stellar in what has been pretty much an even split in net.
Cohen’s take: The 2021 runner-up Huskies are loaded with upperclassmen from their last Frozen Four run, and the likes of Jami Krannila, Zach Okabe and Veeti Miettinen are looking for another kick at the can. NCHC teams are battle tested, so don’t sleep on the Huskies.
8. Western Michigan (19-10-1, 11-6-1 NCHC)
Polls: 8/8/9
Key results: 0-2 vs. Michigan (both one-goal games); wins over Northeastern and Michigan Tech; 1-3 vs. Omaha
What’s ahead: Two games vs. Colorado College, two vs. Denver, two at Miami
Numbers to know: Senior Jason Polin continues to lead the nation with 24 goals in 30 games. He scored eight in a three-game stretch in December and January.
Cohen’s take: The nation’s highest-scoring team (4.17 goals per game) has only one loss in 10 games since Dec. 27, and with head coach Pat Ferschweiler looking to build off last year’s NCAA appearance, I think Western will continue its scorching-hot second half with a trip to Tampa within reach.
9. Ohio State (17-11-2, 10-9-1 Big Ten)
Polls: 10/9/8
Key results: 1-1 vs. Minnesota; 2-2 vs. Michigan State; 1-1 vs. Michigan; 1-1 vs. Penn State
What’s ahead: Home-and-home with Michigan; two games at Minnesota
Numbers to know: The Ohio State penalty-kill unit has been remarkable. Not only does it have an 89% success rate, the Buckeyes have nine short-handed goals, the most in the country.
Cohen’s take: For starters, OSU will always be well coached and disciplined on defense with Steve Rohlik at the helm. The Buckeyes have been very solid all season, with the nation’s top penalty kill and a top-20 power play. Mason Lohrei, a second-round pick of the Boston Bruins, is a good reason to tune in when the Buckeyes take the ice.
T10. Cornell (16-7-2, 13-4-1 ECAC)
Polls: 11/11/11
Key results: 1-1 vs. Quinnipiac; 0-2 vs. Harvard; win over UConn; loss at BU
What’s ahead: Single games vs. Clarkson, vs. St. Lawrence, at Brown, at Yale
Numbers to know: The Big Red have the most potent power play in the country, converting at a .305 clip. Dalton Bancroft, part of Cornell’s strong freshman class, leads the way with five PPG on the season.
Cohen’s take: It seems Cornell never gives up many goals, and this season is no exception. The one main difference this season, however, is the Big Red are a top-10 scoring team as well. When you marry the two, you have a legitimate contender.
T10. Harvard (17-6-2, 14-4-0 ECAC)
Polls: 9/10/10
Key results: 0-1-1 at Michigan; 1-0-1 vs. Northeastern; overtime loss at BU; 2-0 vs. Cornell; 0-2 vs. Quinnipiac
What’s ahead: Single games vs. Union, vs. RPI, at St. Lawrence, at Clarkson
Numbers to know: The Crimson have experienced plenty of late-game pressure, going 6-1 in games decided in overtime. They also have two shootout contests, beating Michigan and losing to Northeastern in the Beanpot final.
Cohen’s take: Another year, another Teddy Donato-coached team in the top 10 in the country. Harvard has more NHL draft picks (15) than any team in the country, and the Crimson’s “big three” of Sean Farrell, Matthew Coronato and Henry Thrun look to lead Harvard back to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2017.
12. Michigan Tech (21-8-4, 14-6-4 CCHA)
Polls: 12/13/12
Key results: 1-0-1 vs. Minnesota State; wins over Michigan State and BU; loss to Western Michigan
What’s ahead: Two games at Minnesota State
Numbers to know: Senior goalie Blake Pietila is fifth in the country in both GAA (1.98) and save percentage (.928), while logging the second-most minutes (1,817).
Cohen’s take: The CCHA’s leader of the pack is putting together a very solid season. The Huskies are as hot as anyone with a 10-2-1 record since the calendar turned to 2023. They have a few very good nonconference wins, including beating BU in Arizona, and seem to be in a good position to make the NCAA field regardless how they fare the conference tournament. But my guess is a date between them and Minnesota State in the CCHA championship game is ahead.
13. Minnesota State (19-10-1, 14-7-1, CCHA)
Polls: 13/12/13
Key results: 1-1 vs. Minnesota; 0-2 vs. St. Cloud State; 0-1-1 vs. Michigan Tech
What’s ahead: Two games at Bemidji State; two vs. Michigan Tech
Numbers to know: With its typical rock-solid blue line, Minnesota State is No. 3 in the country in scoring defense. Sophomore Keenan Rancier (1.94 GAA) has started 20 of the Mavericks’ 30 games. The Mavs also are the nation’s best team in faceoffs (.588 win percentage).
