Professional Background: Murphy's father was a steel worker, so after graduating from high school he went to work with his dad. Later founded Dorel Steel Erection Corp. in Boston and has served as president ever since. The company puts up steel frames for high rises and also erects pre-cast concrete frames

Racing Background: He began going to the races and betting on the horses as a teen-ager. He first became involved in the sport about 20 years ago when he started racing claiming horses at Marshfield Fair in Massachusetts. He then went into a partnership with friends, but got out for a while when they were unable to make enough money to cover the training expenses. He re-entered the game with his friend Fran Greenwood and they raced lower-level claimers on the New England circuit

Breeding/Racing Operation: "I decided I wanted to get a little better horses, so I hooked up with Billy Perry," he said. At that time, Perry was renowned on the New England circuit and raced at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park. Murphy purchased Formal Gold for $75,000 at the 1995 Saratoga sale of select 2-year-olds in training. After finishing fifth in the 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic, Formal Gold won the Donn, Woodward and Brooklyn handicaps the following year. He went into the '97 Breeders' Cup Classic as the pre-race favorite before suffering a career-ending injury \ before the event.