With less than four weeks left until Derby day, and only a couple of important preps remaining, things are finally beginning to take shape.

What did we learn last weekend? Well, for one, Colonel John is legit. The son of Tiznow quieted all those who claimed El Gato Malo would have won the Sham had it not been for a poor trip. Fact is, Colonel John is just a better horse right now and is the undeniable best of the West. Only one question remains: How will he like the Churchill dirt?

The disappointing part of the Santa Anita was that Yankee Bravo, thanks to Bob Black Jacks drifting in at the top of the lane and cutting him off, is probably not going to make the first weekend in May. It's a shame, because I think this horse has a lot of talent and would have liked the 1 ¼ miles. He certainly was unlucky last weekend, but as we all know, luck is part of the game.

On the East Coast, we learned that War Pass' Tampa Bay Derby was in fact a throw out. The 2-year-old champion came back in the Wood and ran a big race. Had it not been for a rabbit pressing the pace in the early going, War Pass probably would have had enough left to hold of Tale of Ekati.

For me, having War Pass as at least a player in the Derby will make things a lot more interesting, so I'm glad. That being said, I still don't think he gets the 1 ¼ miles.

Take nothing away from Tale of Ekati, he ran a professional race and showed a lot of heart along the rail to get up and win. I just thought he had the perfect stalking trip behind a very quick pace, and things will not set up that well for him in the Derby.

As you know from my past blogs, I am a big Court Vision fan. And for the second straight time, I came away from his third-place finish very impressed. It was obvious from his poor start and from what Garrett Gomez said afterwards, that Court Vision did not take to the track. He was spinning his wheels the whole time. Most horses would quit under those circumstances, but he did not. In fact, if there was another sixteenth of a mile, Court Vision wins easily. I still say he will be a major player on Derby day.

The Illinois Derby told me nothing, other than confirming the fact that Denis of Cork is a toss out come next month. Recapturetheglory, while a nice story, will be nothing more than a pacesetter in the Derby.

Speaking of pacesetters, it seems that the Derby will now be loaded with early speed. Between War Pass, Bob Black Jack, Recapturetheglory, and possibly Big Brown, there will be some mean opening fractions. I say the race is shaping up for a big-time closer, ie. Pyro, Court Vision, Colonel John, Visionaire, Smooth Air, and maybe even Tomcito.

That being said, here is my top 7 with a month to go.

1. Pyro: Slow times, low Beyers, can't beat War Pass, blah, blah, blah. Right now, for me, he has been the most impressive 3-year-old. I can only go by what I saw, and other than Colonel John, is the only one that has proven his worth two races in a row. Blue Grass will be very interesting, but unless he doesn't show up, Pyro is still the one to beat in the Derby as far as I'm concerned.

2. Colonel John: Hey, I'm a believer. I love his heart, he has one of the most underrated trainers in the world, and he has answered every question. Like I said, his workouts on the Churchill surface will be the key.

3. Court Vision: I know, I know, I'm an idiot for having this high on my list, right? Wrong. Again he showed a powerful closing kick despite spotting the field 10-15 lengths. He is all heart. With the Derby setting up for a closer, he will be a major player. I still want to see him closer to the pace, but Mott will get him there.

4. Big Brown: No denying, he looks to have the most talent of this class. But, again, three races coming into the Derby probably isn't enough. I can't argue that he'll be a factor, but he wouldn't be the first horse coming off a big prep win to flounder. I'm still not completely sold.

5. War Pass: Look, he's a champion and he has tremendous speed. Do I think he can go wire-to-wire in the Derby? Not really. But you never know, he may have some other speed ahead of him and the race could set up perfect. For now, he deserves a spot on this list. He has earned it.

6. Visionaire: Looking forward to the Blue Grass. He still has a lot to prove, but I like his pedigree, trainer and closing ability.

7. Eight Belles: Don't be surprised if Larry Jones shocks everyone and enters her in the Derby. She is incredibly talented and is on quite a roll. The Fantasy win was very impressive considering her poor start. I would love to see her in the mix.

1: Pyro is a monster. He confirmed what a lot of people thought after watching the Risen Star, and this time, the skeptics (admittedly, I was one of them) have no excuses. His style, pedigree and eye-popping late kick make him perfectly suited for the Kentucky Derby. He and War Pass are so far ahead of their rivals right now that it is scary. And if War Pass should falter in the Tampa Bay Derby this weekend, Pyro will undoubtedly jump to the top of most everyone's list. Pyro made a believer out of me. Am I ready to put him ahead of War Pass right now? Not so fast. Let's see what happens this weekend.

Personally, it will be hard for me to root for Pyro knowing that he will most likely be retired after the Breeders' Cup. Best case scenario, he has six more races until going to stud. Enjoy him while he lasts.

2: You can't enter a tough prep race after a significant layoff and expect to win. Tale of Ekati and Majestic Warrior both proved that. All week we heard how great both were training, but when push came to shove, neither were ready. We should have known something was up when Barclay Tagg said Tale of Ekati "wasn't where he wanted him to be" in January. And apparently the foot injury that Majestic Warrior suffered before the Breeders' Cup took more out of him than Bill Mott knew (or let on). Also, to think that J Be K was ready to tackle that competition after two sprint wins was absurd.

Will any or all of them improve for their final Derby prep? Probably. But they better make significant progress or kiss the Derby goodbye.

3: Blackberry Road lacks that little something extra. It's a shame because I really like this horse. But for the third time in a row he put himself in position to win and did not have that zip in the final furlong. And unlike the previous two, he had no excuse in the La. Derby. I'm not ready to give up on him yet, but like the others above, it's now or never time.

4: Visionaire was impressive. It's not so much that he won the Gotham (admittedly, the competition was much weaker than La. Derby), but how he did it. A few days before the race Michael Matz told me that he would likley scratch Visionaire if the track at Aqueduct was too sloppy, so I was a little surprised that he even decided to run him. It was a calculated gamble that paid off. Because of the fog on TV it was impossible to tell just how much ground he ate up in the stretch, but suffice it to say that his late move to catch Texas Wildcatter was impressive - especially for only his second try around two turns. Don't forget that he broke from post 10 as well, usually a death trap on the inner track.

5. There wasn't a lot of value in Pool 2 of Future Wager. I know a lot of you will disagree with this one, but I just didn't see anything that was worth the gamble. Maybe that's because War Pass and Pyro look to be in another class, however, even horses that I am still high on were not returning enough for my liking. Court Vision (16-1), Colonel John (17-1) and Visionaire (19-1) are perfect examples. At this rate, I can't see where their Derby Day odds will be significantly higher than that. Z Fortune at 33-1 may have been the best bet out there.