LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Real Quiet provided a bunch of firsts with his first-place finish Saturday in the Kentucky Derby.

Owner Mike Pegram won his first Kentucky Derby with his first Kentucky Derby starter. And Little Hill Farm, the breeder, won its first Derby with its first effort.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux won his first Derby in seven tries.

And it was the first Derby winner for Quiet American, the sire of Real Quiet.

Trainer Bob Baffert was the exception. It was his second win in a row - he won last year with Silver Charm - emulating what D. Wayne Lukas did in 1995 and 1996 with Thunder Gulch and Grindstone.

LONG SHORT

That's not to say geldings have not had some success on the first Saturday in May. Cavonnier finished second in 1996, Prairie Bayou was the place horse in 1993 and Best Pal was second in 1991.

But if Hanuman Highway was facing a daunting task, Nationalore was trying to catch lightning in a bottle. And he missed.

In 16 lifetime starts, Nationalore has won exactly zero times - a maiden in racing terminology. The last time a maiden won the Derby was 1933, Brokers Tip. Nationalore finished ninth.

Only three maidens have won the Derby, including Buchanan and, the most successful rookie: Sir Barton, who also won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes - the Triple Crown. Donau, on the other hand, won 15 times as a 2-year-old in 41 races. It won another four times in 10 outings as a 3-year-old, including the 1910 Derby.

BIG BET

That changed this year with new computer capability at Churchill Downs. It allowed 14 betting entries. And with 15 horses, the mutuel field had only two horses - Basic Trainee and Robinwould.

Canonero II was the last horse entered in the mutuel field to win the Derby in 1971. The other five horses in the field that year finished in the last five places.

BIG BUCKS

But betting favorites don't have much of a history at the Derby. Remember Captain Bodgit, Holy Bull and Arazi? Favorites all, they finished back up the stretch. The last favorite to win was Spectacular Bid in 1979, who paid $3.20. This year's favorite? Indian Charlie was third, the 19th straight time the bettors bet wrong. Real Quiet went off 8-1 and paid $18.80.

Real Quiet has become a big bargain. Baffert paid $17,000 for the horse. Real Quiet won $738,800 with Saturday's victory.

COLOR ME A WINNER

Bay horses had won 57 of the previous 123 Kentucky Derbies. Real Quiet made it 58. Chestnut is the second leading color with 39 winners. Only one roan horse - the filly Winning Colors in 1988 - has won the roses. Only three fillies have won the Derby, and there were none entered Saturday.

DADDY KNOWS BEST

None of the entries in the 124th running had a Derby winner for a sire. Grindstone in 1996, whose sire was 1990 winner Unbridled, was the last horse to carry on the Derby winning tradition.