DEL MAR, Calif. - It’s a decades-long frustration for local commuters, and on Saturday afternoon it affected the races at Del Mar. Southern California traffic. Before dawn on Saturday, Interstate 5, the main route between Los Angeles and San Diego, was closed for several hours. It had significantly curtailed traffic flow in the morning and afternoon while police conducted an extensive investigation regarding a search for a suspect after a lengthy car chase and a shooting, according to news reports. The incident led to two scratches from the second race, and kept jockeys Tyler Baze and Alex Bautista from reaching Del Mar in time for the fifth race, according to track stewards. For some racegoers, the journey from the Los Angeles area to Del Mar took more than six hours. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The horses withdrawn from the second race did not arrive at Del Mar from Santa Anita in time to be administered Lasix, which must occur four hours prior to post time, stewards said. Other runners in later races had lengthy trips from Santa Anita to Del Mar. Nevada Beach, winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes, was on a horse van for five hours from 4 a.m. until after 9 a.m., according to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. “It usually takes two hours to get down there,” Baffert said. “They just sat there in the damn trailer.” Nevada Beach arrived at Del Mar well in advance of the Native Diver. Nevada Beach ($2.20) closed from third in a field of four to finish a half-length in front of a stubborn British Isles, who led in early stretch. Nevada Beach won the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 27 and was seventh of nine in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. The $98,000 Native Diver was Nevada Beach’s third stakes win of the year. “He gutted it out,” Baffert said. “He won on class.” Baffert said on Sunday that he did not have immediate race plans for Nevada Beach, a 3-year-old colt by Omaha Beach who has won 4 of 6 starts in a career that began in April. The next stakes for 3-year-olds and older horses around two turns in California is the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. British Isles could be part of the field, trainer Richard Baltas said. The Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles was the first start in a stakes on dirt for British Isles, who has won 3 of 22 starts. British Isles, a 4-year-old gelding owned by the partnership of Slam Dunk Racing, Jerry McClanahan, and Baltas, won an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 11. “The horse had been training great,” Baltas said on Sunday. “He seems to be getting better. “Talking with the owners, we wanted to try him on the dirt one more time. It was a tremendous effort. I thought we were going to get there, but Bob’s horse was too much.” Baltas said the Pincay Stakes is “something to look at.” Baltas is winless with five stakes runners at the current Del Mar autumn meeting, which began on Oct. 30. On the opening weekend of the meeting, Friendly Confines was second in the Let It Ride Stakes for 3-year-old turf milers, and Ag Bullet was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 1. Both are booked to run on Thanksgiving weekend for Baltas. Friendly Confines is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, a $300,000 race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Nov. 29. Ag Bullet is a probable starter in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf on Nov. 30. Ag Bullet was listed as bought back for $2.9 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale earlier this month. On Sunday, Ag Bullet worked five furlongs on turf in 1:02.20, her first workout since the BC Turf Sprint. Ag Bullet, owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, was third by a length in the 2024 Matriarch Stakes. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.