Zenyatta
THE GREAT FIILYY EVER
NAMED AFTER THE MUSIC ALBUM
‘Zenyatta Mondatta’
THE NBA PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ANALOGY TO THOROUGH BRED RACE HORSES
Thorough Bred Athletes Created To Run …
Zenyatta – The Best Ever – UNDEFEATED
Presentation: THE NBA PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ANALOGY TO THOROUGH BRED RACE HORSES
Thorough bred champion race horses are just like professional basketball players. The similarities are extensive.
Both NBA basketball players and race horses are: ‘Thorough Bred Athletes Created To Run’ !
As the third leg of the Triple Crown horse races moves into New York for the Belmont, and the third game of the NBA Finals moves to New York City, an ANALOGY OF THE NBA PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS COMPARED TO THOROUGH BRED RACE HORSES IS APPROPRIATE.
We single out, horses ‘Zenyatta’, ‘Big Brown’, and NBA player Carter Bryant in our analysis.
The 2026 Belmont Stakes Saturday, June 6 / 17:00 EST / Saratoga, New York USA
The 2026 NBA Championship Finals Sunday , June 7 / 20:00 EST / New York, New York USA
The young 3 year old thorough bred horse, ‘Golden Tempo’, won the annual 2026 Belmont Stakes, on the first Saturday in June, at Saratoga New York.
On this same weekend, the San Antonio Spurs basketball team visited New York City to take on the New York Knicks, in game 3 and 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
As I was watching these two distinct sporting events, I decided on a written collation of the basketball players playing in Madison Square Garden and the horses running in the third leg race of the triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. However, I was reminded of how the great Filly Zenyatta fit into this presentation.
The dossier would demonstrate something I had known since my early teenage years since watching horses run at Keeneland Race Track in Kentucky .
The online presentation would concentrate on two great champions, through bred horses, ‘Zenyatta’ and ‘Golden Tempo’. The basketball perspective would target the young 20 year old San Antonio basketball player, Carter Bryant.
HOW ‘Zenyatta’ the great champion filly race horse acquired her name:
Above Music Video: ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’, by the group: ‘The Police’
The Police First Album: ‘Zenyatta Mondatta’.
‘Zenyatta’ the Race Horse was owned by Jerry Moss. Jerry Moss signed the music group ‘The Police’ to their first contract, it was a ‘long shot’ record deal. The only success the music group had at that time was touring the U.S.A. in a van and playing gigs in dive bars. The first album ‘Zenyatta Mondatta’ by The Police was released on October 3, 1980, was a huge success, everybody made millions of dollars.
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss.
NOTES:
random thoughts …
She (Zenyatta) is on the wrong lead, what’s this mean …….. … … … that means – the wrong foot… she is running out with the wrong foot first … ( horses change their lead foot when they take off in the final stretch … applies to a basketball NBA player …
… … … you can win , ” On The Wrong Lead“!
Horses are a lot like NBA basketball players.
Explanation below:
- Big money business, $ … millions invested. A Billion $ business.
2 . Rich owners ( often, obnoxious) … use and discard philosophy. If they can’t play, cut them. If they can’t run, chop them up into horse meat – just joking, ok, put the horse out to pastor.
2b: 5,000 NBA playeres all time / 1 million high school players every year, approximately 300,000 college players, … approx. a 1,000 professional basketball players, worldwide.
25,000 born Thorough Bred horses per year. Only 10-20% ever run a race. many less run more than a few races.
RARE men, rare horses.
3. Short careers
… on average a thorough breed horse’s career is 3-4 years long. Average NBA career 4.5 years, …
4. Short life. Both have a short life expectancy.
5. Injuries. Yes, injuries are constant in both race horses and basketball players. Lots of career ending injuries. Both perform with injuries.
6. Trainers / Coaches …. They are both the same thing, a horse trainer does the same thing to his race horses as a basketball coach does to his players.
