Chiefswood Stables’ Ontario-bred five-year-old PLAYMEA TUNE was bet down to 3-to-2 by racing fans and honoured that back, taking the $125,000 Forego Stakes at Turfway Park, Florence, KY Saturday night.

Ridden by Woodbine’s second leading rider of 2024, Rafael Hernandez, Playmea Tune broke well in the 6 1/2 furlong Tapeta dash, but was shuffled back a bit in the early stages. After two furlongs in 22.255, the son of Macleans’ Music was about four lengths off the lead with rivals on his inside and outside. At the half-mile mark, Hernandez was able to get his mount clear on the outside and the pair moved up four wide, chasing 2-to-1 second favourite Bromley, who grabbed a short lead.

Into the stretch, Playmea Tune steadily gained on Bromley and then went past, clearing that rival and holding Surly Furious safe to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:18.06.

His Beyer Speed Figure was 91, according to Daily Racing Form.

Trained by Josie Carroll, Playmea Tune was winning his first stakes race in his seventh career start. The gelding won his first two races of his career last summer at Woodbine, was second by a neck to Patches O’Houlihan in the Bold Venture Stakes (G3), fifth in the Woodbine Mile (G1) and then ended 2024 with an allowance victory. He began 2025 with a fifth-place finish on the dirt in the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park behind Mufasa and subsequent Pegasus World Cup winner White Abarrio.

Playmea Tune, a handsome bay with four white feet, paid $5.08 to win. His career record stands at four wins from seven starts and earnings of $224.761.

Chiefswood Stable bred the gelding, who is from their mare Fifth Overture, by Pulpit. Fifth Overture won the Seaway Stakes (G3) and Sweet Briar Too Stakes at Woodbine in her career which saw her win seven races and earn $323,619. Playmea Tune is her 12th named foal, seventh winner, and she had one previous stakes horse, the placed Awesome Overture.

The Forego win by Playmea Tune was a good ending for the Carroll barn that did not have the same luck with He’s Not Joking in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred winner of last year’s Grey Stakes finished a distant fifth behind winner Burnham Square.