Derby Angles features DRF handicappers looking at individual handicapping factors and how they may play out in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

An immigrant from India to the U.S., Kaleem Shah embraced the opportunities in his new country, gave up his old citizenship to become a nationalized American, and – when he had the resources to operate a racing stable – chose red, white, and blue silks for his horses to carry. Now he has a chance to make his mark on one of the most distinctive American institutions. He could win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rosemary Homeister Jr. became part of Kentucky Derby lore 12 years ago when she became just the fifth woman to ride in the race, and now she’s poised to make more Churchill Downs history.

Homeister will ride Include Betty in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks on Friday and become just the third woman ever to ride in both the Derby and Oaks, following Julie Krone and Rosie Napravnik. Homeister has the call on Include Betty in the 141st Oaks at Churchill Downs for owners Brererton Jones and Tim Thornton and trainer Tom Proctor.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas has saddled 47 Kentucky Derby starters, winning four editions of the classic along the way. He has just one shot at his fifth Derby victory on Saturday, sending out longshot Mr. Z. However, don’t think the Lukas influence isn’t all over this Derby. Eight of the projected 20 starters are trained by Lukas or a former assistant.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – “Rules were made to be broken.”

“There’s an exception to every rule.”

In the cliché handbook, phrases about rules aim at a demonstration of their flimsiness.

But in the Kentucky Derby, one rule approaches the status of founding principle: To win, a horse must have started as a 2-year-old.

It has been 133 years since Apollo upset the 1882 Derby. He is the last unraced 2-year-old to wear roses. Since then, 58 such horses have run in the Derby: three finished second, four third.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Some have compared both of Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls, American Pharoah and Dortmund, to Seattle Slew, who won the Triple Crown in 1977, 38 years ago.

American Pharoah, some say, moves like Seattle Slew. Dortmund, like Seattle Slew, enters the Derby undefeated.

Jean Cruguet, the man who rode Seattle Slew, said he prefers American Pharoah to Dortmund.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The first sightings of the recently arrived California contingent – DORTMUND, FIRING LINE, and BOLO – were among the highlights of Monday’s Kentucky Derby-Oaks training session, which also featured a five-furlong work by BOLD CONQUEST, who still needs help to crack the Derby’s starting lineup.

As if Saturday’s championship fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao needs any more publicity, along comes the aptly named Itsaknockout, who’ll provide fans one last reminder of the bout four hours before the fight starts as one of the 20 starters in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Though his form suggests he will be overmatched in what looks to be one of the toughest fields in years, Keen Ice gives trainer Dale Romans a good feeling heading into Saturday’s 141st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

“He’s going to run the best race of his life,” Romans said Monday in his Churchill Downs barn office. “I’ve gotten more aggressive with him, and the mile and a quarter is going to be a huge difference.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The consensus is that the field for this Kentucky Derby, to be run Saturday at Churchill Downs, is shaping up as the strongest in years. The consensus is that American Pharoah is the horse to beat, with many other worthy contenders meriting strong looks. And yet that won’t stop a full field – likely an overflow field – from being entered Wednesday.

Such is the nature of the Kentucky Derby in recent years. It’s almost as though with a 20-horse limit, a number of owners and trainers are of a mind that if they can run, they should run, regardless of the opposition.