SPORTS FOLDEROL

  ZAC JONES  has heard it all before … how good he  plays when he gets the opportunity … that by now  the New York Rangers defenseman from Richmond  has reason not to believe his lying ears … So why  isn’t he playing more … than 31 games a year ago  when the 5-11, 185 pounder clearly was better  than  ERIK GUSTAFSSON , the veteran  journeyman who was brought in to take Jones’  place on the left side of the third defensive unit? …  Listen to coach  PETER LAVIOLETTE : “Zac Jones  got better every single time he played for us," he  told NHL.com. "... He was fantastic." Sure  sounded like Laviolette might be second-guessing  himself,  keeping Jones a healthy scratch  throughout the  playoffs … when New York,  winner of the  President’s Trophy, which goes to  the team with  the best regular-season record, lost  in the  conference finals to eventual Stanley Cup...

  For some reason, NBC was reluctant to tell viewers about the jockeys during Saturday’s Kentucky Derby coverage from Churchill Downs. Who knows … maybe the network received complaints that panelist, former jock and hall of famer  JERRY BAILEY  was giving too much credit to the riders as opposed to those who prepared those being ridden? For sure, they couldn’t say enough about trainer  CHAD BROWN , or so it seemed … In the run up to the 150 th  Run for the Roses,  IRAD ORTIZ JR  was on fire, with four winners including three in a row through Race 7 … of 12 in all … You would think NBC’s talking heads (and there were lots of them) would concentrate on Ortiz Jr., winner of the Eclipse (best jockey) Award five of the last six years, but there were too many times when the casual viewer didn’t know who the winning jockey was until interviewed at the end … For example,  GRAHAM MOTION -trained Trickari, a 47-1 long, LONG shot led the field in a turf race...

  The National Hockey League’s trade deadline is Friday (March 8) at 3 pm., Eastern Standard Time … and, with fewer than 24 hours to go,   ZAC JONES  remained with the New York Rangers … The 23 year old defenseman from Richmond has been a healthy scratch in all but 17 games as first-year coach   P ETER   LAVOLIETTE   opted to use veteran newcomer   ERIK GUSTAFSSON   – who played for him last year with the Washington Capitals … A proposed deal that would have brought Anaheim veterans   ADAM HENRIQUE   and   FRANK VATRANO  to the Big Apple for forward   KAAPO KAKKO   and NY’s 2024 first-round draft choice reportedly was turned down by the Rangers. Henrique, a center, wound up with the Edmonton Oilers. Vatrano, the Ducks’ leading goal scorer, remained available … New York did land, as expected,   ALEX WENNBERG   from Seattle … as third-line center … Rangers remained involved for Penguins’   JAKE GUENTZEL ...