Wallace Beery plays eternally inebriated ex-veterinarian Tom Terry. An aspiring jockey Mickey (Mickey Rooney) idolizes Tom, who reciprocates by passing along horsemanship advice to the kid. The film's dramatic high point is where Tom, judgement benumbed by years of alcohol abuse, tries to pull himself long enough to perform a delicate operation on Mickey's beloved horse Lady-Q. The film culminates in a big horse race, with Mickey and Tom laying their hopes on the "long shot."