Cohen’s take: After last year’s disappointing loss in the national title game, the Mavs aren’t sitting back. They’re 9-0-1 in the new year, and with the masterful Mike Hastings behind the bench, this fast and physical group will be a tough out in the NCAA tournament.
14. Michigan State (15-15-2, 9-11-2 Big Ten)
Polls: 17/14/14
Key results: 2-2 vs. Ohio State; 1-3 vs. Michigan; 0-4 vs. Minnesota; 2-1-1 vs. Penn State
What’s ahead: Two games at Wisconsin
Numbers to know: The Spartans have been prone to giving up goals in bunches, allowing four or more in 12 games this season. Even so, goalie Dylan St. Cyr has the second-most saves in the country.
Cohen’s take: New head coach Adam Nightingale and associate head coach Jared DeMichiel have done a phenomenal job reinvigorating the Spartans this season. They’ve had their ups and downs, but they have hung around the top 15 all year in a very difficult conference. The Big Ten tournament will be key for the Spartans’ tournament chances.
T15. Northeastern (14-10-5, 11-5-3 Hockey East)
Polls: 16/16/15
Key results: 2-1 vs. BU; 0-1-1 (with shootout win) vs. Harvard; losses to Western Michigan, Union, Sacred Heart and Bentley
What’s ahead: Single game at Vermont; home-and-home with UMass; home-and-home with UMass-Lowell
Numbers to know: Northeastern is 6-1-2 with two shootout wins since resuming Hockey East play after the holiday break.
Cohen’s take: Two words, Devon Levi. NU and its goalie (.930 save percentage) are coming off a dominating performance in beating BU and Harvard to win the Beanpot, and they are going to need to continue to win games because of PairWise-sapping losses to Union, Sacred Heart and Bentley. The Huskies might need a solid run in the Hockey East playoffs to secure a spot in the NCAA field.
T15. Notre Dame (14-14-4, 9-10-3 Big Ten)
Polls: 19/18/NR
Key results: 1-1 vs. Western Michigan; 1-2-1 vs. Michigan State; 0-2 vs. Minnesota; 1-1 vs. Michigan; 2-1-1 vs. Ohio State; 2-2 vs. Penn State
What’s ahead: Two games at Michigan
Numbers to know: Goaltender Ryan Bischel has 1,015 saves — 111 more than any other goalie in the country — and has saved the Irish’s season in the process. He also has played more minutes than any other goalie (1,883).
Cohen’s take: It’s been a very up-and-down season for Notre Dame, and the veteran group is going to need a strong run in the Big Ten tournament to solidify its NCAA standing. With Landon Slaggert heating up at the right time, Jeff Jackson’s Irish might well have a late-season push in them.
20. RIT (19-10-1, 15-6-1 Atlantic)
Polls: NR/NR/NR
Key results: 0-2 vs. Penn State; 2-0 vs. AIC; 2-0 vs. Sacred Heart
What’s ahead: Two games vs. Bentley, two vs. Air Force
Numbers to know: Since making the transition from Division III to Division I in hockey in 2005-06, RIT has never finished in the top 20 in the PairWise rankings, even in 2009-10, when the Tigers made the Frozen Four.
Cohen’s take: The front-runner to capture the Atlantic Hockey automatic bid has a great record at 19-10-1, but strength of schedule always comes into question in the Atlantic. Led by sophomore forward Carter Wilkie, the Tigers are going to need to win the conference tournament to get into the NCAA field.
On the bubble
Omaha (17th in PairWise; 15-10-3, 10-6-2 NCHC)
UConn (T18th in PairWise; 17-10-3, 11-8-2 Hockey East)
Alaska (T18th in PairWise; 16-10-2)
Based on the strength of the remaining schedules, Omaha, with two games against St. Cloud State plus the NCHC tournament, has the best chance in this group of sneaking into the field. (Remember, we included 17 teams above, with Northeastern and Notre Dame tied in the PairWise rankings for the final at-large bid, so at least one of them could fall back to the wrong side of the bubble as well.)
Of course, there also will be potential bid stealers lurking as conference tournament champions are decided, with Hockey East in particular a league to keep an eye on.
A further potential complication for Michigan State and Notre Dame: Teams below .500 are ineligible for at-large berths.
The Dallas Stars‘ 3-1 win in Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night was a contrast in offensive efficiency. The Jets converted just once on 72 shot attempts. Dallas center Mikael Granlund, meanwhile, needed only three shot attempts in the game to score three goals. His hat trick was all the offense the Stars needed to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, moving one win away from their third straight trip to the Western Conference finals.
