It Ain’t Hay

Wilbur Hoolihan, a cab driver, inadvertently causes the death of a hack horse owned by King O’Hara and Princess O’Hara by feeding it candy. The incident happens on a city street as bystanders react in shock. Wilbur resolves to raise money to replace the animal.

To replace the horse, Wilbur and his friend Grover Mockridge visit a crooked gambling parlor. They manage to win some money, but a slick con man swindles them out of the cash before they can cash in. The setback leaves them desperate for a new scheme.

Touts inform Wilbur and Grover that an old horse might be available for free at an upstate track. The news gives them a new potential path to replacing the lost horse without paying for it. They decide to pursue this lead.

At the track, Wilbur and Grover mistakenly take Tea Biscuit, a champion horse, and present it to O’Hara as the replacement. The error triggers a fresh round of trouble as the real owner’s interests come into play. They realize the mix-up only after drawing attention.

Tea Biscuit’s owner, Col. Brainard, announces a reward for the return of the horse, escalating the stakes for everyone involved. The reward makes Tea Biscuit a highly sought-after asset for competing interests. Wilbur and Grover now have a clearer target to protect.

O’Hara heads toward Saratoga with a fare, prompting Wilbur and Grover to chase him down. The touts, sensing an opportunity, tail the trio in hopes of reclaiming Tea Biscuit and securing the reward. The chase intensifies as the stakes rise.

Wilbur and Grover hide Tea Biscuit in their hotel room, while Warner, the house detective, closes in on them after being tipped off by the touts. A tense cat-and-mouse game unfolds around the hotel, heightening the pressure.

Fleeing Warner, Wilbur rides Tea Biscuit toward a big race, hoping to slip away with the horse. He reaches the track just in time for the main event, setting the stage for the race’s unpredictable turn of events.

At the track, the three touts and Warner converge on Grover and press him to hand over Tea Biscuit. Grover bargains to switch the horse Wilbur is riding for $100, turning the situation into a cash windfall or loss depending on the outcome.

With cash from the threatened deal, Grover uses a windfall to place a large bet on Tea Biscuit, hoping for a big payout. The stakes rise as the betting action intensifies around the horse.

Just before the race, Wilbur is thrown off Tea Biscuit and lands on Rhubarb. Rhubarb’s jockey quickly saddles Tea Biscuit, creating a dramatic and chaotic sequence on the track. The rider switch changes the horse’s prospects in the moment.

With a real jockey aboard, Tea Biscuit wins the big race while Wilbur and Rhubarb finish in last place. The crowd erupts as the true horse and rider demonstrate their superiority, vindicating Tea Biscuit’s reputation. The opportunists must recalibrate their plans.

Warner and the touts take Wilbur’s horse, thinking it is Tea Biscuit, to Brainard to claim the reward. They discover too late that the horse is not Tea Biscuit, exposing their miscalculation. The reward pursuit collapses, altering the financial balance of the scheme.

Grover retains the only winning ticket on Tea Biscuit and uses the windfall to buy O’Hara a replacement horse. The scheme’s payoff finally arrives, providing a practical solution to the original problem. The film closes with the main characters adjusted to their new winnings and responsibilities.