Mike Hushion Back Where He Belongs

In February of 2015, trainer Mike Hushion received an unimaginable medical diganosis that left him reeling, both physically and emotionally, and took him away from what he loves most about racing—his horses.

A year later Hushion is healthy and back where he belongs. On a recent snowy morning at Belmont Park, the 67-year-old reflected on his nightmarish journey; one which left him overwhelmed at times, but not necessarily always in a negative way.

Shortly after his yearly physical in January of 2015, Hushion, who believed he was in good health, learned he had acute promyelocytic leukemia. His doctor delivered a "good news, bad news" scenario. Unlike other leukemias, APL is curable, but in the 30 to 60 days following the initial diagnosis there is a 30 percent mortality rate.

Hushion, who is in his fifth decade as a trainer, was managing his South Florida division of horses when he learned the news. He spent several weeks at University of Miami Hospital, and later continued in-patient treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Through assistance from his long-time owners, Barry and Sheryl Schwartz, and their son-in-law, Michael Ferdman, and the Phipps family, Hushion's transfer to Sloan—usually a complicated process when coming from another hospital—was simplified.

The New York native prefers not to dwell on memories of the physical pain he endured during his several rounds of chemotherapy and the contraction of multiple infections, a by-product of his lengthy hospital stays. But he doesn't shy away from expressing immense gratitude to a multitude of people, including the tight-knit racing community, who reached out to him during his illness.

"Overwhelming," Hushion said with tears in his eyes. "When I came back to the track, a hotwalker ran out of a barn, giving me a hug and a kiss, telling me that she was praying for me. It was just unbelievable. I was really overwhelmed and I still am to this day.

"And my family... they were unbelievable," added Hushion of his children, daughter Casey, and sons, Quinn and Ryan. "I was never alone when I was in the hospital. I always had a family member there."

Hushion, who lost his wife Sharon to cancer several years ago, vividly remembers the first day since learning he had APL that he was able to return to his Belmont barn for a full morning of training last June.

"The day I was at the barn for the first time, I remember I never felt so good physically," he said with a smile that lit up his face. "It was great medicine."

In his absence, assistant Lorina Anderson capably managed operations at his Belmont barn. Some clients moved horses to other trainers, including Barry Schwartz, but Hushion said he understood why the owner, who he considers family, did so. Those Schwartz horses are now back in Hushion's care, including New York-bred Princess Violet, who will run in the Barbara Fritchie Handicap (gr. II) at Laurel Park Feb. 13. The 5-year-old grade I winner, who finished second in the 2015 Fritchie and will be retired to the breeding shed after this year's running, looks to build on Hushion's already impressive record in the sprint race—three wins since 2008.

When Hushion was asked to reflect on his career, which started in 1975 and has yielded him close to 1,400 winners—and was proceeded by working for the legendary Allen Jerkens—he gazed out of the window of the track kitchen and pointed to the nearest barn.

"Funny to think I was there with Allen for five years," Hushion said with a faraway look in his eyes. "I don't know what else I would do when I get up in the morning, if I didn't do this. I've always been drawn to this game because of the horses. Just being around the horses in the morning is what I'm all about.

"This game has been great to me. The people I've met; the fun I've had with my horses; the good times and the bad. I just couldn't be more thankful... especially after being sick. I don't know if being sick changed me, but it makes me realize how fortunate I was and am."