“Obviously, the job is not done. We’ve got a lot of work to do. [But] that was a good win,” Granlund said.
It was the first career hat trick for Granlund, a 13-year veteran whom the Stars acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a trade back in February. Three goals on three shots, all of them sailing past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who remained winless on the road in the 2025 postseason.
Granlund’s first goal came at 8:36 on the power play, as he skated in on three Jets defensemen and fired a snap shot past Hellebuyck from the top of the slot.
“I was just shooting it somewhere and it went in,” Granlund said.
“I got a clean enough look. It was just a damn perfect shot, just above my pad and below my glove,” Hellebuyck lamented.
“Obviously, he probably wants the first one back, the wrister,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said of Hellebuyck. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to get him some run support. Get him a lead.”
Granlund’s second shot and second goal came on a play started by Mikko Rantanen, whose league-leading point total now stands at 19 for the playoffs. His outlet pass found Granlund in the neutral zone, sparking a 2-on-1 with Roope Hintz. Granlund kept the puck and roofed it to give Dallas a 2-1 lead after Nik Ehlers had tied the game for Winnipeg earlier in the second period.
“When you pass all the time, you can surprise the goalie sometimes when you shoot the puck. It’s good to shoot once in a while,” said Granlund, who had twice as many assists (44) as goals (22) in the regular season.
Granlund’s third and final shot attempt of the game was on another Dallas power play in the third period, following a double-minor penalty to defenseman Haydn Fleury for high-sticking Hintz.
Defenseman Miro Heiskanen, in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 28 after missing the last 32 regular-season games and first 10 playoff games because of a knee injury, collected the puck after Matt Duchene rang it off the post. Heiskanen slid it over to Granlund for a one-timer that brought him to his knees on the ice. After the shot beat Hellebuyck at 7:23 of the third period, waves of hats hit the ice in celebration of Granlund’s three-goal night.
It was fitting that Rantanen and Heiskanen had points on Granlund’s hat trick. This was the first game that the Stars’ so-called “Finnish Mafia” played together, as Heiskanen was injured before Granlund and Rantanen joined the team. Those three skaters joined countrymen Hintz and defenseman Esa Lindell in helping Dallas to victory.
“It was fun for sure. Fun to finally be on the ice with them,” Heiskanen said.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger did the rest with 31 saves, many of them on dangerous Winnipeg chances. But in the end, all the Stars needed were three shot attempts, while the Jets’ voluminous offensive night produced only one goal.
“Oettinger made some big stops. But we had 70 shot attempts. We have to get more than one goal,” Arniel said. “If we can’t find more than one goal, we’re not going to win hockey games, especially [against] this team.”
Dallas will attempt to close out the series on Thursday night in Winnipeg.
Pete Rose, Joe Jackson, seven other members of the 1919 Chicago “Black Sox”, six other former players, one coach and one former owner are now eligible to be voted on for the Hall of Fame after commissioner Rob Manfred removed them from Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list.
Hall of Fame chairwoman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement: “The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseball’s permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration. Major League Baseball’s decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered.”
Due to Hall of Fame voting procedures, Rose and Jackson won’t be eligible to be voted on until the Classic Era Baseball committee, which votes on individuals who made their biggest impact prior to 1980, meets in December of 2027.
Let’s dig into what all this means.
Why were these players banned?
All individuals on the banned list who were reinstated had been permanently ineligible due to accusations related to gambling related to baseball — either throwing games, accepting bribes, or like Rose, betting on baseball games.
Most of the banned players, including Jackson and his seven Chicago White Sox teammates who threw the 1919 World Series, played in the 1910s, when gambling in baseball was widespread. As historian Bill James once wrote, “Few simplifications of memory are as bizarre as the notion that the Black Sox scandal hit baseball out of the blue. … In fact, of course, the Black Sox scandal was merely the largest wart of a disease that had infested baseball at least a dozen years earlier and had grown, unchecked, to ravage the features of a generation.”
The most famous player, of course, was Jackson, one of baseball’s biggest stars alongside Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker in the 1910s. While many have tried to exonerate Jackson through the years, pointing out that he hit .375 in the 1919 World Series, baseball historians agree that Jackson was a willing participant in throwing the World Series and accepted money from the gambling ring that paid off the White Sox players.
While the White Sox players were acquitted in a criminal trial in 1921, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the eight players in a statement that began with the words “Regardless of the verdict of juries …”
If there was an innocent member in the group, it was third baseman Buck Weaver, not Jackson. Weaver had participated in meetings where the fixing of the World Series was discussed, and Landis banned him for life for guilty knowledge.
