B. Giles Brophy Dies at 68, Raced Strike the Gold

B. Giles Brophy, who raced 1991 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Strike the Gold in partnership, died April 9 following a lengthy battle with leukemia. He was 68.

He died in South Carolina, where he was checking up on his Thoroughbreds.

Strike the Gold won the Derby May 4, 1991 for Brophy, William Condren, and Joseph Cornacchia. The son of Alydar was trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito. A winner of more than $3.4 million, Strike the Gold won the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. II) prior to the Triple Crown races. He was unplaced in the Preakness (gr. I), but rebounded to run second, beaten a neck, by Hansel in the Belmont (gr. I). He also won the Pimlico Special (gr. I) and Nassau County Handicap (gr. II).

Brophy also raced grade I winner Thirty Six Red, Sports View, (homebred) Itaka, Yen for Gold, and many others.

"I always thanked Mr. Brophy for giving me a chance," Zito said. "I was fortunate he sent me some horses in the early '80s and we got to go to the sales. We picked out Thirty Six Red and that got us going. The next year, we had Strike the Gold with the partners. It was a good time and I thank him for that."

Thirty Six Red, who raced in Brophy's pink silks with a blue star, won the Gotham (gr. II) and Wood Memorial (gr. I) in 1990 and finished ninth in that year's Kentucky Derby. Thirty Six Red would later run second in the Belmont and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).

Brophy founded two government bond dealerships and four Wall Street companies. He was president of Giles Securities and lived in New York, and also had homes in West Hampton, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla.

Brophy is survived by his wife, Patricia; sons Andrew, Christopher, Stephen, Bernard, and Eric; and a daughter, Moria. His body was cremated. Plans for a memorial service in New York are pending.