AFI|Catalog - American Film Institute

Sam Clayton leads two horses through the desert on his way to a 700-mile endurance horse race sponsored by the Western Press newspaper. When Sam comes upon a dying horse that has been abandoned, he takes its exhausted foal under his care. Elsewhere, a pretty woman named Miss Jones boards a train with other contestants, including Carbo, a young man who boasts that he will win the $2,000 prize, and gamblers who discuss the potential of rider Luke Matthews and his Arabian horse. Sam stops by a farm and gives the orphaned foal to a young boy, urging the child to treat the animal well. Later, a chaotic scene awaits contestants as they arrive at the starting point for the race. A Western Press reporter announces the rules: each horse must carry no less than 160 pounds, including the rider; and for every leg of the race, a compass and map with the safest route will be issued, although any route may be taken as long as the riders reach every checkpoint. With the race set to begin at six A.M. the next morning, contestants settle into a boarding house for the night. Outside, Carbo tries to prove himself by target shooting and punching a donkey to the ground. Witnessing the animal abuse, Sam attacks Carbo. Luke Matthews, Sam’s old friend, joins him in the brawl, and the men take turns knocking Carbo to the ground. Afterward, Jack Parker; the son of Sam’s employer, J. B. Parker; admonishes Sam for delivering J. B.’s horse to the race on foot, arguing that the animal should have traveled there by train like the others. When Jack fires Sam, Luke takes pity on him and offers him spending money so he can enjoy himself that night. At a saloon, Sam meets a Mexican rider who is suffering from a toothache and helps him procure heroin for the pain. Miss Jones speaks to her former boss, a madam named Rosie, who encourages the young woman to prostitute herself instead of participate in the grueling race. However, Miss Jones is determined to win the race to help her boyfriend, who is in prison for robbing banks. Enjoying baths side by side, Luke reveals to Sam that he must win the race because he bet $2,000 on himself. In the morning, riders mount their horses and the race begins. After a full day of riding, they spend the night at another boarding house. With no dentists in sight, the Mexican continues to suffer from his toothache. Miss Jones agrees to remove the tooth with a knife and replaces it with a bullet prepared by Sam. Although J. B. Parker asks Sam to come back to work, offering a bonus and a raise, Sam says he will finish the race before considering the offer. On the next day’s ride, Miss Jones is attacked by two bandits. Overhearing the commotion, Sam rushes to save her. He shoots one of the bandits from afar, allowing Miss Jones to steal a gun and shoot the other. As several contestants and their horses ride a barge across a river, Carbo gets mad at Miss Jones’s horse and calls Jones a whore. Coming to her defense, Sam strangles Carbo until Miss Jones orders Sam to stop. That night, Sam tends to another ailing rider, an old man he calls “Mister,” who is suffering from a heart attack. Mister confesses he has no family and only participated in the race because he is proud. When the man dies, Sam laments that he never learned the deceased's real name. The next day, the race enters barren desert territory, and the riders are warned that they must pass through a blazing hot expanse with only one watering station. Upon reaching the station, Sam finds Miss Jones drenching herself in water. She admits to working as a prostitute in the past and asks about Sam’s wife. Remarking that some people do not marry wisely, Sam recounts the story of his wife Paula, a Cuban insurrectionist who died in the Spanish-American War. After Carbo whips his horse violently in an attempt to make it across the desert, the animal collapses and dies. Having spotted the horse’s abandoned corpse, Sam orders Carbo to bury it, and on Sam’s command, the Western Press reporter agrees to oversee the burial. That night, Luke asks Sam to throw the race and offers to split his winnings. However, Sam refuses, saying he wants to win. Carbo apologizes to Miss Jones for the names he called her, and admits he is not a true cowboy and has never been in a gunfight. Sam accidentally drinks a powerful sleeping aid that one of Rosie’s prostitutes got from Mexico and becomes violently ill. Rosie blames Jack Parker, believing that he sabotaged Sam, but Luke insists that Sam drank it of his own accord. The next day, the Mexican prays before the final leg of the race while Sam, still in pain, barely manages to mount his horse. The riders’ path is set to pass a chain gang, and Miss Jones is the first to reach the railroad site where the prisoners are at work. When a guard checks her identification and grants her permission to pass, she steals his keys at gunpoint. Miss Jones’s boyfriend Steve, a convict on the chain gang, grabs the keys, frees himself, then frees two other inmates. Peeved, Jones reminds Steve that they planned to escape as a couple, but Steve argues that he needs his friends’ help. Steve stops two more riders, including the Mexican, as they arrive at the railroad tracks. Steve and his cohorts steal the men’s horses, while Jones tends to the Mexican, shot by Steve. The group also stops Luke and Sam, steals their horses, and rushes off with Jones in tow. Determined to retrieve their horses and finish the race, Sam and Luke borrow the reporter’s motorcycle, with Carbo following on horseback. In a wooded area, Luke shoots one of the convicts. Meanwhile, Steve shoots Carbo in the arm, kills the horse he was riding, and disappears. Sam and Luke track Steve’s group through the woods. Using the butt of his rifle, Sam knocks Steve’s remaining ally to the ground. Luke and Sam hear Jones calling for help and manage to shoot Steve as he rides into the distance. Referencing Sam’s earlier comment about marrying unwisely, Miss Jones apologizes for Steve and rides off. Luke and Sam split up as they get back into the race. Nearing the finish line, Sam discards clothing and heavy items to alleviate the horse’s load. After dropping to the ground to remove the saddle, Sam fights to get back on but is too tired to ride and must walk his horse the rest of the way. As Luke is about to overtake Sam, he also dismounts and walks his horse. Exchanging smiles, the friends cross the finish line at the same time.