Bribon sold, turned over to Pletcher

MIAMI - Bribon, winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap earlier this year, has been purchased privately for an undisclosed sum by Derrick Smith from former owner Marc Keller and turned over to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Pletcher said Bribon's first major goal in 2010 will be the Barbados Gold Cup, a 1 1/8-mile turf race to be run on March 7 in Barbados.

"Mr. Smith spends considerable time in Barbados and wanted to purchase horses to compete in the race this winter," Pletcher said. "He also bought Bad Action from trainer Gary Contessa and he'll be pointed for the same race."

Bribon, a 6-year-old gelded son of Mark of Esteem, won 4 of 8 starts in 2009 for his former trainer, Robert Ribaudo. Along with his half-length victory over Smooth Air in the Met Mile, Bribon won the Grade 3 Westchester Handicap and finished second, less than a length behind Kodiak Kowboy, in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on Nov. 28.

"We picked up the horse on Thursday and want to try to get to know him a little bit better before making any firm plans," said Pletcher. "We'll likely run him once at Gulfstream as a prep for the Barbados Gold Cup. After that, if all goes well, he'll come back and be pointed for the Met Mile once again."

Pletcher said Bad Action, winner of the Grade 3 Pegasus Handicap at the Meadowlands during the fall, would use the Sunshine Millions Turf on Jan. 30 as his final prep for the Barbados Gold Cup.