Churchill Downs restrooms ready for 'the most exciting 2 minutes of flushing in sports'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Scroll through social media on Kentucky Derby weekend, and get ready for the photo dump. Pictures are snapped under the Twin Spires, in the grandstands and on the backside.

But there's something here that no one posts about, even though they're probably more important to Churchill Downs on Derby weekend than anything else. They're located within the track's hallowed halls, where champs like "Big Brown" have been celebrated and have to be ready for anything and everything to go down.

We're talking about toilets.

"The toilets are in heavy use on Derby Day at Churchill Downs," said Darren Rogers with Churchill Downs.

To keep it G-rated, and avoid "potty humor," we'll use the names of Derby greats to bring some class back to this story.

"Foolish Pleasure" can lead to a "Lil E. Tee" or even a "Thunder Gulch."

"I'm flushed with toilet facts," said Rogers, who admitted he's never done an interview about Churchill's restrooms before.

Rogers said there are 120 restrooms, 1,800 actual toilets, and 200 Porta Pottys are trucked in.

"Take Oaks or Derby Day — just one of those two days — there is a about one flush in each of those 1,800 restrooms every two minutes," Rogers said.

That's about 1 million gallons of water.

"The most exciting 2 minutes of flushing in sports," Rogers said with a smile.

Six-hundred "bathroom experts" are on hand to address any issues that may arise, like a "Bubbling Over." The track also gets that no one likes to wait on pins and "Needles" in a slow line. That stinks!

"We've invested greatly in this facility over the years, and right at the top of that list is adding more restrooms," Rogers said.

One came long before the track looks the way it does today. It was the 100th Kentucky Derby. Royalty was on hand. Princess Margaret planned to watch the race from the pagoda, close to where the bugler plays the "Call to the Post."

"People from England that protect the royal family insisted that she have a loo near by," Rogers said. "So there is a toilet constructed on the second floor of the Kentucky Derby winner's stand that was constructed just for Princess Margaret. It is a royal throne."

You may not think much about what happens behind these doors, unless a "Clyde Van Dusen" or "Seattle Slew" comes calling. But now, you know people at the track do. It keeps everything running relatively smoothly at the Downs.