7. A Horse Race versus A Basketball Game. ……
… … , how often, how many times … only a few compared to how many times they practice. Lots a practice for the ‘big’ game day or horse race.
8. Most ALL are never undefeated!
9. It’s ALL a big gamble.
more … … …
SAME ATHLETIC MOVES:
… … listen to Jockey Mike Smith say, “she (Zenyatta) split horses ” … … basketball term … split defenders …this is the exact same principal and athletic move: ‘SPLIT THE DEFENSE’. He sounds like a basketball coach talking about his star player.
Coaching and THE MATH … … degree of victory, speed, many aspects are shared by both basketball players and horses. Shot clocks at 23 seconds … courts are 94 feet, running it to and fro …
Below is the math and time LESSON of running the track distance:
… … horses run 220 yards in 11-12 seconds
8 furloung = one mile
1 furlong = 1/8 of a mile, or 220 yards …
2 furlongs = 1/4 of a mile …
horses run 1/4 mile in approximately 23.5 to 24, (25 is very slow), anything in the 22.9 area or below is very fast . its a matter of a tenth of a second between good and bad …,
basketball players miss shots at the basket by less than an inch,
1/2 mile in around 45-46 seconds …
A mile in 93-98 seconds, (1:33 to 1:38)
The time in the last quart of a mile determines a horse win and lose record.
A race horse tires in the last 1/4 of a mile … just as an athlete tires at the end of in the last 1/4 of a game …
Winning and losing is a small difference in unit degree of speed, precision, …
What’s the difference between a great winning horse and a losing horse? Often a nose, less than a second, …
What is the difference in shooting 60% in Field goals and 50%, one shot out of ten,
… … in basketball a 60% made field goal rate is a winner, 56% may not be a winner, … … that is a 4 shot difference in one hundred shots. The slimmest of margins can determine victory.
Win or loose is the same with race horses and basketball players.
It’s what separates the best from the rest, a few feet, an inch … … …The math is applicable to the degree by which you must know it in order to be successful.
… inches … in a missed rim shot, or a good play, a bad pass intercepted, – a hose beat by a nose, runs second by 1/2 of a second, race horse or a professional basketball player – it is the same degree.
The 2026 Belmont Stakes Horse race will be run on Saturday, June 6 / 17:00 EST
PART II: THE BELMONT STAKES:
In 2026 it is held at Saratoga Race Course …. in Saratoga Springs, New York, … this year as Belmont Park undergoes ongoing renovations.
2026 Kentucky Derby Winner ‘Golden Tempo’, trained by (female trainer) Cherie DeVaux and ridden by José Ortiz, is scheduled to run in the Belmont Stakes Saturday. the third leg of the triple crown title.
However, the big beautiful brown colt, “Golden Tempo”, did not participate in the second leg race of the triple crown, the Preakness. So, there will not be a Triple Crown winner in 2026.
Nevertheless, considering how Golden Tempo came from the back of the pack to win by a nose over Renegade in the Derby, it should be an exciting race.
The Belmont Stakes is the longest most difficult and grueling race in the Triple Crown series and most likely the longest distance these horses will ever run. The 10 fulong, (1 mile 1/4 ) distance is a challenge to the best of all great race horses.
view video :
The big golden brown colt, “Golden Tempo”, won the 2026 Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds.
Finish: Golden Tempo Prevailed by a neck over Renegade
Time: 2:02.27 for the $5 million race
That’s a 5 million dollar neck!
THE MATH
horses run 220 yards in 11-12 seconds
8 furloung = one mile
1 furlong = 1/8 of a mile, or 220 yards …
2 furlongs = 1/4 of a mile …b.in approximately 23.5 to 24, anything in the 22.9 area or below is very fast . its a matter of seconds,
1/2 mile in around 45-46 seconds …
A mile in 93-98 seconds, (1:33 to 1:38)
The time in the last quart of a mile determines a horse win and lose record.
