os.stat() distorts filenames that end with period (nt.stat())

[ruck]

(This with Python 2.7.2 on Windows 7)

os.stat() won't recognize a filename ending in period.
It will ignore trailing periods.  
If you ask it about file 'goo...' it will report on file 'goo'
And if 'goo' doesn't exist, os.stat will complain.

create file goo, then

    >>> os.stat('goo')
    nt.stat_result(st_mode=33206, st_ino=0L, st_dev=0, st_nlink=0, st_uid=0, st_gid=0, st_size=0L, st_atime=1346978160L, st_mtime=1346978160L, st_ctime=1346978160L)
    >>> os.stat('goo...')
    nt.stat_result(st_mode=33206, st_ino=0L, st_dev=0, st_nlink=0, st_uid=0, st_gid=0, st_size=0L, st_atime=1346978160L, st_mtime=1346978160L, st_ctime=1346978160L)

rename goo to "goo...", then,

    >>> os.stat('goo...')

    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<pyshell#16>", line 1, in <module>
        os.stat('goo...')
    WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified: 'goo...'

Puzzling, to me at least.
Any comments?
This with Python 2.7.2 on Windows 7.
Is there a workaround?
Thanks,
John