Any rivalry needs something more than great competition to make it legendary. East vs. West. Rich vs. Poor. Big vs. Small. Sprinkle any of those ingredients into a battle between two great athletes and you have something memorable. In 1955, the Kentucky Derby brought together two disparate equine stars. From California came Swaps, the upstart with a modest pedigree who was a blue-collar hero. His rival was a colt from the east with classic bloodlines who hailed from one of the sport’s best-known stables and was trained by the sport’s living legend.
