In Old Santa Fe

Ken Maynard and his sidekick Cactus meet Lila Miller after her car slides off the road. Lila's father Charlie Miller owns the ranch that hosts the prize canyon race. Ken and Cactus sense a potential for love and a chance to win with Tarzan.

Chandler and Tracy arrive at the ranch with a plan to coerce Charlie Miller by threatening to expose his secret criminal past. They demand half of Charlie's gold mine and ranch earnings in exchange for not revealing it. Chandler also hopes to force Charlie into allowing him to marry Lila, who favors Ken.

To secure an edge, Chandler and Tracy trick Cactus into wagering Tarzan as the prize if Ken loses. The bet ties Tarzan to the outcome of the race and guarantees a crooked path to victory if Ken falters. The setup foreshadows the sabotage to come.

Tracy secretly rigs the canyon course with a trip-wire, injuring Tarzan and clearing a path for Chandler to win. Ken immediately suspects foul play and vows to uncover the saboteur. The sabotage shifts the race's outcome into doubt.

Ken refuses to give Tarzan to Chandler and refuses to accept the manipulated result. Cactus vows to identify the saboteur, and Ken begins looking for the boot prints that prove foul play. The two push back against the crooked scheme.

Tracy double-crosses Chandler by robbing the ranch stagecoach carrying Charlie's gold, and the driver is killed. The theft disrupts the whole plan and compounds the danger around Charlie's operation. Ken pursues the criminals but is implicated by Tracy.

Ken is jailed for the stagecoach robbery after Tracy implicates him to the sheriff. With the help of Cactus and Tarzan, Ken escapes from jail and arrives at the ranch just as Chandler shoots Tracy.

Ken is again suspected of the killing as chaos erupts at the ranch. Cactus arrives with proof that Tracy's boots match the prints found on the racecourse, tying him to the sabotage. Ken uses the evidence to pressure Chandler into a confession by claiming he possesses a damning note left by Tracy.

The sheriff reveals that Charlie had been pardoned of the earlier crime years before, clearing his reputation. Chandler, whose real name is Monte Korber, is exposed as the blackmailer behind the plot. The danger to the Miller ranch recedes as the truth comes to light.

Charlie’s past is fully cleared, ending the blackmail threat against the Miller ranch. Ken is free to court Lila, who has always loved him, signaling a hopeful ending for the couple.