A race horse tires in the last 1/4 of a mile … just as an athlete tires at the end of in the last 1/4 of a game …
Winning and losing is a small difference in unit degree of speed, precision, …
What’s the difference between a great winning horse and a losing horse? Often a nose, less than a second, …
What is the difference in shooting 60% in Field goals and 50%, one shot out of ten,
a 60% made field goal rate is a winner, 50% may not a winner …. same with race horses
It’s what separates the best from the rest, a few feet, a yard …The math is applicable to the degree you have in a missed rim shot, or a good play, pass, or …. in a professional basketball player.
The Zenyatta to NBA Basketball Players
BASKETBALL DEEP ANALOGY
NBA PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ARE THOROUGH BRED RACE HORSES
Zenyatta
Presentation Source Material
Date: June 18, 2026 Time: 09:22 (EST)
Author: Doctor Cricket Dunkenstein
Presentation Title: ‘Zenyatta’
Presentation Source Material List:
Videos:
(1) Video: ‘Zenyatta’ at the Lady Secret Breeders Cup 5 million dollar Classic.
(2) Video: The Beautiful Undefeated Champion Pre race ritual
(3) Video: 60 minutes story on Zenyatta
(4) Music video: The Police, Album Zenyatta, song: Don’t stand So Close To Me’ …
(5) Video: ‘Golden Tempo’ 2026 Kentucky Derby
(6) Video: ‘Golden Tempo’ 2026 Belmont Stakes
(7) Video: ‘Golden Tempo’s (female trainer)
(8) Video: The Dancing Show – Off
(8) Carter Bryant 2026 NBA Wester Conference Finals
Connected Article: ‘Bobby The Butt Slapper’
The Dancing Show – Off
More TBD
Zenyatta The Best Ever
By: Doctor Dunkenstein.
‘Zenyatta’ was the most beautiful, most successful, most charismatic, winning thorough bred filly (young female) horse to EVER run the race tracks.
Foaled (born) on April Fools Day, the 1st of April, 2004, she fooled many as a late-developing champion and winning her maiden (first win) as a four year old.
In her early years she was held back in class, but later showed her real talent in her later racing career, as a
Zenyatta was purchased for a meager – as per thorough bred horse prices go – $60,000 as a yearling by record producer Jerry Moss and his wife Ann, who named her after the album Zenyatta Mondatta, by the Police, who were signed to A&M Records by Moss. She went into training with John Shirreffs.
She grew into a stunning dark black filly and ran an unheard of undefeated career. She spent her breeding years in the blue grass fields of Kentucky, producing foals.
She achieved an incredible 19-consecutive-race winning streak. Known for her iconic late-charging style and calm demeanor, she is the only mare (female horse) to ever win the prestigious Breeders’ Cup Classic, normally won by male horses.
She won over 7 million dollars in high stakes horse races. Her foals made even more money during her breeding years.
She was a late comer, in every manner of horse racing. She did not race as a three year old, as it was determined she wasn’t quite ready to run. When she did hit the track, she always broke slowly out of the gate, and ran in the back of the pack, then in the last furlong, (1/8th of a mile), stretch for the wire, she always burst with incredible late speed, dramatically going from last to first. This was her apparatus motae.
THE GREATEST FILLY EVER!
(Watch above )
Zenyatta named after the music album by the group Police: ‘Zenyatta”
She beat the BOYS!
[ A female thoroughbred is called mare if she is 4 years or older, or a filly if she is under 4 ]
Few filly thorough bred horses can beat male thorough breds, only great fillies run with the boys. There have been a few … ..
Zenyatta’s Jockey, Mike Smith said : ” She is ‘Horse of The Decade’, …. the best ever …”
She danced and pranced in the paddock before every race. Zenyatta had personality and race time awareness. The larger the crowd, the more dance moves she tossed out for her fans.
