Where does this come from, and can I check it?

It was named after the Earl of Derby at a dinner party coin toss. The figure is taken from The Jockey Club, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a sports fact?

Yes. It sits on the Sports shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780

It was named after the Earl of Derby at a dinner party coin toss The race was decided over a mile and was won by Diomed. It is now run over a mile, four furlongs and six yards at Epsom Downs in Surrey. The Derby is the middle leg of the English Triple Crown for three-year-old colts and fillies. It sits in Mondo's sports collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

The Jockey Club

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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History trivia

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Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont by 31 lengthsHe finished the mile and a half in 2 minutes 24 seconds, still the record Horse races are timed by a photo finish cameraOfficials read times to a hundredth of a second as the field crosses the line The Grand National was first run in 1839It has been staged over the big fences at Aintree ever since The Kentucky Derby dates from 1875It is run over a mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs in Louisville The Melbourne Cup is a 3,200-metre handicapIt is run on the first Tuesday of November and stops the state of Victoria An American football field is 100 yards longTwo 10-yard end zones sit beyond it, and the field is 53 and a third yards wide

Tags: horse-racing, epsom, 1780

The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: It was named after the Earl of Derby at a dinner party coin toss. The figure is taken from The Jockey Club, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a sports fact?: Yes. It sits on the Sports shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.