Corgis race their butts off for 1st SoCal nationals at Santa Anita race track in Arcadia

ARCADIA, Calif. (KABC) -- They have short legs, fluffy butts and were off to the races in the Southern California nationals that took place at the Santa Anita race track.

"We do a lot of training with the tennis ball to get him into shape," one owner said.

Just like people cannot judge a book by its cover, you cannot judge a corgi by its legs or stomach, especially when mom and dad have a few tricks up their sleeves.

"The best method has been hot dogs," owner Nicole Yau said. "I'm going to be on the end and he knows I have the hot dogs. We're allowed to use treats."

In the world of corgi racing, the low-riding pups have to be ready for anything such as distractions, confusion and even sabotage. But some just attend for the participation trophy.

"If he doesn't come out of the box, we're still proud of him," another owner said.