HOT-RODDIN' RODENTS GO FOR GLORY; HAMSTER RACE BURNS RUBBER AT THE OAKS.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

The racers were ready, set to run as fast as their furry little legs could go, as their owners held them back at the starting line.

Some shot straight out in their lanes as soon as they were able, while others never got out of the starting gate.

Excited owners shouted and urged their little ones down the makeshift track at The Oaks mall Saturday for the first Habitrail Herbie Derby Hamster Race.

But even the most active of the contestants was not guaranteed to win.

``Nobody tells the hamster that he's racing, so one may get all the way down to the finish line, get within an inch of the end and back up and go the other way,'' said John Koester, owner of the Animal House pet store at the mall and co-sponsor of the event.

To enter the competition, the hamsters were placed in specially designed hot rods that have dragsterlike bodies with large wheels in the middle, modeled after hamster exercise wheels. When the hamsters started running, the vehicles were propelled forward.

The race was held in conjunction with the shopping center's annual Kids World exhibition. It attracted about 35 contestants competing for prizes - Habitrail cages and treats - and bragging rights.

Many owners said their hamsters took to the vehicles right away, and had been practicing for a few weeks before the race.

``The first day we put her in, she wasn't really sure what to do,'' said Jacqueline O'Hagan, 10, of Newbury Park, of her hamster, Sabrina. ``But once she got the hang of it, she started going over lawn chairs and bumps.''

In the end, it was 18-year-old Amy Galliher's entry, Peanut, who took the grand prize: a huge, multicolored habitat with a variety of twists, turns and rooms. Galliher said Peanut is really her 10-year-old sister Alison's pet.

``My mom and my sister were talking about it, about how they were going to bring her to the hamster races,'' Galliher said. ``When something came up and they had to go out of town, I decided I wasn't doing anything, so I brought her out.''

The Gallihers have two hamsters who now share one cage.

``The new cage will separate them,'' she said, adding that Peanut, of course, will get the new habitat. ``You earned it, little guy.''

Members of Concerned People for Animals, a local animal rescue organization, said recently they don't see anything wrong with hamster racing - unlike dog and horse races, to which they do object.

``They're not being forced to do it; it's something that they like to do anyway for exercise,'' said Carel Ahlefeld, a member of the group.

Hamster breeder Lynne Mann, who with daughter Katie entered Ebony in the race, said while the hamsters might not exactly enjoy it, the race can be fun for them.

``They probably are pretty neutral about this whole thing,'' the Thousand Oaks resident said. ``They aren't social creatures, but they probably like being out of their cages for a while.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1-2--Color) Hamster-powered dragsters, above, roar down the strip Saturday at The Oaks mall as youngsters cheer their pets onward during the first Habitrail Herbie Derby Hamster Race. Ten-year-old Jacqueline O'Hagan, left, of Newbury Park cradles her high-octane hamster, Sabrina.

Tina Gerson/Daily News