LUCAS DIES ... RANGERS' MILLER APPEARS TO BE A GONER

 A little on a lot ...

Hall of Fame trainer DARNELL WAYNE LUCAS died 

at his home in Louisville, Ky., Saturday night from a 

blood infection that caused damage to his heart and 

digestive system. Winner of 15 Triple Crown races, 

including four Kentucky Derbys, he was 89 ... Among the 

last of his 4,967 Thoroughbred victories was the 

$500,000 Virginia Derby March 15 at Colonial Downs 

with Virginia Promise.

*** NHL Rangers reportedly have collected offers for 

defensemanK’ANDRE MILLER and will chose one this 

week.

Meanwhile, Richmond’s ZAC JONES (a) will; (b) will 

not be traded. Signals remain mixed for young 

defenseman, 24, in Big Apple.

*** Remember when the Rangers were reluctant to use 

rookie defenseman VICTOR MANCINI, drawing all 

kinds of outrage from fans? One of several players paired 

with Jones, he eventually was traded to Vancouver in the 

deal that brought JT MILLER to Broadway. Still clear in 

the mind’s eye is Mancini, in one of his last games in NY, 

completing a minus-3 performance by kicking the puck a 

few feet directly to a rival player who had no choice but 

score.

So, how did Mancini do with your Canucks? Frankly, we 

had forgotten about him until recently when The NHL 

Network carried the Calder Cup American Hockey 

League championship round between Charlotte and the 

Abbottsford, B.C., Canucks … and there was Mancini, 

turning and falling, trying to keep up an extra-man rush.

Actually, though, he was at his best with Vancouver’s top 

farm team, going plus-3. Overall, Mancini was minus-13 

… including minus-3 with the Rangers, minus-7 AHL 

Hartford and minus-6 Vancouver.

*** Mixed Martial Arts attracted a crowd of 19,800 to 

Las Vegas Saturday when UFC unveiled the latest pound-

for-pound best in ILLIA TUPORIA … who knocked out 

veteran CHARLES OLIVEIRA midway of the first 

round. 

 

*** JURGEN KLOPP calls the Club World Cup, a 32-

team event currently being held in this country (but not so 

you’d notice), “a pointless competition.”

“Whoever wins will be the worst winner of all time,” the 

colorful Klopp said.

How so? Well, the former coach of EPL Liverpool (2015-

24) now in charge of global soccer for Red Bull, thinks it 

is too many games for players without a meaningful break 

between seasons.

As a result, “I fear next season we will see injuries like 

never before,” Klopp said. “These is no recovery for 

those involved … mentally or physically.”

No, he’s not interested in coaching again. “I don’t want 

that any more,” Klopp, 58, said.

*** So, what do you think? DAWN STALEY to become 

next coach of the New York Knickerbockers. Don’t hold 

your breath … Still, with the NBA team still looking for 

someone to replace TOM THIBODEAU (fired), the 

former UVA All-American now in charge at South 

Carolina, the University of … where she’s won two 

national championships, was mentioned as a possibility 

… probably by some bored sportswriter in The City 

Where Anything Goes … Come to think of it, the Knicks 

could do a lot worse … and undoubtedly will.

Until next time ...