South of Caliente

To keep her stock farm from going bankrupt, Doris Stewart feels obligated to sell her champion racehorse, Miss Glory, and hires Roy Rogers' trucking service to transport the animal to Monterey. As Roy rides up on Trigger, she challenges them to an impromptu race, which Miss Glory wins. Roy's assistants, Pat and Pinky, then bring the rig, and Miss Glory is loaded with other horses Roy is taking across the border. Doris accompanies them to the border town of Caliente, where the horses and papers are inspected by the border police. Doris is unaware that her trainer, Dave Norris, is also there meeting with a man named Studsy, who has hired the gypsy Josef to carry out their crooked plans. Rosina, a gypsy fortune-teller, tries to dissuade Josef from working with the Americans, but fails. She then tries to warn Roy and Doris of danger and death, but they dismiss the warnings as part of her act. However, Norris overhears Rosina and stabs her when she is alone. Shortly after Roy's rig clears the border, Josef and his accomplices ambush it and drive off with the horses. As the thieves unload the rig, Doris' stableboy Willie, who is riding with Miss Glory in the cargo area, is discovered and shot when he recognizes Studsy as the owner of a neighboring ranch. At the Caliente police station, meanwhile, Roy and Doris question how the thieves could profit from stolen racehorses that have been tattooed with registration numbers. Remembering Rosina's warning, they look for her in town and at some gypsy camps, but learn nothing. However, Pinky, disguised as a gypsy, hears talk about valuable horses. When he reports this, Roy conjectures that the thoroughbreds are hidden among wild horses. The police captain shows them a valley where wild horses roam, and there they find all the stolen horses, except Miss Glory. Eventually, they discover a dead horse that appears to be the missing racehorse. However, the real Miss Glory is hidden at the gypsy camp. By dyeing her coat and altering her tattoo, Studsy and Norris plan to race her as Studsy's own horse. Josef's compensation will be the reward money for the return of the other horses. At the ranch Norris tells Doris that the insurance policy for Miss Glory did not cover the trip to Mexico, which means financial ruin for her. He offers to pay her debts and marry her, but she declines. Thinking that Roy has continued on with the other horses, Norris tells Studsy to bring the stolen horse over the border. However, hoping to find Rosina, Roy sends Pat on with the horses, but remains in Caliente with Pinky, waiting at a cafe near the border gate. Roy spots a wagon pulled by three horses waiting to cross, and realizes the horse in the middle is a thoroughbred. Recognizing Roy, Studsy shoots his gun and causes the horses to take off in fright. Roy and Pinky ride in the pursuing police car while Trigger follows. Miss Glory eventually breaks free of the wagon and races with Trigger to Doris' ranch, but is not recognized. Consequently, when Studsy claims Miss Glory, only Trigger is upset. Later, however, Roy and Pinky are certain that the horse Doris has described is the one they chased. During the night, Doris and Roy steal Miss Glory and race the two animals, knowing that Studsy does not own a horse that could outrun Trigger. After Miss Glory wins, they confirm their suspicions by applying dye remover and peroxide. Pinky tries to call the sheriff, but Norris clobbers him, then locks up Doris and Roy, and arranges with Studsy to return Miss Glory to the gypsy camp using a route that bypasses Caliente. Pinky, though addled, hears the conversation as he awakens, and frees Doris and Roy. Doris alerts the Caliente police captain, and Roy and Pinky go straight to the gypsy camp, where they witness Studsy killing Norris. Trying to free Miss Glory, Roy and Pinky get into a fight with the thieves, but soon the police arrive and the thieves are apprehended. Later at Doris' ranch, as they all watch Miss Glory make record time, Roy says that Miss Glory can win the money that will save Doris' ranch. As Roy rides away on Trigger, Miss Glory jumps the fence and chases after them.