New Method for ‘Manor

Buckland Manor will have a different jockey and some new equipment when he tries to win for the first time in more than a year against eight other older horses in the $250,000 San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita. The Grade II at 1 1/8 miles is part of a pick six with a carry-over of $194,429 on a card with an early post time of 11 a.m.

Owned by breeders John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery and trained by Paco Gonzalez, Buckland Manor hasn’t won since a $65,000 allowance on the Santa Anita turf course on Jan. 21, 2005.

He has hit the board in four of five subsequent starts, including a nose loss to High Limit, who won the Strub on Saturday, in the San Pasqual Handicap on Jan. 7.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux that day, Buckland Manor, a 6-year-old son of Bien Bien, will have Victor Espinoza in the saddle today and will add blinkers.

His opponents in the final major prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 4 are With Distinction, who has never won around two turns, Spellbinder, Mambo Train, Stratostar, Wilko, who scratched from the Strub on Saturday, Bully Hayes, Turnbolt and Capitano.

Race of the day: Social Probation will make his first start for hot trainer Ian Wilkes in the $100,000 Deputy Minister Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Chris DeCarlo will ride Social Probation, a 4-year-old gray son of Jules, for owners Kirt Cahill and Paul Rothfuss in the Grade III at 6 1/2 furlongs. Wilkes won with six of his first 13 starters at the Gulfstream meet.

One for the road: It’s A Monster makes his first start of the year and can win now that he’s back in the care of trainer Ben Perkins Jr. in today’s sixth at Aqueduct.

Pablo Morales will ride the 7-year-old Meadow Monster gelding for New Farm in the $17,500 claimer at six furlongs. It’s A Monster has won eight of 15 lifetime and rattled off three consecutive wins for Perkins in 2003.

The race is part of a pick six carry-over of more than $148,000.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Four More Years in the first, Natural Phenomenon, Spectacular Bay, Emperoroftheraces and Jasjonjake in the second and Candy Jo, Silver Lilly and Havasu in the third.

Winners: (previous day/meet total): 4/86. Money: (previous day/meet total): $22.80/$548.20. Total money bet: $512.