As for Rose, he was banned in 1989 by commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for betting on games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds, including those involving his own team. While Rose denied the accusations for years, he eventually confessed. He died last September at age 83.
Who else is impacted?
Phillies owner William Cox was banned in 1943 and forced to sell the team for betting on games. Cox had just purchased the team earlier that season. None of the other non-White Sox players are of major significance, although Benny Kauff was the big star of the Federal League in 1914-15, winning the batting title both seasons. The Federal League was a breakoff league that attempted to challenge the National and American leagues.
When is the soonest Rose and Jackson could go into the Hall of Fame?
The Hall of Fame voting process for players not considered by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America — such as Rose and Jackson, who never appeared on the ballot due to their banned status — includes two eras: the Contemporary Baseball Era (1980 to present) and the Classic Baseball Era (pre-1980). The voting periods are already set:
December 2025: Player ballot for the Contemporary Era.
December 2026: Contemporary Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires.
December 2027: Classic Era ballot for players, managers, executives and umpires.
Each committee has an initial screening to place eight candidates on the ballot, so Rose and Jackson will first have to make the ballot. While it’s unclear how a future screening committee will proceed, it’s possible that both will make the ballot. While comparisons to players with PED allegations aren’t exactly apples to apples — since they were never placed on the ineligible list — it’s worth noting that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro were included on the eight-player Contemporary Era ballot in 2023.
Once the ballot is determined — a 16-person committee consisting of Hall of Fame players, longtime executives and media members or historians — convenes and votes. A candidate must receive 12 votes to get selected. In the most recent election in December, Dave Parker and Dick Allen were on the Classic Era ballot.
Which players have the best HOF cases?
Obviously, Rose would have been a slam-dunk Hall of Famer had he never bet on baseball and had he appeared on the BBWAA ballot after his career ended. The all-time MLB leader with 4,256 hits, Rose won three batting titles and was the 1973 NL MVP. And while he’s overrated in a sense — his 79.6 career WAR is more in line with the likes of Jeff Bagwell, Brooks Robinson and Robin Yount than all-time elite superstars — and hung on well past his prime to break Ty Cobb’s hits record, his popularity and fame would have made him an inner-circle Hall of Famer.
Whether he’ll get support now is complicated. Bonds and Clemens both received fewer than four votes in 2023. The committee usually consists of eight former players, and they may not support Rose given the one hard and fast rule that every player knows: You can’t bet on the game.
Jackson, meanwhile, was a star of the deadball era, hitting .408 in 1911 and .356 in his career, an average that ranks fourth all time behind only Cobb, Negro Leagues star Oscar Charleston and Rogers Hornsby. He finished with 62.2 WAR and 1,772 hits in a career that ended at age 32 due to the ban. Those figures would be low for a Hall of Fame selection, although the era committees did recently elect Allen and Tony Oliva, both of whom finished with fewer than 2,000 hits. And again, it is hard to say how the committee will view Jackson’s connection to gambling on the sport.
The only other reinstated player with a semblance of a chance to get on a ballot is pitcher Eddie Cicotte, who won 209 games and finished with 59.7 WAR. While his final season came at 36, the knuckleballer was still going strong, having won 29 games for the White Sox in 1919 and 21 in 1920 before Landis banned him.
For what it’s worth, the top position players in career WAR who made their mark prior to 1980 and aren’t in the Hall of Fame are Rose, Bill Dahlen (75.3), Bobby Grich (71.0), Graig Nettles (67.6), Reggie Smith (64.6), Ken Boyer (62.8), Jackson and Sal Bando (61.5).
Pitching candidates would include Luis Tiant (65.7), Tommy John (61.6) and Wes Ferrell (60.1). John was on the recent ballot and received seven votes. Others on that ballot included Steve Garvey, Boyer, Negro Leagues pitcher John Donaldson, Negro Leagues manager Vic Harris and Tiant.
Other potential pre-1980 candidates could include Thurman Munson, Bert Campaneris, Dave Concepcion and Stan Hack.
Since its inception in 1873, the Preakness Stakes has become one of the most prestigious horse races in the world. Following the Kentucky Derby and preceding the Belmont Stakes each year, the Preakness Stakes take place on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
Check out the all-time winning horses and jockeys in Preakness Stakes history.
