by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Columbus, OH — Maine trainer/driver Michael Cushing is recuperating from back surgery at Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center after being thrown from his sulky during a qualifying race at Bangor Raceway on Wednesday, June 18.

Scarborough Downs photo

Michael Cushing is recuperating from back surgery.

According to a story in the Bangor Daily News, the 39-year-old Cushing basically broke his back and had surgery on his spine and his tailbone as a result of the incident during the first qualifying race when he was driving the 3-year-old trotting gelding J D Willy, who went off stride at the start.

“They told me I was catapulted out forward about 12 feet in the air,” Cushing told the newspaper. “I broke the T-12 in my spinal column and my L5 on the higher end of the tailbone.”

Cushing said he should make a full recovery and be able to return to harness racing.

In his career, he has driven the winners of 1,216 races and his mounts have banked $2,124,000. His trainees have won 311 times and earned $625,157.