Experienced Crown the Kitten Eyes Dania Beach

While Crown the Kitten is scheduled to make his graded-stakes debut in the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT) Jan. 3 on the turf at Gulfstream Park, the well-traveled Kitten's Joy   gelding enters the 7 1/2-furlong turf race for newly turned 3-year-olds with a wealth of experience.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Crown the Kitten enters Saturday's race off a 5 3/4-length score in the listed El Joven Stakes Oct. 11 on the turf at Retama Park. That victory followed a maiden win on the European-style turf course at Kentucky Downs for the Wesley Ward trainee, who in 2014 also finished off the board in the Chesam Stakes at the Royal Ascot meet.

"He's doing really good. He's training well up at Palm Meadows," Ward said. "When you jump into these stakes races here at these big tracks, you can kind of see where you're at. He has earned a shot in here.

"This is one of the horses that Mr. Ramsey picked out to go to Royal Ascot. I felt good about sending him over there. He's a nice colt, and he vindicated that loss by coming back with two wins. We're hopeful."

Ward also will send out the Ramseys' Wayward Kitten for his fourth career start in the Dania Beach. Second in his July 26 debut at Arlington International Race Course, he graduated in his next start and then was beaten a neck in his first try against winners on Oct. 26, both at Churchill Downs.

Also part of Ward's string at Palm Meadows, Wayward Kitten will race as a gelding for the first time in the Dania Beach.

"He may be a little more talented," Ward said. "He's just recently gelded, so that should help him. Training both horses, I just think that Wayward Kitten may be a touch better. We took our time getting him ready. He wants to go further."

Crown the Kitten drew outside post 10 under Joel Rosario, while Rafael Hernandez will ride Wayward Kitten from post 5.

An impressive debut winner Dec. 6 at Gulfstream, Smokem Kitten is another Ramsey-owned son of Kitten's Joy taking aim at the Dania Beach. Despite breaking from post 14 going 1 1/16 miles, he rolled to a front-running 5 1/2-length victory in his unveiling.

"It was a little tough spot coming out of the 14-hole, but we knew he was a horse with some quality so it wasn't totally a surprise," trainer Mike Maker said. "He found himself on the lead, but I think it was more just how the race played out."

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado, who returned Dec. 31 from time off following a spill at Gulfstream, gets the return call.

Croninthebarbarian and Night Prowler, who ran second and third, respectively, in a blanket finish in the Pulpit Stakes Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park West, separated by a head, return in the Dania Beach.

Trained by Garry Simms, Croninthebarbarian captured the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sept. 6 and was sixth in the Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) four weeks later. Night Prowler, from the Chad Brown barn, made his first two starts at Belmont Park in the fall, capturing a seven-furlong maiden race Oct. 17 prior to the Pulpit.