Preston Madden Dies at 85

Breeder and philanthropist Preston Madden died at his home Tuesday in Lexington, Kentucky, after a brief illness that was not COVID-19 related, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. He was 85.

Madden was predeceased by his wife Anita, who passed away in 2018. The pair were known for their lavish pre-Derby parties, which raised millions of dollars for charity and drew as many as 5,000 people, who stayed until the following morning.

Madden operated Hamburg Place, an almost 2000-acre farm originally purchased by his grandfather John E. Madden in 1898. The farm produced five Kentucky Derby winners and five Belmont Stakes winners, including Triple Crown winner Sir Barton. The last of the group was Alysheba, the 1987 GI Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.

In 1986, Madden began to subdivide the farm into residential and commercial areas.

“He was a very good friend. It is a sad time,” said Stone Farm's Arthur Hancock III. “The good thing is he lived to be 85 and he lived it all. Preston was a very courageous guy. He would dive off high cliffs and things like that. One time, he and some people were going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He called me and asked if I would like to go. I said, 'No, it's too much for me, Preston. I am not that adventurous.” He said, 'Oh hell, come on!” I said, 'No, I am going to stay right here on the farm.” A couple of years later, he said he and Arnold Kirkpatrick were going to go dive amongst some sharks in Florida and asked if I would like to go. I said, 'Preston, I don't want to be around a bunch of damn sharks.' He said, 'Arthur, do you know what Mussolini said?' I said, 'No, I have no idea.' He said, 'I would rather live one day like a lion than 1,000 days like a sheep.' I said, 'Preston, I prefer the 1,000 days.' We had a good laugh. I saw him a lot over the years and we had a good time. I am sad he is gone, but 85 years is a lot of good years. He was a great horseman and a great friend.”

Madden is survived by his son, Patrick, and two grandchildren.

A Statement from Breeders' Cup read, “We were all saddened to learn of the recent passing of Preston Madden, whose family has been long synonymous with greatness in American Thoroughbred breeding and racing at Hamburg Place. Preston was an important supporter of the Breeders' Cup in our early days, and was a consistent and loyal nominator of his stallions and foals to the Breeders' Cup program. Along with his late wife, Anita, the Maddens bred Alysheba, who became one of the top racehorses of the 1980s, winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and closing out his career at age 4 with a flourish, winning the Breeders' Cup Classic and being crowned the 1988 Horse of the Year. Just as significant, both Preston and Anita bestowed kindness and generosity with their contributions to charitable causes throughout the Lexington community over many years. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Preston's son, Patrick, and to the entire Madden family.”