Turfway: My Lil Punky seeks first stakes in Gowell
Press release by Turfway publicity Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media/Turfway Park photo of My Lil Punky winning a Turfway Park allowance.)
FLORENCE, Ky. (Friday, Dec. 27, 2024) – Triple M Racing Stable‘s recent local allowance winner My Lil Punky headlines a competitive field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered in the 31st running of the $125,000 Gowell Stakes at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming, the featured event on Wednesday’s New Year’s Day program.
The six-furlong sprint will go as Race 6 of 9, with a post time of 3:30 p.m. (all times Eastern) The special holiday card has a first post of 1 p.m.
Trained by John Ennis, My Lil Punky will seek her first stakes victory after recently defeating 11 rivals in a first-level allowance race on Dec. 13 at Turfway Park. Prior to that victory, My Lil Punky competed four times on dirt including her maiden-breaking score on Oct. 12 at Keeneland. The daughter of Outwork will be ridden by Adam Beschizza from post No. 7.
Chief among My Lil Punky’s challengers is Godolphin’s two-time winner She’s All Charm. Trained by Eoin Harty, She’s All Charm has raced in all four of her lifetime starts on turf. She broke her maiden on debut at Ellis Park and won a first-level allowance event in mid-October at Keeneland. Walter Rodriguez will have the call from post 4.
The field for the Gowell Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Hidden Quarry (Abel Cedillo, Ethan West)
- Les Is Best (Luan Machado, Eric Foster)
- Grace On Grace (Fernando De La Cruz, Larry Demeritte)
- She’s All Charm (Rodriguez, Harty)
- Keyanna (Albin Jiminez, Daniel Leitch)
- Wisconsin Gal (Joe Bealmear, Paul McEntee)
- My Lil Punky (Beschizza, Ennis)
The Gowell Stakes is named in honor of the filly who won the first running of the Inaugural Stakes in 1913 at the original Latonia Race Course. According to a June 16, 1913 article in the Kentucky Post, “Gowell was the special pet of Mrs. Weaver, wife of owner Jack Weaver. Mrs. Weaver named the filly, combining the names of Gowell’s sire and dam, Ort Wells and Responsive. Since she was permitted to name the animal, Mrs. Weaver has taken unusual pride in the thoroughbred, and those who wagered hundreds on Gowell applauded no louder than Mrs. Weaver, although she never bets.”
For more information about racing and gaming at Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com.
FINAL FLORENCE FURLONG – Saturday’s program at Turfway Park will offer a mandatory payout in all wagers including the 20-cent Single 6 Jackpot which stood at a whopping $233,024 prior to Friday night’s nine-race program. … Entering the final two days of racing for the Holiday Meet, Gerardo Corrales led Irving Moncada 11-10 in the jockey standings with Larry Rivelli topping the trainer standings with six wins. There was a six-way tie for leading owner. The Winter/Spring Meet begins Jan. 1 and will run through March 29.
