Pulled to a desert island by a wild black stallion he has freed during a shipwreck at sea, then rescued by a southbound freighter, a seventeen-year-old boy befriends the horse, trains him by night, and rides him to victory in a match race.

The Black Stallion's son arrives from Arabia and young Alec is ecstatic, but his trainer, Henry, sees a killer's instincts.

When the Black is returned to Alec Ramsey, the whole racing world, including Alec himself, wonders which horse is faster: the great stallion or his son, Satan.

Henry Dailey buys a spoiled, contrary two-year-old filly, a daughter of the Black, in November, and is determined to have a Kentucky Derby candidate by May.

A racing accident resulting in a frightened horse and an injured driver leads Alec Ramsey and Henry Dailey to try harness racing, working a son of the Black toward the Hambletonian.

A plane wreck at sea separates Alec and the Black until the search for a rabid vampire bat leads the boy to Flame's island sanctuary.

Alec Ramsey, racing the Black in Florida over the winter, receives a letter from Steve Duncan which results in the island stallion's challenging the champion.

Robert Dalva directs "The Black Stallion Returns," a lively sequel following the further adventures of Alec Ramsay (Kelly Reno) and his stunning Arabian steed, the Black. When the horse is stolen, Alec leaves the peaceful farm where he lives with his mother (Teri Garr) to go off to Morocco; there, warring Arab tribes are determined to run the Black under their own divergent standards in a legendary desert race.

A boy is entrusted to attend the birth, train, and drive a blood bay colt that is the great hope of an aging reinsman who refuses to be reconciled to the fact that sulky-racing has moved from the county fair to the big night time, moneymaking raceways.

Alec Ramsay tries to hold onto his love of racing and his steeplechaser Black Storm when both are threatened under different circumstances.