Old, down-on-his-luck race-horse trainer Tim is thumbing his way from San Francisco to Los Angeles when he is given a ride by Eileen and Sue Buchanan, daughters of a wealthy Southen California race-horse breeder. Tim sees "Tanglefoot", a five-year-old he had trained, and learns that the horse is destined for the dog-meat packers. Eileen buys the horse with him. Tim is given the trainer job at Buchanan's, where he sells a third interest in the horse to Bill Manning, a neighboring stockman who is in love with Sue. Tim and Eileen buy "Dinner Ring" from Manning for $10,000 and enter him against Manning's horse in a futurity stake race and Dinner Ring wins. Now they prepare Tanglefoot to run in the big San Bruno race in which Manning is entering "Alcazar." During a trial run, Alcazar breaks a leg and must be killed. Eileen, who has always been in love with Manning, gives him a sympathetic kiss, and Manning realizes it is really Eileen he loves. Tanglefoot, because of extreme nervousness at the gate during training, worries Tim until Eileen appears in a red coat, and Tim realizes that the horse is frightened by that color. He bribes the San Bruno starter to flag the race from a position that will make it impossible for Tanglefoot to see the red flag. It would be great to report that a color-blind horse wins the race but, alas, that is not the case.