… watch .the videos presented below … she knew who she was, and what she was about to do before every race, it was obvious to all who watched her go ‘rider up’ in the paddock, she loved running horse races … …
Evidence that horses are like NBA Superstar – and other sports super star – athletes. She was … …
Zenyatta’s Story
View Videos
GOLDEN TEMPO
GOLDEN TEMPO WINS 2026 BELMONT STAKES!
The 2026 Belmont Stakes Saturday, June 6 / 17:00 EST
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
Golden Tempo Wins the 2026 Belmont Stakes
on the same weekend that the San Antonio Spurs basketball team visited New York City to take on the New York Knicks, in game 3 and 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Can the Spurs behind two games in the best of seven series go from last to first , just as Golden Tempo ran his historic race.
Golden tempo won the 2026 Kentucky Derby Winner in the same style he ran in the Belmont Stakes.
Cherie DeVaux female trainer first ….
Normally held in NYC , this year ……. ..at Saratoga Race Course …. in Saratoga Springs, New York, this year as Belmont Park undergoes ongoing renovations.
2026 Kentucky Derby Winner “Golden Tempo”, trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by José Ortiz, is scheduled to run in the Belmont Stakes Saturday.
The big golden brown colt, “Golden Tempo”, won the 2026 Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds.
Finish: Golden Tempo Prevailed by a neck over Renegade
Time: 2:02.27 for the $5 million race
That’s a 5 million dollar neck!
GOLDEN Tempo Wins the 2026 Belmont Stakes Horse race on Saturday, June 6 / 17:00 EST
at Saratoga Race Course …. in Saratoga Springs, New York, this year as Belmont Park undergoes ongoing renovations.
2026 Kentucky Derby Winner “Golden Tempo”, trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by José Ortiz, run in the Belmont Stakes Saturday. in spectaclular style. Once again, Golden Tempo went from LAST to FIRST!
Un- bel -iev -able, was the the tape call, as the big brownie aColt crossed the wire in first at the Belmont. Is he the Triple Crown-er that never was, … as Golden Tempo’s trainer
=============
providing rest time for Golden Tempo … …
The big golden brown colt, “Golden Tempo”, won the 2026 Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds.
Finish: Golden Tempo Prevailed by a neck over Renegade
Time: 2:02.27 for the $5 million race
That’s a 5 million dollar neck!
Golden Tempo Wins then 2026 Kentucky Derby
Golden Tempo claimed the Garland of Roses at the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve under partly sunny skies and the cheers of over 150,000 exuberant fans.
Golden Tempo, owned and bred by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, trained by Cherie DeVaux, and ridden by Jose Ortiz, raced to the finish to win by a neck at 23-1 odds. Golden Tempo covered the mile and a quarter in 2:02.27 over a fast track. Sired by Curlin, Golden Tempo now has lifetime earnings of over $3.4 million. Cherie DeVaux made history as the first woman ever to train a Kentucky Derby winner. Jose Ortiz rode to victory in both the 152nd Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.
All-sources handle for Derby Week rose to a new record of $487 million
Carter Byant
Photo Below:
Coach Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs trying to restrain his ‘frustration’, lips red, intense facial expression, lecturing Carter Bryant on the sidelines during the game 1 in of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs against Oklahoma City. May 2026
‘Trainer Coach Mitch trying to get his top rookie horse, Carter Bryant, not to lead out of the gate, ” On The Wrong Foot”, like Zenyatta did in the Breeder Cup Classic. Once Carter gets his feet correct, watch out, he will run, and run. dunk and dunk, play defense and man you up.
Carter Bryant showed signes of ability during the 2026 NBA finals against a strong and talented NY Knicks team.
It will take time but Coach Mitch will get this ‘NBA Thorough Bred Player’ on the right track.
Carter Bryant is a 20 year old athlete with muscles like a 2 year old thorough bred race horse …
Carter Byant Videos
June 4, 2026
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
In recent weeks, when I watch Carter Byant play basketball for the San Antonio Spurs during the 2026 NBA playoffs, I think of Zenyatta, the great thorough bred race horse presented in this section. Now, on June 6, 2026, as Carter Bryant prepared to play in a crazy fan filled Madison square garden arena, in the NBA Finals. We have found a more suitable thorough bred horse comparison to Carter, in ‘Golden Tempo’!
