Tough Tiz’s Sis earns her first graded stakes win

Tough Tiz’s Sis, a filly who began her career with a pair of losses at Hawthorne late last fall, is now a graded stakes winner.

Successful for the third time in five starts since joining the barn of Bob Baffert after being privately purchased, the daughter of Tiznow defeated 9-10 favorite Silver Swallow and three others to take the Grade II $126,400 Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks on Sunday at Hollywood Park.

A well-beaten seventh behind Rags To Riches in the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs, Tough Tiz’s Sis found the much softer company in the local Oaks to her liking.

Never far off the pace set by recent maiden winner Follow The Clues, the 2-1 second choice took the lead around the turn and was never seriously menaced by Silver Swallow. Ridden by Aaron Gryder, Tough Tiz’s Sis completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.30 while winning by 3 1/2 lengths.

“She’s a good filly with a nice long stride so she was suited for this Cushion Track,” said Baffert, who also won the Hollywood Oaks with Santa Catarina in 2003. “I’m not sure what’s in store for her. I just wanted to see what she did here and how she comes out of this.”

The runner-up to Rags to Riches in the Santa Anita Oaks, Silver Swallow was more than 6 1/2 lengths clear of High Cholesterol, then came Follow the Clues and Ashley’s Kitty.

The loss meant Bruce Headley, who trains Silver Swallow, is still winless for the meet, but he offered no alibis for the gray daughter of Alphabet Soup.

“Perfect race, perfect ride,” Headley said. “She just didn’t win.”

*

The total mutuel handle on Saturday at Hollywood Park was the highest ($21,214,459) at the Inglewood track on a Belmont Stakes Day without a Triple Crown on the line.

The record for a Belmont at Hollywood Park was $22,459,947 in 2004 when Smarty Jones was thwarted by Birdstone in his quest to become a Triple Crown winner.

With the spring-summer season more than half over, Hollywood Park’s average on-track handle is up 4.9% over last year and the on-track attendance is 5.8% better than the 2006 meet.

*

Factual Contender made it three wins in five starts since joining the barn of trainer Barclay Tagg with a wire-to-wire victory in the $109,800 Mount Vernon Handicap on Sunday at Belmont Park.

Owned by Tom Farone Jr., the 6-year-old Thunder Puddles mare, who was the 7-10 favorite, defeated Half Heaven by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:48.66 for the 1 1/8 miles on turf.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com