Fourteen-year-old Connor's (Black) best friend is a horse named Flash. When his family hits hard times, Connor's dad (Kerwin) joins the merchant marines, his grandmother (Burstyn) goes to work in a factory, and Connor is forced to sell Flash. The teen takes a job in the new owner's stables and when he sees how badly the animal is treated, Connor steals Flash and sets off to meet his father's ship in New York.