Race 1: Likely favorite Short Kakes (4) appears to be the most likely winner of the opener after running a strong race in defeat at this level last time. The others just don't appear to be good enough. The horse that I want to play against is Hoponthebusgus, who is a turf horse and has never run competitive dirt speed figures.
A: 3;  C: 1,4,5

Race 2: Linda Rice has fantastic numbers with second-time-starters, so Spiral Bound (1) must be respected on the drop in class. I'll use her, but my top pick is Gypsy Jo (6), who drops in class and gets back to sprinting on dirt. Her last dirt start in July came against a much tougher field and at least she showed some decent speed that day.
A: 1,6;  B: 3,4

Race 3: Generally, I don't want to lean on horses like Wealth Effect (2), who are switching surfaces for the first time and will be short prices. However, this filly actually has dirt pedigree and just isn't facing much. The only other runner that I would include is Wall of Compassion (3), who has run the fastest dirt races but may not want to go this far.
A: 2;  B: 3

Race 4: The pickings are pretty slim in this maiden claimer. If Cookie Crisp (1) runs back to his prior dirt races, he is simply going to beat this field. The only other horse that you can make a reasonable case for is Alpha Team (4), but he would likely need the favorite to run a subpar race.
A: 1;  B: 4

Race 5: This is essentially a three-horse race, as Carry Your Heels (1), Lady Rullah (3), and Woundwithhereyes (4) appear to be the only horses who have been remotely competitive in their recent dirt sprints. I prefer Lady Rullah, but would use all three to close out this Pick-5.
A: 1,3,4