Trainer Bob Baffert threw a curveball at the Preakness yesterday when he announced that Prime Timber was out but Excellent Meeting was suddenly in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

”As long as they’re working well, we’ll run the two fillies (Excellent Meeting and Silverbulletday),” he said. ”Prime Timber will go in the Sir Barton (on the Preakness undercard) to set him up for the Belmont.”

Prime Timber ran fourth in the Derby but lost some weight after the effort. Excellent Meeting ran a dynamite race to be fifth, beaten 21/4 lengths, and was finishing fastest of them all down the stretch.

The Preakness lost a starter when trainer Akiko Gothard said K One King won’t go after all. The colt came out of his eighth-place effort in the Derby with a bone chip in his ankle and was favoring the leg when he galloped yesterday morning.

Silverbulletday, who won the Kentucky Oaks in her last start, and Derby runner-up Menifee are scheduled to work tomorrow at Churchill Downs. Derby winner Charismatic, third-place finisher Cat Thief and Vicar, who ran a puzzling 18th in the Derby, will work Tuesday.