Speed Is of Essence in ‘T-Time’ Preakness : Horse racing: Lukas preaches just that for his horses, Derby winner Thunder Gulch and Timber Country, in today’s race, which hasn’t been won by a non-Derby entrant in 12 years.

Chick Lang, former jockey agent for Bill Hartack and ex-general manager of Pimlico, calls this “the T-time Preakness.” And well it might be, if for no better reason than it was a T-time Kentucky Derby, and for the last 11 years, the Preakness winner has been a horse that ran in the Derby.

The first three Derby finishers--Thunder Gulch, Tejano Run and Timber Country--all have names that start with the letter T, and if they don’t win today, there’s always Talkin Man, who was the biggest disappointment at Churchill Downs, running 12th as the second betting choice.

Talkin Man could be a sequel to Snow Chief, who was favored in the Derby but ran 11th and then won the Preakness. The last non-Derby starter to win the Preakness was Deputed Testamony, in 1983, and his trainer, Billy Boniface, will be trying to duplicate that pattern when he saddles Oliver’s Twist in the 120th Preakness.

Oliver’s Twist belongs to the substantial group of horses given little chance today. “You can make a case for a few horses in this race,” trainer Wayne Lukas said, “and the rest are out of fairy tales. The fairy-tale people know who they are; I’m not breaking any news here.”

Lukas, who has won the Preakness three times, including last year with Tabasco Cat, will saddle Derby winner Thunder Gulch and Timber Country. He will meet this morning with Timber Country’s jockey, Pat Day, ostensibly to discuss new tactics for the colt who has run well four times but is winless since his victory in November in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which clinched the division title.

Day rode Tabasco Cat last year at Pimlico and he also was aboard the Lukas trainee Tank’s Prospect for a Preakness victory in 1985.

Day, who won another Preakness with Summer Squall in 1990, is the paragon of patience on a horse, a jockey who doesn’t move with a mount until he absolutely has to, and he would appear to be a perfect fit for Timber Country, a colt who’s usually in no hurry either.

But for the Preakness, there’s more of a premium on speed and turn of foot than there is in the Kentucky Derby. Today’s 1 3/16-mile race is one-sixteenth of a mile shorter, for example.

“It’s not a question of Timber Country having any zip, I think I’m going to have to put some zip into Pat,” Lukas said. “He may get my best Rocky speech, my best Vince Lombardi imitation, before this one.”

Day has ridden Timber Country in his last six starts. After winning in the Breeders’ Cup, Timber Country began his 3-year-old year in California, running third and second in a couple of preps for the Santa Anita Derby.

Lukas repeated himself after the second loss, saying that added distance would get the colt back into the winner’s circle. What followed was a fourth-place finish in the longer Santa Anita Derby and a third in the still-longer Kentucky Derby.

Leaving California, Lukas said that it was the track surface, more than anything, that troubled Timber Country, and Day talked about not being able to blast through a tight hole at Churchill Downs, so their pre-Preakness excuses have about run the gamut.

Lukas knows this too. “The hell with that long run from the three-eighths pole to the wire,” he said this week. Then he clapped his hands quickly three times and said: “We’ve got to start moving right now to win this race.”

There is enough speed in the 120th Preakness to give closers a decent chance, if they are in touch with the leaders at the quarter pole.

Nick Zito, who trains Star Standard, the winner of the Lexington Stakes, will ask jockey Chris McCarron to send his colt, no matter what. “I don’t care how fast they’re running early,” Zito said. “Even if it’s 21 [seconds for the first quarter-mile]. This is the way this horse likes to run, and I’m not going to change anything.”

Thunder Gulch and Talkin Man, who don’t come from as far back as Timber Country and Tejano Run, have the desired speed for the Preakness. Tejano Run, who finished 2 1/4 lengths back in the Derby, has a losing streak longer than Timber Country’s--five, going back to October--and will run with lower rear leg patches today after cutting himself in his last two starts.

Tejano Run’s trainer, Ken McPeek, would also put a T-time label on this Preakness. “The 1-2-3 horses in the Derby are the ones that figure here,” he said. “The only other horse I can throw in there is Mecke. He might be a sleeper.”

Mecke is on a seven-race losing streak and ran fifth, beaten by only 3 1/4 lengths, in the Derby.

From Jerry Bailey, Tejano Run got the all-out ride in the Derby that Lukas seems to be seeking from Pat Day on Timber Country today.

“Jerry did an awesome job,” McPeek said. “He was riding my horse so hard at the eighth pole that he was whipping that other horse [Jumron] at the same time.”

The early Preakness betting at Pimlico belies the morning line, which listed Thunder Gulch as the 2-1 favorite in the 11-horse field.

Based on less than $50,000 of betting here Friday, Timber Country, third choice on the morning line, has become the favorite at 2-1. Talkin Man is next at 5-2, and Thunder Gulch and Tejano Run are both 6-1. Falling in behind them are Oliver’s Twist, 8-1; Our Gatsby, 13-1; Star Standard and Mecke, both 20-1; Mystery Storm, 25-1; Itron, 40-1; and Pana Brass, 60-1.

Itron and Pana Brass are the most curious of the Preakness starters. Itron is an obscure Texas-bred, although his granddam, Ole Bob Bowers, sired two-time horse of the year John Henry. Pana Brass is a Kentucky-bred who has raced only in Panama, winning three of five starts.

At Friday’s Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico, a sort of pre-Preakness roast, Pana Brass’ owner and trainer didn’t show up to defend themselves. “This horse’s name ought to be Panama Last,” Lukas joked. “We’ve got a last-place pool around the barn, and everybody wants to get him.”

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Horse Racing Notes

The forecast for today is no rain, sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s. . . . A crowd of about 90,000 is expected. . . . The Preakness purse is $687,400, with $446,810 going to the winner. . . . Another race on the Preakness card is the $200,000 Early Times Dixie at 1 1/8 miles on grass. Romarin, winner of the Early Times Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, has been coughing since then and won’t run. Blues Traveller, second at Churchill, beaten by 1 1/4 lengths, is the 3-1 favorite in an eight-horse field today. . . . It’s Personal, ridden by Julie Krone, won Friday’s $100,000 Gallorette Handicap, beating Churchill Chimes by four lengths and paying $12.20 for $2.

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Preakness Stakes

A look at the field for today’s race in order of post position:

PP, Horse Jockey Odds 1. Itron Frazier 20 2. Our Gatsby Desormeaux 10 3. Mystery Storm Perret 20 4. Talkin Man Smith 4 5. Tejano Run Bailey 6 6. Pana Brass Maple 30 7. Timber Country Day 9-2 8. Star Standard McCarron 12 9. Mecke Davis 15 10. Oliver’s Twist Delgado 12 11. Thunder Gulch Stevens 2

* Post time: 2:31 PDT

* TV: Channel 7, 1:30 p.m.

* Distance: 1 3/16 miles

* Weights: 126 pounds

* Purse: $687,400 if 11 start.

* First place: $446,810.