The (baby) three year old colt, ‘Golden Tempo’ has won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Running in dramatic fashion, from last to first. The beautiful history making colt even has a personality much like young Carter Bryant … pleasant and unassuming.
Both are phenom career barrier breakers, Golden Tempo is a very late maturing thre year old colt, and Bryant is but 20 years of age.
I have been watching Carter play since October 2025, I have some idea of how good he is at playing basketball. But now, he is struggling recently in the NBA playoffs. The story of Zenyatta’s career may indeed explain his predicament. Now the 2026 story of ‘Golden Temp’ is more appropriate to Carter Bryant.
Carter is a very talented, physically blessed and an exceptionally skilled basketball player with unlimited potential.
But just like Zenyatta – she was not a horse that could conquer the best thorough bred horses until she was beyond the normal 3 year old blooming stage of race horses – Carter is struggling, at his very young and inexperienced age. He is 20 years old. This is a baby in terms of a professional NBA basketball player’s careers. They do not get younger than Carter Bryant. Cooper Flagg was the youngest NBA basketball player at the age of 19 in the 2025-26 season.
Basketball careers can take many unforeseen paths – you are never certain of the outcome – and just like a late blooming thorough bred horses, a good trainer is required. They must be coached and trained in the best possible manner. There is no standard training or coaching book applicable to all young players with Carter’s type of talent. They don’t respond in the same way.
Coaches such as Mitchell Johnson are specialist at dealing with young ‘under aged’ professional basketball players, Coach Mitch spent many years in the ‘G League’ developing young men. He knows lots of young horses that later ran for a glorious track victory.
I could be wrong, but something tells me Mitch is going to get this young thorough bred NBA 20 year old basketball player to run in the breeders cup, someday.
It takes time and patients to reach that feat. It doesn’t come quickly, not in a month. Unfortunately the NBA playoffs limit time and patience. It is not always an affordable practice during so many high competitive games.
Nevertheless, “I see how Coach Mitch is breaking those ponies”, to steal a line from the film character, Shooter as he talks to Coach Dale about the basketball team in the movie Hoosiers.
Bet on Carter Bryant to be a key horse in your trifecta bets not near off in the future. I don’t gamble, on any sports, but you should follow my advice, I know race horses. I think in regards to basketball, I may also know Carter Bryant.
Time will tell
Carter Bryant was inserted into game 1 of the NBA finals last night for limited minutes. He had the enivitable duty of guarding and playing defense against probably the best one-on-one offensive players in the NBA, Jalen Brunson. Jalen sensed blood in the watered and attacked Bryant on three consecutive offensive possessions. Jalen scored two out of the three. Despite that outcome, I saw potential in Bryant’s performance.
c
Carter Dayne Bryant (born November 26, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats and was selected by the Spurs 14th overall in the 2025 NBA draft.
Early life and high school career
Bryant grew up in Riverside, California and initially attended Fountain Valley High School, where he was coached by his father D’Cean.
He transferred to the Sage Hill School in Newport Beach, California after his father was hired to coach at the school.
Bryant was named the Pacific Coast Conference MVP after averaging 22.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, four assists, 2.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game as a junior.
He transferred a second time to Centennial High School in Corona, California before the start of his senior year.
Bryant was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game during his senior year.
Recruiting
Bryant was a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services.[
On April 26, 2023, he committed to playing college basketball for Arizona after considering an offer from Louisville.
Tha deep analogy comparing professional basketball players to thoroughbred racehorses, specifically highlighting the legendary mare Zenyatta
Music Video: Group: ‘The Police’
Album: Zenyatta
Zenyatta the Race Horse was owned by Jerry Moss
The album Zenyatta Mondatta
by The Police was released on>October 3, 1980
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss,
