NEW ORLEANS – Jeff Bloom always has wanted to be in the Derby. When he was a jockey, it was his dream. And he got a derby, all right. It was just a bit north of Louisville in Winnipeg. The 1985 Manitoba Derby was the biggest victory for Bloom during a riding career that began at Del Mar in 1982 and lasted less than a decade. Fast forward 25 years – after he stopped riding, got a degree in finance, and melded his equine and financial knowledge into running his business, Bloom Racing – and Bloom finds himself one race away from finally being in the Kentucky Derby. The colt he hopes will bring him there is Snapper Sinclair, who will be one of the top choices here at Fair Grounds on Saturday in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby following a narrow loss last month in the Risen Star. Bloom said he “gets goose bumps” just thinking about the possibility. “Every jockey’s dream, at least ones who ride in North America, is to ride in the Kentucky Derby,” Bloom said this week. “I always said I’d never go to Churchill Downs unless I was going to ride in the Derby, and it never happened. The whole thing now is pretty surreal.” Bloom, 54, has operated Bloom Racing since 2011, and his current lineup is the strongest he’s had at the track since the launch. In addition to Snapper Sinclair, he has the top-class 3-year-old filly Midnight Bisou – who is headed next to the Santa Anita Oaks and is one of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks – as well as the stakes-winning older female sprinter Skye Diamonds, who is scheduled to run Saturday at Santa Anita in the Santa Monica, and the long-distance grass horse Run Time, who is set for the Gold Cup on the Dubai World Cup card. This from a group of just 30 runners. “When you sit and reflect that you’ve got a shot at having horses in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, it’s mind-boggling,” Bloom said. “It’s not something I take lightly.” Bloom grew up and still lives in the San Diego area, but his riding career took him often to the Pacific Northwest. After retiring from race riding, he went back to school at San Diego State and got a degree while still keeping his hand in racing by working part-time in the marketing and media departments at Del Mar, something he still does during the race meetings. If you come out on weekends for “Breakfast at Del Mar,” he’s the moderator keeping you apprised of who’s on the track. :: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 list | Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not After graduating, Bloom worked as a financial analyst for an engineering firm and in business development for a software company, “but I was miserable,” he said. The track still beckoned. He worked as a California-based representative for the West Point Thoroughbreds partnership before going out on his own. “Over time, it was something I wanted to see if I could do my way,” Bloom said. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, got a well-rounded education in school, wanted to work with the horses directly, enjoyed the business side of it, and thought it was time to try it. “It’s a leap of faith. You hope you land. But I’ve always felt that if you follow your passion, things will work out.” Bloom received key support when he went out on his own from the successful investor David Batchelder, the chairman of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “An incredible mentor,” Bloom called him. :: Just reduced! Save on The Road to the Kentucky Derby Player's Package Andrew Yaffe has been with Bloom from the start, and Bloom has a growing partnership with Chuck and Lori Allen, who are co-owners of Skye Diamonds as well as – with Bloom and Yaffe – Snapper Sinclair and Midnight Bisou. Bloom officially is the managing partner of Bloom Racing. He operates at all levels of the business – buying horses to race, buying at auction to pinhook, breeding, and consulting. He has horses literally from coast to coast, with runners based in California, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, and New York. He just returned from a vacation to Russia, will be here on Saturday for Snapper Sinclair’s race, then will briefly visit Florida before flying to Dubai. It’s a whirlwind schedule, but for a former jockey who’s riding higher than ever, “I’m not gonna complain,” he said. “It’s a lot of hard work,” Bloom said, “but it’s the most fun I’ve had working.” Ten late Triple Crown nominees The recent stakes winners Blended Citizen, Flameaway, and Gold Town are among the 10 horses announced Wednesday by Churchill Downs as late nominees to the Triple Crown. The others are All Out Blitz, Arawak, Determinant, Making a Marc, Prince Lucky, Runaway Ghost, and Yulong Warrior. All 10 were nominated for $6,000 each at the second deadline Monday. In January, another 360 horses were nominated to the Triple Crown for $600 each. :: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays, and analysis