Bred at Asprey Stud near Pinjarra by H.B (Pip) Dent, Placid Ark was purchased at the Sunspeed Yearling Sales for $5,000 for a novice eight-person syndicate headed by Hotelier Barry McGrath on the recommendation of Ascot Racecourse trainer Wally Mitchell.
Placid Ark earned number of wins as a two-year-old including the first ever defeat of star filly Jungle Dawn who later campaigned successfully in the United States of America and after making a promising start in his three-year-old season in Perth, Western Australia, plans were made to take him to Melbourne to contest the autumn sprinters treble of the Lightning Stakes, Oakleigh Plate & Newmarket Handicap.
Accompanying Placid Ark on the trip was New South Wales born jockey John Scorse who had relocated to Perth as stable rider for Mitchell.
Placid Ark's performances in the 1986-87 racing season resulted in him being voted a co-winner of Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year honors.
Out of racing for a time due to an injury, Placid Ark came back in 1988 to win the Bobby Lewis Quality before a shattered sesamoid resulted in the gelding having to be euthanized.