2024: Seize The Grey, Jaime Torres
2023: National Treasure, John Velazquez
2022: Early Voting, Jose Ortiz
2021: Rombauer, Flavien Prat
2020: Swiss Skydiver, Robby Albarado
2019: War of Will, Tyler Gaffalione
2018: Justify, Mike Smith
2017: Cloud Computing, Javier Castellano
2016: Exaggerator, Kent Desormeaux
2015: American Pharoah, Victor Espinoza
2014: California Chrome, Victor Espinoza
2013: Oxbow, Gary Stevens
2012: I’ll Have Another, Mario Gutierrez
2011: Shackleford, Jesus Castenon
2010: Lookin at Lucky, Martin Garcia
2009: Rachel Alexandra, Calvin Borel
2008: Big Brown, Kent Desormeaux
2007: Curlin, Robby Albarado
2006: Bernadini, Tom Albertrani
2005: Afleet Alex, Jeremy Rose
2004: Smarty Jones, Stewart Elliott
2003: Funny Cide, José Santos
2002: War Emblem, Victor Espinoza
2001: Point Given, Gary Stevens
2000: Red Bullet, Jerry Bailey
1999: Charismatic, Chris Antley
1998: Real Quiet, Kent Desormeaux
1997: Silver Charm, Gary Stevens
1996: Louis Quatorze, Pat Day
1995: Timber Country, Pat Day
1994: Tabasco Cat, Pat Day
1993: Prairie Bayou, Matt Smith
1992: Pine Bluff, Chris McCarron
1991: Hansel, Jerry Bailey
1990: Summer Squall, Pat Day
1989: Sunday Silence, Pat Valenzuela
1988: Risen Star, Eddie Delahoussaye
1987: Alysheba, Chris McCarron
1986: Snow Chief, Alex Solis
1985: Tank’s Prospect, Pat Day
1984: Gate Dancer, Angel Cordero Jr.
1983: Deputed Testamony, Donald Miller Jr.
1982: Aloma’s Ruler, Jack Kaenel
1981: Pleasant Colony, Jorge Velásquez
1980: Codex, Angel Cordero Jr.
1979: Spectacular Bid, Ron Franklin
1978: Affirmed, Steve Cauthen
1977: Seattle Slew, Jean Cruguet
1976: Elocutionist, John Lively
1975: Master Derby, Darrell McHargue
1974: Little Current, Miguel Rivera
1973: Secretariat, Ron Turcotte
1972: Bee Bee Bee, Eldon Nelson
1971: Canonero II, Gustavo Avila
1970: Personality, Eddie Belmonte
1969: Majestic Prince, Bill Hartack
1968: Forward Pass, Ismael Valenzuela
1967: Damascus, Bill Shoemaker
1966: Kauai King, Don Brumfield
1965: Tom Rolfe, Bill Shoemaker
1964: Northern Dancer, Bill Hartack
1963: Candy Spots, Bill Shoemaker
1962: Greek Money, John Rotz
1961: Carry Back, John Sellers
1960: Bally Ache, Bob Ussery
1959: Royal Orbit, William Harmatz
1958: Tim Tam, Ismael Valenzuela
1957: Bold Ruler, Eddie Arcaro
1956: Fabius, Bill Hartack
1955: Nashua, Eddie Arcaro
1954: Hasty Road, John Adams
1953: Native Dancer, Eric Guerin
1952: Blue Man, Conn McCreary
1951: Bold, Eddie Arcaro
1950: Hill Prince, Eddie Arcaro
1949: Capot, Ted Atkinson
1948: Citation, Eddie Arcaro
1947: Faultless, Doug Dodson
1946: Assault, Warren Mehrtens
1945: Polynesian, W.D. Wright
1944: Pensive, Conn McCreary
1943: Count Fleet, Johnny Longden
1942: Alsab, Basil James
1941: Whirlaway, Eddie Arcaro
1940: Bimelech, F.A. Smith
1939: Challedon, George Seabo
1938: Dauber, Maurice Peters
1937: War Admiral, Charley Kurtsinger
1936: Bold Venture, George Woolf
1935: Omaha, Willie Saunders
1934: High Quest, Robert Jones
1933: Head Play, Charley Kurtsinger
1932: Burgoo King, Eugene James
1931: Mate, George Ellis
1930: Gallant Fox, Earl Sande
1929: Dr. Freeland, Louis Schaefer
1928: Victorian, Sonny Workman
1927: Bostonian, Whitey Abel
1926: Display, John Maiben
1925: Coventry, Clarence Kummer
1924: Nellie Morse, John Merimee
1923: Vigil, Benny Marinelli
1922: Pillory, L. Morris
1921: Broomspun, Frank Coltiletti
1920: Man o’ War, Clarence Kummer
1919: Sir Barton, Johnny Loftus
1918: Jack Hare Jr., Charles Peak; War Cloud, Johnny Loftus