Hushion's thoughts on health, horses

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Coming off a terrific 2014 – which included 50 wins, 10 in stakes, and a personal record for purse money won – trainer Mike Hushion was very much looking forward to 2015.

Hushion had horses in his stable such as Grade 1 winner Artemis Agrotera, 2-year-old graded stakes winner Jacaranda, the stakes-winning New York-breds Princess Violet and Captain Serious, and a promising unraced 3-year-old colt named Japan.

“Never been so loaded,” said Hushion, who split his stable in the winter between New York and Florida. “The idea of going to Florida was to get them ready for the year here.”

In February, following a blood test taken by his New York doctor and confirmed by another test taken in Florida, Hushion was found to have acute promyelocytic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells.

“The good part is that it can be cured,” Hushion recalled the doctors telling him. “The bad part is it can be fatal early on.”

Hushion was hospitalized Feb. 19, two days before Jacaranda was to run in the Grade 2 Davona Dale and Japan was to make his career debut at Gulfstream Park.

Three months and stays at three hospitals after his initial diagnosis, Hushion was declared cancer free. He underwent 50 chemotherapy treatments, the last of which was completed July 17.

“The doctors have told me that I am cured, which is not a word that usually goes with cancer,” Hushion, 66, said recently while sitting in his office at Belmont Park.

Since May 23, Hushion has been back at the barn on a semiregular basis – just on the weekends at first, then on days when his treatments were scheduled for either late morning or in the afternoon. He has not attended the races.

“Some of the afternoons I could have come in,” said Hushion, whose assistant Lorina Andersen, oversaw things during his absence. “I don’t think the doctor was that crazy seeing me go back to work. I figured I’d take care of myself a little bit.”

Hushion has a follow-up visit with his New York doctor on July 30 to discuss future treatments, but Hushion said he was told they won’t be as intense as what he has endured.

“My energy level is very good,” Hushion said. “I’m sure it’ll even get better within the next couple of weeks.”

While he is getting his health back, Hushion now hopes to get his horses back. Hushion arrived at Saratoga on Tuesday with a stable of 20 horses, far fewer than he had at this time last year.

During his time away, some owners moved their horses to other trainers. Most notably, Barry Schwartz, a longtime friend and client of Hushion’s, dispersed most of the horses he had with Hushion to other trainers. Japan, who won the Easy Goer Stakes on Belmont Day, is now with Bill Mott and pointing to the Grade 2 Jim Dandy. Princess Violet won the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland three weeks after being transferred to Linda Rice, who also trains Captain Serious, currently sidelined by a foot issue. Iron Power, a turf allowance winner, was given to Christophe Clement.

Schwartz, who along with his wife, Sheryl, helped Hushion find the right cancer doctors, said he wants to see what lies ahead for Hushion before determining whether to return those horses to him. Barry Schwartz said he has given some 2-year-olds to Hushion as well as to other trainers.

“As soon as he’s totally squared away, we’ll figure out exactly what to do about moving horses around,” Schwartz said. “There are plenty of horses, and the other trainers have all been great. We picked a good group.”

Hushion, who will be staying with the Schwartzes during the summer, admits that “it’s hard” watching those horses run for other trainers, but he understands why they were moved.

Hushion’s top horses right now are Scarly Charly, who won a third-level allowance race at Belmont on July 16 and is a candidate for the Tale of the Cat Stakes on Aug. 23 or the Grade 1 Forego on Aug. 29, and Loki’s Vengeance, who won the Affirmed Success Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont on May 3. Loki’s Vengeance was pointing to the John Morrissey Stakes at Saratoga on July 30, but Hushion said the horse developed a temperature last week and won’t make the race.

Hushion has a couple of 2-year-olds for Chester and Mary Broman, including Wingman, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Divine Park by Haynesfield who cost $300,000 as a weanling, and Circus Life, a New York-bred daughter of More Than Ready. Both are expected to run in the first part of the Saratoga meet.

Last year, Hushion won the Grade 1 Ballerina for the Bromans with Artemis Agrotera. That filly recently had chips removed from both front ankles and could return in the fall for a race or two before being bred next February, Chester Broman said.

Hushion said he still has the desire to train horses and still wants “to win some big races.”

He will enjoy Saratoga as much as he can.

“I should be happy that I’m healthy,” Hushion said. “It’s a lot more important than winning a stakes at Saratoga.”