>Is there a variable like _tally for the response time for a query. The status bar displays the results of sql queries(i.e 'Selected 42 records in .08 seconds.'), can I access this?

Run DISPLAY MEMORY to see all of Foxes internal variables.
To get the time of a query looks like you need to do it yourself.

t1= SECONDS()
select .....
t1= SECONDS() - m.t1

wait window ltrim(str(m.t1, 12, 4))