A success in racing at age two, Playful Act had notable wins in the 2004 Fillies' Mile and May Hill Stakes and was voted the British Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 2004. She raced at age three with her best result a win in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks and a second place finish to Shawanda in the Irish Oaks.
Retired to broodmare duty, Playful Act was put up for sale in November 2007 and was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud operation at the Keeneland breeding stock sale for a world record price of US$10.5 million.