Inclusion Criteria:

          -  Patients with a diagnosis of AML, acute biphenotypic leukemia, or high risk MDS (>=
             10% blasts or International Prognostic Scoring System [IPSS] >= intermediate-2) will
             be eligible; patients with CML in myeloid blast phase are also eligible

          -  For frontline cohorts (1 or 4): no prior potentially curative therapy for leukemia;
             prior therapy with hydroxyurea, hematopoietic growth factors, azacytidine, decitabine,
             tretinoin (ATRA), or a total dose of cytarabine up to 2 g (for emergency use for
             stabilization) is allowed; patients deemed able to receive venetoclax (ie. insurance
             clearance) will be assigned to frontline cohort 4; patients with secondary AML who
             have been treated for their antecedent myeloid neoplasm will be enrolled into the
             separate secondary AML cohort

          -  For salvage cohort: patients with previously treated, relapsed or refractory AML,
             acute biphenotypic leukemia, or CML in myeloid blast phase are eligible

          -  Bilirubin =< 2 mg/dL

          -  Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =< 3 x upper
             limit of normal (ULN) or < 5 x ULN if related to leukemic involvement

          -  Creatinine =<1.5 x ULN

          -  Known cardiac ejection fraction of >= 45% within the past 6 months

          -  Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of =< 2

          -  A negative urine pregnancy test is required within 1 week for all women of
             childbearing potential prior to enrolling on this trial

          -  Patient must have the ability to understand the requirements of the study and signed
             informed consent a signed informed consent by the patient or his legally authorized
             representative is required prior to their enrollment on the protocol

        Exclusion Criteria:

          -  Pregnant women are excluded from this study; breastfeeding should also be avoided

          -  Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to active uncontrolled
             infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association [NYHA]
             class III or IV), unstable angina pectoris, clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia,
             or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study
             requirements

          -  Patient with documented hypersensitivity to any of the components of the chemotherapy
             program

          -  Men and women of childbearing potential who do not practice contraception; women of
             childbearing potential and men must agree to use contraception prior to study entry
             and for the duration of study participation